Latest Trends in Pool Area Lighting
Lighting is an element of swimming pool design that serves an aesthetic and functional purpose. In addition to extending the amount of time you are able to use your pool safely each night, pool lighting can be used to create dramatic focal points in your pool and in the areas surrounding it. While in-ground swimming pool designs used to have a couple of lights built into the walls, today’s customized lighting uses different colors and qualities, such as a soft glow or special effect, to add visibility and visual interest. When used around the pool, lighting can highlight practical areas such as pathways and steps as well as unique landscape elements, specimen plantings, and patio areas.
The most popular type of lighting to install during pool construction is LED lighting. In comparison to halogen and fiber optic types, LED lights are bright, durable, and more energy efficient. While fiber optic lighting offers the advantage of its bulbs being easier and faster to change, a fan is needed to cool down the bulb, and this adds to the cost. An LED light can last up to 15 years, which makes this less of an issue for most homeowners.
By incorporating lighting into your overall pool design, you can make swimming at night safer while enhancing the ambiance of the setting. When you want to transform your luxury swimming pool for an evening of entertaining, lighting can be changed to a single color that suits your event or set to change periodically. In addition to switching colors, lighting systems can be programmed to adjust speed, motion, and brightness to create custom light shows.
For areas around the pool and pool spa, low-voltage lighting can give a soft glow that is effective for safety while creating a warm ambiance. When steps, pathways, and patio areas are lit, you and your guests can maneuver safely during parties and evenings spent in the backyard. The added element of security also can make you feel more comfortable and relaxed when spending time outside at night. On evenings when you are spending time inside the house, lighting in your backyard can highlight special landscape elements such as specimen plantings and architectural elements such as decks and pergolas that make your view more enjoyable.
When planning lighting for your backyard, a professional can assess your space, taking into account landscape elements such as shrubs, trees, flower patches, and ponds as well as benches, water fountains, and garden decorations that are unlikely to be moved. Each of these elements reflect and absorb light differently and vary in height, and a lighting plan will take these factors into consideration. Lighting will be customized for each of the specific areas that you and your swimming pool contractor identify. A pond may be more suited to soft perimeter lighting, while an element such as a waterfall or fountain may be accentuated with a spotlight. For a moonlight effect, you may choose to install soft blue lighting in your garden.
With so many options for location, brightness, color, and type, lighting for your pool and backyard can be customized to match your style in almost limitless ways. A consultation with your pool contractor can help you to navigate all of the options.
