Outdoor Patio Lighting Design Guide

Outdoor spaces offer opportunities to get outside and soak in fresh air and natural light. Whether your outdoor patio is part of a restaurant, office building, hospital, or other commercial space, the best outdoor lighting fixtures extend the enjoyment even after the sun goes down.  LED outdoor lighting, including security lighting, path lighting, string lights, and architectural lighting all add style and functionality to your patio space. Exterior lighting is such a powerful tool for design because of its ability to make any area more visually appealing, while at the same time making it safer and more practical.  The best part? LED outdoor lighting uses far less energy than traditional outdoor lights, like incandescent and LED bulbs. So you can improve your outdoor lighting without running up your energy bill. TCP offers a variety of Outdoor Luminaires and other lighting products for your outdoor spaces.

Security Lighting

Commercial security lighting is used to create bright, wide illumination outside near your building. These tough, industrial strength lights are built to provide light no matter the conditions. Installed in high places, such as above a garage or awning, these lights typically shine down on walkways, entrances, and parking lots.  These lights can be installed with motion sensors, or as dusk-to-dawn lights providing all-day light. When shopping for security lighting, your best bet is to use a combination of the two—motion sensor and dusk-to-dawn—to ensure the best outdoor security lighting possible. 

Path Lighting

LED pathway lighting draws people in, guiding them to your entrances. Path lighting is soft or medium-bright safety and landscape lighting that both adds visual appeal to walkways and helps employees and guests see their way.  Path lighting is installed along both sides of a path, typically staked in the ground. Path lights can also be used along the edges of plants or garden paths that may be less defined as a way to add clarity.  LED path lighting comes in a broad assortment of fixture styles and color temperatures. Minimalist fixtures will blend into the landscape, while more stylized industrial or farmhouse-style path lights will make a decor statement. Fixtures and bulbs should be designed to withstand wet, outdoor environments so they last for years to come. Whatever you choose, LED bulbs will keep your pathways bright and easy to navigate with eco-friendly light.

String Lighting

String lighting is a popular lighting trend for a reason—its soft, warm glow creates a calming, intimate ambiance that adds comfort and sophistication to any outdoor patio. Especially great for dining areas, LED string lights in provide warm, flattering light when strung overhead.  Traditional string lights, especially incandescent Edison bulbs, are known for their expensive energy footprint. While LEDs used to have a reputation for being cool-toned and bright, that’s not the case anymore.

Hardscape Lighting

LED hardscape lighting brightens man-made architectural features, like retaining walls, patios, sculptures, columns, and exterior walls.  Most commonly, hardscape lighting fixtures include floodlights and spotlights. Using these lighting fixtures, you can create washes of light for different outdoor features, giving dimension and brightness to your outdoor patio area at night.  While commercial architectural outdoor lighting is often included in the original building plan, it’s also possible to update or add hardscape lighting to existing structures. Whether your architectural features already exist, or you’re planning to make updates, TCP has the energy efficient outdoor LED lights you’ll need to make sure your project is a success.

The Best Outdoor Lighting from TCP

You’ve got your outdoor patio lighting all planned out. Now you just need the right LED bulbs for the job! TCP Lighting offers a comprehensive lineup of top-quality LED lights, including Energy Star rated lamps. With industry-leading LED driver designs and patents, we provide the best commercial outdoor LED lighting.  TCP controls every step of our production process, from design to development and post-installation follow-ups to make sure our products perform well and our customers are happy. Share your outdoor patio lighting ideas, and we’ll make them reality. Want to take the next step toward a well-lit patio? Contact the lighting experts at TCP to transform your outdoor space today.