Work that Shines in the Dark

Here’s how to achieve a soft lighting effect that highlights your home.

Think about it: When shopping for lights, most people go into an over-lit showroom or home center, during the day, and chose products based on price and their visual appeal. The process has nothing to do with how appropriate the light is for the home, or how well the light will actually perform.

Amy Dowling, vice-president of Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Long Island, says that her company takes an approach that is literally night and day. You see, after an initial consultation, Amy and her staff visit the home—at night—with the products they feature. They build a temporary mock-up to truly show how well different lighting systems work and where to makes adjustments as necessary.

“Our approach to lighting is very subtle and upscale, we don’t go for the runway effect,” explains Dowling. “We like to choose soft lighting that highlights the home and showcases the investment the homeowner made in their landscape and architecture. In a sense, lighting adds a finished look to the home.”

Dowling’s company, which she established with her husband Dennis ten years ago, designs, installs and services all types of outdoor lighting. In fact, this is their only business. Of the wide variety of areas to light, Amy says pools, ponds and decks are important because it gives a sense of security as well as provides aesthetic value. Their company also offers a state-of-the-art timing system to turn the systems on and off, and that automatically adjusts to daylight saving time.With the holidays approaching, they offer another interesting and unique option: a full-service holiday lighting package. Starting with a photo of the home, different holiday elements are added, including roofline lights, garland, mini-lights that can wrap around trees and lawn ornamentation. Once the customer finalizes the design, their company installs the entire package.Ready for the best part? After the holidays, Amy and her team remove everything and store it offsite until the following year. If only the rest of the holidays were that simple.

Photo: Outdoor Living Brands

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