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(EstateNewsWire.com, November 12, 2012 ) NSW, Australia -- Phrases such as, the intensity of color, the refinement of shadow, and the synergy of shapes, are often used to describe fine art classes. Now they are the catchphrases of the modern artists known as landscape lighting designers.
Landscape lighting was once seen as the last thought for residents after purchasing or building a property, but if you want to fit into the aesthetic zeitgeist of many Toronto neighborhoods today, this modern design should be a priority.
“No one tells Michelangelo to only use 250 colors when he really needs 300 to create a masterpiece,” said the owner of Starlite Lighting Concepts, Bill Cradock. “It’s the same with landscape lighting. The most challenging thing about it is that the client may not share your vision. But it’s got to be done right.”
Cradock uses the phrase “painting with light” when describing his art. He says it is a talent best appreciated when the lighting serves more than one function and reinvents outdoor space: “We cast the shadows of trees onto driveways, recreate the light of the moon or the sun, and allow a homeowner to feel as though the outside is an extension of the inside of their house.”
North American cities are behind Europe in this field according to Scott MacKinnon of Light Emitting Design (LED). “European architecture is lit up so that pedestrians can walk through the city at night. Toronto is definitely a work in progress, but it’s a trend that’s really increased in popularity.”
MacKinnon says LED bulbs expose a whole new world of possibilities when it comes to lighting outdoor spaces. “No one wants blinding floodlights at the back of the house,” said MacKinnon. “With LED lights you can really control exactly where the light is going and there’s no ultra-violet rays or swarms of bugs because the bulbs aren’t hot.”
Non-toxic, LED lights also lack mercury and cadmium, and can thus be thrown out with regular garbage.
“This is one concrete way that consumers can reduce their carbon footprint for real,” Regal Lighting Design’s Tom Herstad bragged. Mr. Herstad is fascinated by how easily LED lights can be manipulated: “There are specific optics with LED that allow only the object to be lit, so that you don’t have lights shining into other people’s yards or sightline.”
Mr. Herstad continued saying the LED’s versatility comes in handy for lighting a larger cottage: “When you’re out in cottage country, the expectation is that landscape lighting follows dark-sky compliance, which means that lights can’t shoot up into the sky or be blasted from your dock across the lake, but must be limited and controlled.” Mr. MacKinnon admits, “people at the cottage want to be able to extend their indoors, like sitting out on the deck comfortably or walking safely out on the dock. A lot of cottage work is functional because it’s just pitch black without it.”
The property, the landscape itself, and the personalities of the people who live there determine how something is lit in the end. “It’s funny,” Mr. Herstad said. “Women always prefer a warmer light, but men usually like something more bright.”
The best way to light a property is to picture it throughout the seasons, according to Mr. Cradock, who said, “Take a maple tree, for example, in the fall, you can light the red and yellow leaves, but then in winter, highlighted bare branches can be just as beautiful.”
A project can have wildly different price points at Starlite Lighting Concepts. Pricing runs between $1,000 and $20,000 depending on the size as well as the complexity of the property as a whole, but the average Toronto backyard costs $3,000. Mr. Herstad discussed the minor cost to a person’s electricity bill that such a project has.
“With LEDs, you can light a backyard for an entire year for only $1 per light. This is a light that will be on all night, 365 days a year, with no light bulb changes.” There is also no risk of the lights burning out right before a dinner party because a backup transformer is always installed. One critical mistake that inexperienced users often make is to light every single feature of a backyard space. “Lighting should be subtle and selectively placed,” stressed Mr. Herstad. “If you light everything, nothing stands out.”
This is essentially the art of lighting in a nutshell. “It’s just something you have to have a feel for,” said Mr. Cradock. Lighting design artists are lighting up the darkness one household, one cottage, one poolside deck at a time.
About SpaceDesigns.com.au:
SpaceDesigns.com.au (http://spacedesigns.com.au) offers the best in landscape design and lighting. Whether someone has a small outdoor space, poolside patio, or backyard garden, Space Designs provides top notch products and service.
Space Landscape Designs
Customer Service
(02) 9905 7870
info@spacedesigns.com.au
Source: EmailWire.Com 
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