JOHN RAINE - Professional Nightscaping Service

This is a big topic as the number of combinations is infinite, so here we try to give a few tips to point you in the right direction. For large patio areas, combinations of wall lights and bollard lights are the norm and, provided this is done with taste and restraint, can create a satisfactory mood when needed plus higher light levels when needed for activity and security. Bel-lighting.co.uk offers a choice of modern bollard lights with matching wall lights in distinctive designs which combine brighter lighting and 240 volt operation in compact luminaries; this gives a more stylish alternative to old-fashioned wall lights. Bollard lights with compact fluorescent lamps are often used for brighter illumination around decking and patios and provide a combination of warm colour temperature, low energy consumption and long lamp life. For smaller, more intimate areas a more subtle approach is needed, often using the newer type of G9 mains voltage halogen lamp which is dimmable, which compact fluorescent lamps are not. Shorter models, up to 50cm high, are recommended for lighting around garden areas such as patios unless you wish to use the tallest models 90cm or higher to provide lighting at table top level Models capable of housing 15w or 20 compact fluorescent lamps provide higher light output where needed. Be careful not to fit tungsten lamps into compact modern bollard lights designed especially for compact fluorescent lamps as you are quite likely to burn out components as a result. G9 240v halogen lamps are available in 25watts and 40 watts if you want a dimmable option. Royal Botannia offers models in natural teak and granite taking an 11 watt warm white compact fluorescent lamp which offers light output a bit less than a 60 watt tungsten lamp.

Where flanking walls, structures and trees are absent, spreadlights are an alternative to bollard lights and shield the light source from view under a “hat” or shade. They need to stand up high enough to perform the lighting job and still be visually acceptable - a compromise to be achieved. A good selection of these is available from Megabay including the M6415 Chatenay, a copper spreadlight with a small domed head that will weather to a mottled brown appearance which looks natural in most garden settings. Copper spreadlights are also available with a satin chrome hat and stem for more modern settings – the tapered design of the M6405 and M6410 ranks these two fittings as popular choices. Megabay also produce green and black cast aluminium alternatives which are to be preferred where children can test the robustness of the fittings, and these are also available in two sizes (M5745 and M5715). Spreadlights are nearly all 12 volt units for operation from transformers. An alternative is the Scandi range of post mount copper lanterns which are 240v and take an ordinary tungsten lamp. The post lanterns are available in 2 sizes (E6122 and E6222), with a matching wall light (E6322) and hanging light (E6422) for use in sheltered or interior locations such as summerhouses.

Downlighting from below the eaves of a house can be an effective way of lighting paths, terraces and planting around the house to create a welcoming feel; it can also produce a "grazing" effect where the lighting of a surface from an oblique angle emphasises texture, in this case roughness in brick and stone walls and the patterns of the mortar joints. Downlights & wall mount spotlights should be discrete and match either the mounting surface or other external fittings as closely as possible; Elipta’s attractive modern compact spotlight range includes compact 240 volt versions for mains wiring installation on house walls as well as 12 volt versions for use on garden structures. They are available in 316 stainless steel (E4211), copper (E4221), black (E4231), white (E4252) and a smart new brushed brass finish (E4262). Their wall mount up and downlight range produces great grazing effects with dual 35watt lamps – most other 240v fittings of this type allow only dual 20 watt lamps – and the brushed brass version (E4462) looks particularly good on warm brick walls. Bel-lighting.co.uk is one of the few suppliers of dual 50w up/downlighters (their Abiac range) for more dramatic effect and their Onyx and Nobus ranges offer unusual combinations of downlighting and area lighting in one wall mount fitting to match bollard lights, all available in interesting finishes such as bronze and brushed aluminium.

The grazing effect can also be produced by placing uplights close to the base of a wall, such as the Megabay “Nautilus” (M2506) recessed brass range for lower power applications or “Amphibian” (M2021) 50w range where higher power and adjustable lamp angle are required features. Grazing can also be used to give wall buttresses or gate pillars a welcomingly different perspective to the daylight view. Bel’s smart Zaxor range offers 240 volt alternatives in stainless steel and brass – at Bel-lighting.co.uk you can perform an online search amongst their wide range of options. Grazing up surrounding walls is a really creative way of creating ambience around a patio area, but remember that in walkover locations you need to be careful to avoid a hot lens caused by lamps of more than 20watts. An alternative is the excellent Zaxor T2 compact fluorescent versions which combine warm lighting with only a warm lens, but remember that this type broadcasts ambient light rather than projecting a beam for effect.

Where structures exist over or next to the area where you require lighting, consider hiding lights on a pergola cross beam or mounting them discretely on a trellis post, arch or screen. For downlighting an al fresco dining area, use a 20 or 35 watt downlight from a crossbeam or overhead arbour to project a circle of light onto the table. Lighting patios from structures may require combinations of downlights, including ones with frosted lenses providing softer area lighting, as well as uplights to add contrast and emphasis, by uplighting stone pillars for example. For post mounting, the compact Megabay M6131 copper downlight weathers to match brown timber and is slim enough to be fairly unobtrusive. They can also be fitted with a glare louvre as standard, which is a useful accessory near a seating area, and there are matching adjustable spotlights. The chrome version is great for modern structures, while Megabay’s 12volt operation suits flexible wiring over pergolas.

If you have trees rather than structures around the patio area you wish to light, "moonlighting" from a tree is a seriously atmospheric option; small hanging lights such as the brass M2541 or its M5410 black aluminium version strapped to tree branches project dappled light down through intervening branches, throwing the shadow of foliage and twig onto the area below. An M5620T tree mount spotlight is a trunk-mounting alternative if access is difficult to strap lights onto branches. Supplement this with garden candles or oil lamps on the table for ambience and a little variety. And if there are no structures or trees but there are raised beds or low flanking walls, then steplights are a good way of providing low level ambience. Eyelid models such as the Megabay M2066 eyelid step light or versions with frosted lenses will help to avoid glare. Elipta low voltage halogen capsule models are limited to 10 watt lamps for the most subtle effect and feature a frosted lens for diffused lighting and a choice of round (E5311) or square (E5411) fittings, or with eyelid (E5511) or (E5611) for additional glare control.

Use 20-35w lamps for downlighting from pergolas, 35-50w lamps for downlighting from higher mounting points and in trees. For lower mounting heights of 2.5 to 3 metres, use internal glare louvres to limit discomfort arising from a casual glance upward at the light source. A frosted lens softens and diffuses light from a 20w lamp in an overhead downlight mounted on a pergola or similar lower structure.