Top 10 Outdoor Lighting Trends for 2022
2022 is here! — And we are super excited to share our predictions for the top trends in outdoor lighting for the new year!
Spring and summer are just around the corner which means it's time to start planning! Let’s get those outdoor spaces ready to use! Best part? You don’t have to wait for warmer weather! Thankfully we live in a climate that allows us to install outdoor lighting year-round. In fact, fall and winter may be the BEST time to take on a lighting project!
To get a sense of what to expect in 2022, Limelight brought together our most trusted lighting designers—and they did not disappoint. Below, we're sharing our predictions for the top ten 2022 trends in outdoor lighting. Keep reading for trends in fixtures, techniques, design, function, and much more.
Top 10 Outdoor Lighting Trends for 2022
1. LED Upgrades
Believe it or not, we still see plenty outdated, clunky outdoor lighting systems. You know the ones we’re talking about – the ones with huge fixtures that burn through bulbs and cost a fortune to run every night? Thankfully, homeowners are becoming more environmentally conscious and are searching for better, greener lighting solutions.
For the last few years, there has been a surge in the use of solar powered landscape lighting. Homeowners wanted an inexpensive and green lighting solution and solar lights fit the bill – not to mention the fact that installation of solar lights is easy with no transformer or wire to bury. What we’re noticing now, however, is that the solar landscape lighting trend is “FADING” fast!
It is VERY common for solar lights to fade dramatically over time. This forces many homeowners to constantly replace their solar lights to keep that bright, right out of the box look. The problem then is that these inexpensive, green solutions become less and less inexpensive and green the more you have to buy.
Enter the 2022 number one lighting trend – LED upgrades! LED lighting is energy efficient AND lasts. With a little more upfront work, LED landscape lighting will save you money AND won’t fade over time. Win, win!
2. Ditch the Motion Sensor Security Lights
What’s the first thing you think of when someone says security lighting? Most people think of those blinding, motion sensor lights – you know, the ones that are mounted to the corner of your home and flip on every time the wind blows, or the neighbor’s dog barks. Our second 2022 lighting trend indicates that these lights are finally on their way OUT! Who’s excited?
It is true that lighting can provide an extra ring of security around your home, but you don’t need to blind everyone who pulls into your driveway or walks their dog by your house. Security lighting can be both beautiful and functional. Consider a mix of beautiful architectural lighting, strategically placed navigational lights, and lighting trees/focal points throughout your yard to establish visual control, even to the outer edges of your property. Motion sensor lights are obvious and can be avoided; a well-lit home, however, is much less attractive to unwanted guests.
3. Architectural Lighting
Architectural lighting usually consists of a combination of strategically placed uplights and/or downlights that accentuate the architecture of a home. As lighting designers, this is hands down our favorite outdoor lighting trend of 2022!
Why let your beautiful home go unseen at night? Architectural lighting highlights the best features of your home and will give it INSTANT nighttime curb appeal! We love driving around a well-lit neighborhood – it’s like Christmas all year round!
4. Lighting the Second Story
The next 2022 outdoor lighting trend may be an extension of the previous but one that deserves some serious attention. Next time you’re driving through your neighborhood at night, slow down and notice the homes with architectural lighting. For too long, homeowners were lighting their homes from the bottom up and stopping at the first roofline. While a few uplights positioned at the base of your home will undoubtedly add some nighttime curb appeal, please don’t forget the second story!
In 2022 we predict an increase of homeowners who want to light the second story, gables, and dormers of their homes. This will ensure that the architectural charm of their homes will carry from day to night. In the past, we saw homeowners opt out of second story lighting – oftentimes they couldn’t envision the difference those lights could make and sometimes, they simply removed the lights from their plan to stay within a budget. Whatever their reasoning, we’ve also seen an increase of homeowners who end up calling us back to add these lights to their existing systems. Save yourself some time and money and consider those second story lights the first time around!
5. Moonlighting
At Limelight, we have one lighting designer who LOVES moonlighting and it appears that he is onto something! In 2022, we predict moonlighting to be one of the most frequently discussed trends in outdoor lighting.
Moonlighting is a specific type of downlighting that simulates natural moonlight. Fixtures are typically mounted high in trees to allow the cooler light to shine through the branches and leaves and gently illuminate the ground below. We especially love the natural movement that these lights create with interesting patterns of light and shadows on the ground and objects below. We specifically recommend moonlighting in areas that need low-level lighting such as driveways, lawns, basketball/tennis courts, and patios.
6. Combining Warm and Cool Lights
Hear us out on this one! While homeowners in the past have stuck to one color of lights (usually 2700K or 3000k), in 2022 we predict that homeowners will be more open to incorporating different color temperatures of lighting.
Utilizing warm and cool lights in tandem will create visual interest through contrast. A great example of this would be to combine cool colored moonlights over a firepit with warm uplights on the surrounding trees. The warm colored uplights will highlight the trees and create depth whereas the moonlights will gently illuminate the ground around the firepit with a cool, natural moonlit glow. And let’s not forget the reflections and shadows created with the different light sources! Beautiful.
Notice in the images below that we created contrast with the cool lights on the evergreen trees. Lighting evergreens with cooler temperature lights brings out the greens of the pine needles whereas the warmer colored lights in the photos bring out the colors of the brick pavers and interesting shapes of the tree trunks respectively.
7. Colored Lights
We’ve already discussed combining warm and cool lights, but this next trend goes beyond KELVIN temperature. In 2022, more and more homeowners will get on the colored light train and it’s going to be amazing!
Colored lights aren’t just for Christmas! Add colored lighting to an outdoor living area for a unique, modern feel. Add the option of colored lighting to your trees in the front yard or even mixed into your architectural lighting. With a quick adjustment from your phone, go from traditional white lights to red and green for a merry Christmas look. Or how about purple or orange for Halloween? Change the lights for a birthday party or support your favorite team on game day. The options are endless and SO much fun!
8. Create Depth with Light
In the past, homeowners have focused mainly on how their homes look from the street. Recently, however, homeowners have started paying more attention to the view from different perspectives. In 2022, we will see more and more people take a 360° view of their home and property at night.
How can we increase our field of vision from the house and create depth with light? More and more, homeowners are opting to light focal points throughout their properties. From landscaping and hardscape features to trees and groups of trees, light can make your yard a work of art. Lighting isn’t just for guests and passersby. Enjoy the view from your deck or patio and even from the inside of your house looking out.
9. Basic Timers are OUT
2022 homeowners want convenience and versatility. To them, timers are just too basic – even Peter McCallister had a timer on his outdoor lights in the early 1990s.
Thankfully light timing technology has evolved since “Home Alone.” First came photocell technology – when it got dark, the lights came on automatically. That was cool. But now we have “smart” timers that use GPS coordinates to know where you live and when the sun sets/rises – the perfect light timer, right? Wrong!
In 2022, homeowners not only want the ability to set a smart timer, but also the ability to control their outdoor lights from their cell phone. If your outdoor lighting contractor isn’t offering at least one option to control your lighting from your phone, you might want to look elsewhere. Integrated lighting apps are a trend that is here to stay.
10. Custom is Where It’s At
The final outdoor lighting trend of 2022 is a no-brainer if you’ve been paying attention to the list so far. Custom outdoor lighting will be the easiest, most effective way to stay on trend with outdoor lighting in 2022.
As the list of outdoor lighting options and must-haves grow, some of the other options just don’t deliver. Solar lights don’t work, and DIY can be challenging for those who are unfamiliar with outdoor lighting design and technology. Be careful, though. Not all lighting contractors are equal. There are many contractors that offer outdoor lighting services. Home builders, electricians, and landscaping contractors may offer outdoor lighting in addition to the other goods and services they provide. While non-specialized contractors often charge less per light, the quality of fixtures, design, and installation will be better with an outdoor lighting contractor. To read more about this, check out our article, “Hiring an Outdoor Lighting Contractor.”
Looking for an Outdoor Lighting Contractor in Charlotte, NC?
At Limelight, outdoor lighting is all we do. We offer design, installation, and maintenance services and would love to help you design a system that lets you make the most of your landscape — day and night.
We are a fully insured, family-owned company with a passion for well-designed outdoor lighting! Furthermore, we understand that client satisfaction is the key to our success, and we enjoy working with our clients throughout the process to deliver an outdoor lighting system that fits their vision and budget.
Getting started is simple.
Call Limelight Outdoor Lighting at (704) 989-3635 or follow the link below to get a FREE quote for your landscape lighting project.