Summer is a busy time of the year when there is an abundant number of great looking homes on the market. For those properties looking for top dollar it's not unusual for a stylist to come through and stage the home, but have you considered how much of an impact garden lighting can make to a place?

​We live in the Adelaide Hills and we love looking at properties. Online the images are what capture you first and you can really sell yourself on a property through those photos before you even enter the front door. Many real estate agents aren't just selling you "a house" they are selling you a lifestyle. Creating a welcoming home that feels safe through the use of well positioned lights offers a sense of relaxation and allows the surrounding landscape to be taken in with the home. Lighting up features alongs the edges of the boundary will help open up a space, and low level lighting washing over or along the ground will create balance to the eye and assist with a feeling of security.

As with all property investing it's about getting the right balance between adding value to your home whilst not over capitalising. If you're feeling handy it is possible to save some money through the installation process by doing it yourself. If choosing this option we do suggest you be considerate to the next homeowner and detail where cabling is running and where they can find the driver. If getting in a trades person maybe leave the next owners the details of who has installed the lights as if something does go wrong or more needs to be added, it can be done with least amount of hassle.

The important thing is that if you don't have any lighting currently in your garden you don't need to go over board. All homes will already have their front door lit so it's just a matter of focusing on a few key points as mentioned above that will create the most impact. If you find yourself stumped of where to start please get in contact with us to guide you through the process.

Let the golden warm glow from our Florence festoon lights allow you to add a bit of fun and mood to your outdoor space. The commercially rated weatherproof festoon lights offer a durable lighting solution that can be left up year round. Purposely designed with 1W safe clear polycarbonate globes spaced every 50cm, you can be assured that these 24V low voltage lights will handle the task at hand. 

Some benefits of festoon lighting include:

1. Atmosphere: Festoon lights create an instant warm and inviting atmosphere to any space whether that be indoors or out. The simplicity of the festoon is what makes it such a classic and timeless element. The amount of light that the Festoon produces is almost perfect, hang them up in your garden or patio for a warm and intimate feel for outdoor entertaining. Alternatively hang them inside, down a wall or over a bed head to create a stylish and modern interior look. 
2. Safe and long lifespan: Our Festoon lights run on a 24V low voltage system making them very safe and easy to install. 1 Watt globes are spaced every 50cm and have been specifically designed in clear polycarbonate for safety. Designed with heavy duty self-leveling cable and waterproof connectors on both ends these lights are built to withstand all weather conditions from heavy rain to the harsh summer sun.
3. Easy to install: The globes very easily screw into the long rubber cable. The fixture is very flexible and enable you to put them wherever you want and whenever you want them up. Perfect for inside or outside, front or back garden all that is required is a few attachment points such as trees, balconies, roofs, etc.
4. ​Suitable for any occasion: Perfect for permanent exterior installations, our 10 metre Kits can be easily cut down or connected together to form longer runs. We also have custom lengths available upon request. The Festoon lights have become very popular for use in public spaces, interiors, cafes, pubs, wineries, restaurants and residential areas. 

NOTE:
- A support cable is required for cable runs over 10m. 
- To avoid voltage drop do not exceed 50m in one continuous run. 
- 10m kits can be connected together to make a long length or cut anywhere to make shorter. We also sell by the metre from 100m reels so we cater to everyones needs.

Please fell free to contact us for more details. 

When it comes to lighting your garden you really don't want to see the light if you can help it. But when you do see it, you want it to compliment the style of your surroundings, offer a good amount of light and not cause any glare that creates discomfort. Upon listening to our clients we are super excited to announce our newest range of garden lighting that really focuses on these key elements.
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Driven by our ambition for something extraordinary, we designed the Banksey with versatility in mind. This unique slimline spike spotlight can be directed laterally to provide a beautiful wide wash over low plantings or pathways. Alternatively tilt the hood up to illuminate walls or hedging with the upmost grace.   
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The discreet nature and earthy bronze finish has made it a new favourite amongst landscapers and designers alike. Made from brass, this fitting will age elegantly over time providing excellent light control and ensuring  a beautiful ambience without the glare.
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​Wanting to spruce up your garden but have no idea where to start? Many hours can be spent scanning through Houzz, Instagram and Pinterest only to get more confused about what style will actually work at your place. There's nothing better than getting a professional in to help. Their experience can prevent costly mistakes that you may have not previously thought about. If you are looking for someone that can assist you a good place to start is your state's landscaping association. These members have all their insurances and go through an evaluation process  to ensure that they are reputable businesses. For a quick link to each state see below.

Master Landscapers of SA:                           https://landscapesa.com.au
Master Landscapers of VIC:                          www.landscapingvictoria.com.au
LNA Master Landscapers NSW& ACT:       www.landscapenswact.com.au
Landscape Queensland Assoc.:                 www.landscapequeensland.com.au
Landscape Industries Assoc. WA:              http://landscaping.net.au
LIAT Landscape Industries Assoc. TAS:   http://www.landscapetas.net

Our Castell 24V bollards have been on the scene for a while now and have proven popular in some of our beautiful wineries and caravan parks as well as homes around Adelaide. At 900mm in height their larger appearance makes them ideal for bordering carpark areas or long driveways. A recent job that we were proud to be part of was supplying these lights into the gorgeous Ukaria in Mt Barker.

​For a more subtle effect or front yards where a lower bollard height may be more effective our Hunza 300mm bollard light is a keen player. We find that these little guys are good for smaller courtyards and front yards where lower plantings and pathways need illumination. Hunza have a long standing reputation in the industry as a supplier of high quality fittings, and their range gives us some wonderful choices in low voltage path lights in various finishes.

​All three styles are available in both the 600mm and 900mm heights in our 240V range. As mentioned above, the Evio and the Castell bollards also come in low voltage but in one size only.

Helpful tips when researching LED bollard lights:

​1) Trying to provide practical lighting that doesn't create glare is big on our hit list. Look for bollards in which you're not staring at the light source. In our 3 main designs the LED chips are never seen, rather they use reflected textured surfaces or are positioned where the eye can not see them. 

2) Stainless Steel and LED's are not the best of friends. To create longevity for LED globes or dedicated fittings the best materials that allow the chips to release their heat is Brass, Copper or Aluminium. Stainless Steel holds heat in and is generally only found used effectively for pond lights or on the face of inground lights.

3) Consider the colour of the light. 4000K is a cool white light and is practical around hospitals and industrial areas. 3000K is what we classify as warm white light although its not as golden as what an old incandescent globe used to be. Warm white light is a lot more gentler on the eye creating comfort at night and its what we supply throughout our work whether it be a residential home, winery or carpark. 

To conclude, don't be afraid to consider adding in some bollard lighting into your next design. Think about how much light you are trying to achieve, where the spread of light is going (so we don't create light pollution) and don't choose a fitting that will produce glare into people's eyes. 

If you ned to talk over your ideas we are here to help. Send through photo's and give us a call and we'll gladly steer you in the right direction.

​Until next time, keep enjoying the outdoors!

Have you ever been momentarily blinded by lighting as you've been walking along a pathway maybe around a pool or decking or possibly in a garden? It doesn't make the space very comfortable, so today I just wanted to go through the different options that we can offer to help create a more relaxing environment for all.

​Uplighting with inground lights is obviously one of the hardest areas to prevent glare from lighting. It's particularly important to reduce glare in areas where the lights are in direct pathways. On a daily basis we are helping our clients choose lights that create distinctive lighting effects with either our honeycomb lenses or low washing lights  that  look sophisticated and clean. The honeycomb lens sits under the glass and creates a shield from the light source right until the moment you step on top of it. It does reduce the amount of light coming out of the fitting but we do have a range of fittings in various sizes and wattages to cover a number of applications.

   Honeycomb lens                   Uplighting along walk ways        Low washing lights

​Our low washing in ground LED lights like our Keo Horizons and Radius lights are particularly popular for stair treads, stepped pavers and even around pools to wash light across a pathway without any light shining up into your eyes. For driveways they are also really practical as unlike the more traditional uplights that just create a spot on the ground like a runway they wash outwards.

We love our little Amos in ground lights. The LED chip is set down a little in the fitting and has an adjustable tilt of 15degrees which both help with reduced glare. These fittings are great to highlight retaining walls, brick columns or timber/steel posts.

For the more classic deck lighting that uses inground lights to indicate the edge or border of an entertaining area, our Keo 2W LED light with deep frosted lens is the guy you want. It is dull enough to be pleasant on the eye when walking directly over or near it, plus its solid construction is suitable for seaside residences or urban oasis's.

We have a good selection of inground lights that are suitable for not only residential but commercial applications as well. Asymmetrical inground lights or our adjustable lens options are really useful for uplighting flag poles and large walls to create impact and attention.

Garden lighting is all about ambience so its crucial to ensure that there is no glare created from lights particularly fittings that are close to the house or in areas where you will be walking past on a regular basis. Positioning the lights correctly is part of the process but sometime lights can be viewed from various angles so its not always as straight forward as that. With our Lotus spike lights and our Willow spike lights we give clients the option of a glare guard which provides a shield around the light. The best thing is that they are made from our durable machined aluminium and treated the same as our lights which are anodised and then twice powdercoated. We don't do things by halves, we like to do it properly the first time. See the image below of a close up on our Lotus light with and without the glare guard.

As a final note, lighting should create a feeling of comfort. It really can transform your indoors or outdoors space with the correct type of lighting. Talk to us about how you want to use your space and we'll go through the considerations that will help you decide on what and how to use your lighting to get the right effect. Love your life! Andrea :-)

When designing a space with light you can't go past adding in wall lights to add atmosphere and interest. The importance of washing light on to walls rather than straight down onto the floor is what we try to encourage in a lot of our designs. Reflected or indirect light is all about the comfort we can achieve when we don't fill the entire area with light, just where we need it. LED downlights still play a large role in our lighting designs, but we get more creative where we can illuminating surfaces with wall lights as well as surface mounted LED downlights, recessed step lights and LED strip lighting. We also love floor lamps and table lamps to again add that mood and illuminance into a space. 

1. The Vespa Wall Light is the perfect uplighter to highlight walls and ceilings creating  a wide even wash to reflect light into an area. Popular in architectural homes because of its minimalist styling, the warm white LED provides a feeling of comfort and ambience into bedrooms and living rooms.

2. The Kintetic Surface Mounted Downlight is one of our favourite versatile lights as it can utilised as an architectural LED downlight or a wall light. The lower portion angles out to 90 degrees and then for even more flexibility it can rotate 350 degrees, which is superb on angled ceilings.

3. The Axis Surface Mounted Downlight is IP65 rated which makes it fit into almost any situation, inside or out. The 26W version of this light is a little bulky but with a wide beam angle can reach some pretty high pitched ceilings. Our 15W Axis light is probably the best seller as it packs a great light output in a sleek designed body.

It's wonderful to hear peoples reactions when they step into our showroom and get excited about lighting. Simplicity is the key and our range of LED wall lights are suitable for both indoor and outdoor making these super versatile (even for beach front applications!). This is a   selection of our wall lights from UNIOS who create beautiful light fittings that don't only look good but are solid in construction and functionality.

If you're in the process of building or renovating please check out our great showroom (and great coffee :-) when in Adelaide. If you are interstate we are still more than happy to assist with lighting plans and layouts for a small consultation fee. 

Well done, you've made the effort to learn how to install your garden lights properly. It's not rocket science but it will take a bit of patience especially if you haven't done much soldering before. If you are unsure try and get someone who is confident to either show you or help you out.  A good landscaper or qualified electrician may seem costly in the scheme of things at the beginning, but the pain it can cause you in the long run if water seeps in to your wiring will hurt your pocket more.
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Surface mounted, this compact and slimline wall light really creates an impact. The 24V connection allows easy cable installation into garden beds for retaining walls like shown above. Also perfect for the side walls of stairs, on pillars, above entry intercoms and low walls.

These photos just capture perfectly how effective the Sophia path light is. Easily hidden amongst plants, especially hedging, so that all you really see is the effect of the light. One 24V DC driver can run a multitude of lights, so where practical it's nice to create repetition with lighting to emphasise length.

Clean, minimalistic and versatile is how we best describe the Zeron Mini's. We get these fittings made in 24V and 240V so they can suit a range of applications. Think garage and exterior wall lights, post or pillar lights, alfresco rooms or contemporary open framed structures made from timber or steel. 
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Looking for a clean and modern spot light that can really light the way? These Axis lights have an incredible output that will have you incorporating them into every design. The smooth rotation point allows this to be wall or ceiling mounted, and the 3 various wattages give you the flexibility to bring them internally as well as externally. This is a fitting that needs to be touched and played with to appreciate how good they really are so please come in and see us at our Kent Town Showroom sometime soon!
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Looking for a point of difference to highlight a deck or path? The Keo Horizon's create little to no glare and add interest to areas where standard in-ground lights would have previously been used. Really effective in paved stepping stones, along driveways, stair treads, decking and path ways. Available in one direction or two directions as shown in picture.

Have you got your "TO DO LIST" in full swing? Then it's time to look outside to see what can be done to help get the most enjoyment out of your garden when entertaining this year with friends and family. 

See our helpful tips below on

• Repositioning your lights
• Cleaning up your fittings
• Lights not working?
• Adding in some extra light

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Uplighting feature trees and plants throughout the garden looks nothing short of spectacular. Sometimes though when lighting is first put into a garden the plants can be young and on the smaller side. As our garden matures branches on under plantings can take over and lights can be lost so it's really important to have a good look and see if the lights can be repositioned to recreate the magic that was originally intended. The low voltage garden spike lights are designed with a spike and Allen key brackets which allows for adjusting. If you need an extension rod to raise the fitting up above lower plantings like hedges or agapanthus we also have these available and can be done without any rewiring.

​Don't be afraid to play around with them!​
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Along with getting out the blower and doing a bit of trimming, give your outdoor lighting a bit of a clean up by washing the lenses with a bit of warm water and a soft scourer if they are as bad as the picture here. It's a quick job but this will really enhance the impact of your garden lighting as many people forget about their lights and then wonder why they're not doing what they COULD be doing.
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From time to time the odd light fails which is sometimes due to poor installation, globes coming out of the lamp holder or sometimes water has seeped in. This is the time when small repairs can be squeezed in to revitalise the garden and tick another thing off the list! If you have a fitting with a globe, check that it hasn't come loose as this can often be the case for these types of fittings. If its a dedicated LED fitting then more than likely water has somehow seeped into the fitting so this may be a good time to come in and see what we can offer.
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As our gardens develop sometimes the need for extra lighting may become apparent. Maybe you've added some extra plants or a sculpture, you've noticed an area that seems a bit dim, or maybe a tree has grown quite large and may need some extra lighting to create more of an effect. We would love to assist you in providing those finishing touches to your garden, check out our gallery and products pages for inspiration.

Don't forget we also do internal lighting now with a great range of architectural wall lights and downlights along with modern spot lights all suitable for seaside and urban applications, inside and out!