Just 30 minutes from the Adelaide CBD lies the historic and picturesque German township of Hahndorf. A popular tourism destination and home to some of South Australia's best loved wineries, Hahndorf expresses a rich history of quality and craftsmanship. The new Sidewood Estate cellar door and restaurant is no exception to this, as it has built up a remarkable reputation through its premium cider and wine ranges. 

Contrast of light and dark plays a big part in stimulating our senses, and by combining a variety of our steps lights, garden spike lights, strip lighting,  festoon lighting and bollard lighting we were able to produce a cohesive design that connected the surrounding landscaped gardens to the main building. The feature gum in the decked outdoor balcony has been wrapped in our commercial grade fairy light system called Twinkly. It can be controlled via a free app through any smart phone device to not only change colour, but custom design any pattern they wish. The black step lights mounted to each pole under the railing (picture below) are our own Saffire step lights.  Simple and discreet they create quite an impact for only 1W. The stairs are illuminated by washing light out over the step, not up into your eyes. The Keo Horizon step lights do a great job of this, and are impact resistant meaning they could even be driven over! Our little Quartz hardscape lights show the way down the lush green croquet lawns, and our IP68 weatherproof Halo Strip Lighting is under mounted into the handrails at the entry to lead and welcome you to the estate. For a more romantic and fun vibe our own Florence Festoon lights can be seen draped across the back verandah, adding warmth and visual interest.

Warm white lighting is a key element in softening a space to induce relaxation and comfort. Venues like cellar doors, wineries, restaurants, wedding venues and the likes are there to invite you in and encourage you to experience what they have to offer. Downlights are generally the go-to for many people, but as you can see from the photo's we've taken here at Sidewood, wall lights, pendant lights, recessed step lights and strip lighting all offer interest and ambience whilst also adding a sense of character and purpose. Utilising reflected lighting and fittings with lateral spread ensures balance and ambience.  

When working with exposed rafters or beams, track lighting offers a practical solution, especially for hospitality venues. The flexibility of being able to  move fixtures, add on more lights and manipulate the angles of the lights really allows the space to adapt for various uses and functions.

Let us know what your working on.
​
​Remember lighting really is worth taking the time to discuss with your architect or builder as it can change the whole feel to your new build. At LED Outdoor + Architectural we are here to help. From fixture selections to full lighting plan designs, our friendly and professional team are keen to make your space look the best it can.

Andrea Merchant  

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!