Winter Outdoor Lighting: Tips and Ideas to Keep Things Bright

Winter Outdoor Lighting Tips to Ward Away the Winter Blues

As the days grow shorter and the nights stretch longer, it’s easy to feel the weight of the winter blues settling in. However, your outdoor spaces can continue to be a source of joy and warmth with the right lighting solutions. Thoughtfully designed outdoor lighting not only enhances your home’s curb appeal but also creates a welcoming, cozy atmosphere that can lift your spirits during the darker months.

Here are some outdoor lighting ideas for a warming winter glow to help keep your spirits bright.

The uplifting impact of outdoor lighting

Outdoor lighting greatly affects mood, especially in winter’s dark hours. Well-designed systems ensure light, comfort, and security when days are short. Arriving home when it’s already dark at 4:30 in the afternoon is a discouraging way to start the evening, but when you pull into your driveway and see a warm, well-lit exterior leading you inside, the home feels welcoming. Good lighting transforms a dark, cold entry into a comforting moment. Thoughtful lighting on paths, porches, and driveways boosts safety and creates warmth, so winter evenings feel like an invitation to get cozy in the shelter and warmth of your home.

Even when you’re stuck inside on cold, dark winter nights, you can enjoy the look of your outdoor spaces with thoughtful outdoor lighting design. Well-placed lights in your yard, garden, or patio seen from your windows create a calm, uplifting vibe. And outdoor lighting adds a magical touch to snowy scenes in St. Louis winters. Your home feels more welcoming and peaceful. It increases curb appeal, giving your home a tidy, inviting look that stands out.

In winter, outdoor lights bring a festive, cheerful atmosphere. Whether you’re inside enjoying the view or proud of your home’s shine in the neighborhood, outdoor lighting adds joy and warmth, improving both mood and home beauty.

Outdoor lighting ideas to light up winter

Pathway lighting

For pathway lighting, use soft, warm lights for safety and beauty. Warm tones create a welcoming atmosphere for dark evenings.

Winter lighting tip: Safety should be a priority during winter, when snow and ice can make walking hazardous, and early darkness hinders visibility. Pay attention to the brightness of path lighting and ensure you have enough fixtures along your normal walkways.

Tree lighting

Wrap lights around trees to create a little more magic in your yard or along the property line, all winter long. For large feature trees, landscape uplighting is a great choice. Focus on evergreens during the winter season.

Winter lighting tip: Using uplighting on deciduous trees during the winter can also be a dramatic and lovely focal point for your yard. The bare branches, lit by carefully angled uplights, form a complex structural lighting design. Combined with string lights around the trunks of a few nearby trees, it’s a striking visual and magical when viewing from inside the home.

Architectural lighting

Highlight your home’s features with warm white uplighting. Not only does uplighting boost curb appeal, but it also creates a uniform glow across your home’s front-facing exterior for a polished and warm look. 

Winter lighting tip: If you already have uplighting installed, check the color temperature. If it’s set on a cooler tone, change it to a warm tone for winter. 

Deck and patio lighting

The winter season is a great time to pay attention to those neglected areas in your outdoor spaces. Look into under-rail or stair lighting for functionality and charm. Bistro lights can add ambiance to any outdoor space, controllable via app so you can adjust the brightness or color anytime. 

Winter lighting tip: Stairs can be especially treacherous in winter, so pay attention to lighting here. Wash lights are unobtrusive and provide the beam of light on the stair itself, where you need it. Lighting on rails provides another visual guide. 

Color-changing roofline LEDs

For a big win, look into our roofline LED systems that have customizable colors and all sorts of fun options you can manage from your phone. Easily switch from festive to calming hues.

Winter lighting tip: If you’ve been relying on solar lights, winter is a good time to make the upgrade to energy-efficient LEDs. You won’t be left in the dark when there’s just not enough sun to keep the solar fixtures powered up. In the warmer months with plenty of sun, combine both systems.

Fire Features with integrated lighting

Combine a fire pit or fireplace with lighting for a cozy, functional focal point. Use pathway lights to lead to an outdoor fire pit area or designate a perimeter. Bistro lights hanging nearby make the setup both inviting and striking.

Winter lighting tip: If you don’t have the space for a large fire pit in your yard (or you’d rather not deal with the hassle), look into the smaller, self-contained fire pits you can use in smaller outdoor spaces. Set up a cozy corner of the patio or deck with some bistro lights to set it off, a couple of outdoor chairs, and plenty of blankets.

Spruce Up for the Season: Getting Your St. Louis Home’s Exterior and Outdoor Spaces Ready for the Holidays

In St. Louis, the winter holiday season can mean a lot of different experiences when it comes to weather. As any St. Louisan knows, if you don’t like the weather: Wait a minute! We might have crisp, clear, sunny days, followed by chilly gray skies and rain, followed by a temperature spike when we’re all uncomfortably warm in our sweaters, and then dropping down into frigid temps overnight. 

What that means for your home during the holidays is that you need to be ready for all the possibilities. 

If you’re hosting holiday gatherings, you might end up with one of those sunny crisp days, with the perfect temperature to stand around on the desk or gather around a fire pit. So you don’t want to shut down your outdoor spaces. 

On the other hand, we’re certain to deal with gray, overcast days, one after another, with that drizzle and rain that makes everything damp and depressing. For those days, you want warmth and brightness around your home, guiding people into the cozy interior like a beacon in the dreary atmosphere.

Here’s the checklist you need to be prepared for whatever St. Louis hands out in terms of weather. Make sure your home is ready for holiday festivities from the outside in.

Clean up for the season

Start with those fall and winter outdoor maintenance items that keep things looking neat and make sure you’re prepared for winter weather when it does come. 

  • Last mow of the season: Cut the grass for the last time, then winterize your lawn equipment before storage. 
  • Rake and remove leaves: Keep landscape beds and walkways clean. 
  • Trim trees and bushes: Avoid winter disasters from strong winds or ice storms but cutting back any dead or overhanging branches or overgrown hedges. 
  • Clean gutters and downspouts: Clean out any clogs formed by falling leaves to prevent drainage issues or ice buildup.
  • Winterize garden beds: Remove annuals past their time and add a layer of mulch to protect plants. 
  • Power wash outdoor surfaces: Start the winter season clean and sparkling before it’s too cold or unpleasant to do the job. 
  • Inspect for damage or issues: Walk around your home’s exterior, driveway, and any outdoor structures. Prevention now can save a lot of money and trouble. 
  • Clean and refresh entrances: A thorough cleaning and refreshed outdoor paint and fixtures makes everything welcoming and bright. 
  • Check outdoor lighting: Ensure that your lighting fixtures are clean and installed properly, and replace any burned-out bulbs. 

Show off your holiday spirit

Start with the obvious: Beautiful holiday lighting for your home’s exterior to create that seasonal glow. With the shorter winter days, it’s even more important to have that warm glow that counteracts the gloom. That’s your foundation for a festive look, and you can build on it with any of these ideas: 

  • Front entrance statement: Go classic with a seasonal wreath. Go bold with an oversized bow. Go humorous with a funny sign. Or switch it out, depending on the event at hand.
  • Window framing: Coordinate the holiday look by framing windows with string lights on the exterior; add hanging lanterns or electric candles on the inside. 
  • Pathway lighting: Make sure your driveway and all walkways are properly lit with the right type of fixtures to illuminate the area (at ground-level, not at eye-level). Don’t forget the stairs. 
  • Seasonal planters: For entrances and at focal points and corners of all outdoor spaces, add planters. Move poinsettias or holly into the planters for events, or fill with pine branches, red berries, and ribbon.
  • Themed décor from inside to out: Focus on a color or aesthetic theme, like classic red and gold or modern white and silver. Carry the theme from indoor spaces to outdoor for a unified look.

Set up adjustable outdoor spaces

Set up outdoor areas so you can still take advantage of them on unseasonably warm days, or cozy up even when it’s chilly out to enjoy the fresh air and all the holiday lights. 

  • Create cozy seating: Arrange outdoor furniture with weather-proof cushions and throw blankets. If space allows, add self-contained fire pits at the center of each seating area, or have a patio heater on standby.
  • Set up a fire pit: Create a gathering spot around a larger fire pit, away from the house. Bring out seating and light the way with pathway lights. Add bistro lights around the perimeter for an even more magical feel.
  • Bring in texture and warmth: Add color, warmth, and texture to liven up outdoor areas in the winter landscape. Add outdoor rugs and hang bunches of greenery tied with ribbon from fences or rails. 
  • Protect from the wind: Use screens, curtains, or temporary walls to shield from chilly breezes. 
  • Make space for a hot beverage station: Pack away the pool gear or gardening supplies, and set up a table or bar cart instead. Bring out thermoses of hot cocoa, cider, or mulled wine to enjoy for guests. 

🎄 Keep your home welcoming and ready for any holiday gathering, no matter the weather! For pathway lighting help, entrance lighting upgrades, or an entire lighting system design customized for your home, get in touch. 

Top 5 Outdoor Lighting Tricks to Make Your Yard the Scariest on the Block This Halloween

As the days grow shorter and the air gets crisper, the spooky season is just around the corner. For Halloween enthusiasts, it’s time to transform your yard into the eeriest, most haunting spectacle on the block. And while costumes, creepy decorations, and jack-o’-lanterns are essential, the real game-changer is how you light it all up.

The right outdoor lighting can turn your home into a haunted masterpiece that captivates trick-or-treaters and chills every visitor. Here are the top five outdoor lighting tricks to make your yard the scariest on the block this Halloween, straight from the experts at Outdoor Lighting Solutions.

1. Cast Spooky Shadows with Strategic Uplighting

Uplighting is one of the most dramatic ways to create a spooky atmosphere, and it’s all about casting light upward to highlight trees, walls, and decorations from below. By placing uplights at the base of trees, fences, or garden statues, you can create eerie, elongated shadows that dance in the dark. The trick is to position the lights at angles that distort shapes, making familiar objects look otherworldly.

💡 Pro Tip: Use colored gels over your uplights to add an extra eerie effect—think deep purples, blood reds, or ghostly greens. For maximum impact, focus on highlighting trees and large decorations, as their tall shadows can loom over your yard, creating an unsettling, otherworldly vibe. Combine this with fog machines or smoke to give those shadows even more depth and movement, making your yard feel alive (or undead).

2. Create a Haunting Pathway with Low-Voltage Path Lights

Pathway lighting doesn’t just guide trick-or-treaters safely to your door—it also sets the tone for your entire yard. Replace your regular path lights with themed lanterns, flickering LED candles, or low-voltage lights with colored filters to cast a ghostly glow. For an extra spooky effect, opt for lights that emit a dim, flickering glow reminiscent of old gas lamps.

💡 Pro Tip: Use orange or red lighting to simulate the look of smoldering embers along your walkways. You can enhance the effect with “glow stones” or luminescent rocks mixed into your landscaping, adding a subtle, otherworldly light that feels both organic and supernatural. The key is to create an inviting yet unsettling path that makes visitors feel like they’re walking into the unknown.

3. Use Strobe Lights for a Startling Effect

Strobe lights are a classic Halloween lighting trick that never fails to deliver a scare. Their rapid, intermittent flashes can create a sense of disorientation and suspense, perfect for simulating lightning strikes, flickering ghostly apparitions, or sudden, terrifying reveals of your scariest decorations. Place strobe lights near key areas like your front porch, the base of large props, or hidden within your Halloween displays to keep the element of surprise alive.

💡 Pro Tip: Combine strobe lights with motion sensors to make them activate only when someone gets close. This unexpected burst of light will catch people off guard, adding a thrilling jump-scare element to your setup. Just be mindful of the intensity and placement, ensuring they don’t pose any safety risks, especially to younger trick-or-treaters.

4. Project Eerie Images and Moving Shadows

One of the most impactful ways to use lighting for Halloween is by projecting eerie images onto your home’s exterior walls, garage doors, or even trees. Shadow projectors can display everything from fluttering bats to ghostly figures that seem to float across your property. These projections are especially effective because they move and change, creating an animated element that captivates and frightens.

💡 Pro Tip: Look for weather-resistant outdoor projectors designed for Halloween that offer a variety of spooky themes. Position them at different angles to create layers of projections, making your yard feel like it’s teeming with supernatural activity. Adding sound effects synced with your projections can elevate the experience, turning a static display into a dynamic haunted scene.

5. Create a Graveyard Glow with Subtle Ground Lighting

If your Halloween display includes tombstones, skeletons, or other graveyard-themed props, ground lighting can add a dramatic, chilling effect that sets the scene perfectly. Place low, ground-level spotlights at the base of each prop to cast upward light that makes them appear more ominous. Soft, diffused lighting works best, as it gives the appearance of a spectral glow without being too bright or harsh.

💡 Pro Tip: Use blue or green filters over your ground lights to give tombstones and skeletons a cold, ghostly glow. This lighting style makes it look as though your graveyard is bathed in moonlight, even on a dark, cloudy night. For a creepier effect, add some mist from a fog machine to diffuse the light and create an ethereal atmosphere that feels straight out of a horror movie.

Conclusion

Halloween is the perfect time to get creative with your outdoor lighting, transforming your home into a spine-tingling spectacle that’s sure to be the talk of the neighborhood. From casting shadows that make your yard feel alive to using projections and strobes for dramatic effect, the right lighting can elevate your Halloween display from festive to frightful. With a bit of strategic planning and the right products, you can make your yard the scariest on the block this Halloween.

Ready to Light Up Your Halloween?


At Outdoor Lighting Solutions, we specialize in creating stunning, spooky lighting displays that make your home the highlight of Halloween night. Whether you’re looking for subtle, haunting glows or full-on fright fests, our expert team can design and install the perfect outdoor lighting setup to match your Halloween vision. 

Contact us today for a consultation, and let’s turn your yard into the ultimate haunted masterpiece!

Our Favorite Outdoor Lighting Trends of 2023

outdoor lighting trends

If you’re passionate about transforming your outdoor space into a haven of style and warmth, you’re in for a treat. We’re diving into the top outdoor lighting trends of 2023, from the brilliance of smart lighting to the personality-packed allure of statement fixtures. They might just spark some brilliant ideas for future additions and improvements to your outdoor lighting.

Aesthetic theme

One way to make outdoor spaces more fun is to choose a theme that adds cohesion. And the lighting is a big part of it! Whether you’re going for a tropical paradise, an organic garden vibe, or a more traditional setting, selecting a theme helps tie everything together. 

The right outdoor lighting can enhance and amplify the theme:

  • Pendant lights with an antique bronze finish and a lantern-style design add rustic charm to outdoor spaces.
  • For a modern and minimalistic outdoor aesthetic, sleek fixtures with clean lines and a black finish are the perfect choice. 
  • Wall sconces with a weathered brass finish and a cage design evoke work well for traditional theme or a coastal beach look.

Dark sky friendly lighting

We need outdoor lighting to be safe and enjoy our outdoor spaces. But we can use outdoor lighting in a way that doesn’t contribute to the light pollution problem. For dark sky friendly lighting, use fixtures that direct the beam of light and prevent glare from “leaking” out to other areas. And choose a color temperature that’s warm, rather than a blue tone. 

Outdoor statement lighting

Statement light fixtures, a big trend in interior lighting, carried right into outdoor lighting design. An outdoor statement light is about combining style and functionality to create a look that’s unique and adds drama to the space. An outdoor statement light should match the overall look and feel of your home’s exterior, whether that’s classic, modern, or rustic-cozy. 

Classic finishes

Classic finishes like black and brass continue to reign supreme for both indoor and outdoor lighting. These timeless choices add a touch of sophistication to your outdoor fixtures. Whether you’re aiming for a sleek modern look with black finishes or a more traditional and warm ambiance with brass, these classic finishes stand the test of time.

Fun with color

Thanks to LEDs and programmable lighting, outdoor lighting has become a canvas for creativity. Play with colors to set different moods or match the theme of your outdoor space. The ability to change colors adds a playful and dynamic element to your outdoor lighting, making it a lot more fun and versatile.

Precise landscape lighting

When it comes to outdoor lighting, precision is key. Use a combination of fixtures, spotlights, and the right temperature of light to highlight specific features in your landscaping. Consider angles and spacing to create a balanced and visually appealing outdoor environment.

Magical ambiance

String lights, bistro lights, water features, moonscapes, colors, and patterns—all contribute to creating a magical ambiance in your outdoor space. Experiment with different elements to craft an enchanting atmosphere that invites relaxation and enjoyment.

Blurred indoor/outdoor spaces

A trend that gained momentum during the pandemic involves blurring the lines between indoor and outdoor spaces. Incorporate ceiling fans, chandeliers, pendant lights, and mood lighting to seamlessly connect your indoor living areas with the great outdoors. This trend emphasizes creating a cohesive and fluid transition and set up your outdoor spaces for easier entertaining.

Smarter safety

Enhance safety with automated motion sensors for security and strategically placed lighting on steps, pathways, and exterior areas like fire pits. Smart technology allows for convenient control and ensures a well-lit outdoor environment when needed. Plus, these smart systems are more energy efficient.

Subtle touches

Don’t underestimate the impact of subtle touches like wall sconces, wash fixtures, and downlighting. These fixtures add a touch of elegance and contribute to a layered lighting scheme, creating depth and visual interest in your outdoor spaces.

By incorporating these trends and considerations, you can transform your outdoor lighting into a functional, stylish, and captivating feature of your home. Whether you’re aiming for a classic, modern, or eclectic look, outdoor lighting trends offer a wide range of options to suit your personal style and enhance your outdoor experience. Get in touch for a custom outdoor lighting design that meets your needs perfectly.