LiveIn|LiveOut

People love string lights and now that they are so readily available in so many different colours and styles they are used throughout the entire year – not just for Christmas. There are many questions that are asked though about using string lights for decoration and this article looks at answering some of the most common questions.

One of the most commonly asked questions is:

How to put string lights on an outdoor umbrella?

If you are using plug in mains powered string lights make sure that the cable reaches the socket before you start.

• So, to start with plug in your lights and see how far they stretch to the bottom of your umbrella pole, this gives you a starting point.
• Now that you know where to start wrapping, for safety unplug the string lights.
• Now start wrapping your string lights up the pole of you outdoor umbrella, you will hopefully have plenty of lights left once you reach the top of the pole.
• If you have string lights left at this point start wrapping the lights along the arm of the umbrella. Once you reach the end of the umbrella arm take the string lights across to the next arm and start wrapping them along that arm towards the central pole.
• Keep going in this manner until you have used up the entire length of string lights.

You will probably find that you need to try several times to get this right because you run out of string lights. Make sure that if possible you can space the string lights evenly so that you have every other umbrella arm covered in lights if you don’t have enough to do all of the arms.

It is also worth noting that you won’t be able to collapse the umbrella with the string lights attached.

A similar question often asked is:

How to hang outdoor patio string lighting?

There are many ways that you can hang outdoor patio string lights, for example you could weave them through a feature shrub or tree, you could attach them to the outside of you home, or you could put them up in a pergola. All of these ideas will really bring your patio to life.

There are all sorts of string light clips that allow you to attach string lights to all sorts of items see the question below how to use string light clips.

Some people don’t have any of these things in there backyard or garden and therefore another frequently asked question is:

How to build a light post for string lights?

Put simply a light post for string lights is a post in the ground that you can wrap your string lights around. String light posts can look effective on their own but if you create four or five of them to mark a path or lead you eye down the garden they can look fantastic. So how do you build a light post for string lights? There are a number of ways that you can do this:

• The simplest way is to knock a post in the ground. A piece of timber or a metal post about an inch in diameter is ideal. Make you ideally want posts that are 6 feet high and then knock them 12-18 inches in to the ground. If you are using mains powered lights then start out the same way as described above for the ‘How to put string light on an outdoor umbrella?’ question.
• The second, more permanent, more costly but far superior option is to use solar powered string lights and proper fencing posts concreted in the ground. Using 3” square treated timber concreted in the ground you can wrap your solar string lights around the posts and mount the solar panel on top of the post. Although this method will take more time and cost more in the short term, it will cost nothing to run once installed. You will also have the flexibility to position the posts for your string lights wherever you want because you will not need to be close to mains power.

Do you place string lights on a pergola on the inside of wood or the outside?

This question is often asked, and the question you need to ask your self is; who do you want to see the string lights? If you want the garden to look nice for the neighbours’ upstairs windows or your own then put the lights on the outside of the wooden frame. If however you sit under the pergola and you want to make the outdoor area look nice for yourself then put them on the inside of the frame.

Can I install outdoor string lights using a residential plug?

You will find that most outdoor string light will come with a plug attached and are low voltage so you should be able to use them straight out of the box. If you are worried about using them then you could always use plug in circuit breaker so that if there are any accidents the power to the string lights will be cut immediately. Always check on the packaging of your string lights to insure that they can be used outdoors. This question on outdoor string lights is often followed by:

Can I keep string lights plugged in outside?

If you are using specific outdoor string lights and you are using them with a plug-in circuit breaker then there is no reason why not. However, being safety conscious we would always unplug them.

How to hide the cord of patio string lights?

Hiding the cord of patio string completes the look of any string light installation and there are many ways that you can do this:

• You could bury the cable in gravel, bark or other ground cover. Remember though that if they are mains voltage string lights you will need to check you local regulations as the cable will probably need some form of armouring so that you or anybody else doesn’t accidentally put a spade though it.
• If you are using string lights on a wall is there any way that you could hide the cable behind a trellis or screen?
• You can paint the cable using acrylic paint to paint match the background.
• If there is nothing to hide your string lights behind and you are fixing them on a wall then make sure that you run the cable horizontally and vertically in line with any timber of bricks. This simple trick will make the cables less obvious.

Can paper string lights stay outside?

If the paper string lights you own are not intended for outdoor use then we wouldn’t recommend you leaving them outside. After a good down pour you will probably find you’re your paper string lights look more like a papier-mâché disaster. There are paper outdoor string lights though that have a wax coated paper which you can use and leave outdoors. Check on the packaging of your string lights and if it doesn’t say you can uses them outdoors don’t. 

How to use string light clips?

There are number of different string light clips and what you want to attach your string lights to will determine what sort of clip you buy.

• String light clips with nails – these can be used for fixing string light to surface such as timber or plastic or even trees, simply nail them to whatever you want and thread the string lights through them.
• Self adhesive string light clips – this is a little less destructive than using nails and they are often quite sufficient, position the adhesive clips where you need them and attach the string lights.
• Gutter string light clips – these hook over your gutter and allow you to attach string lights to them. These are great for once a year decorations as they are non-destructive and can be easily removed.

If you have any other questions on using or installing your string lights contact us.

String lights make a great addition to any home; whether they are to be used indoors or outdoors they really will turn the space that you live in from a generic cold interior (or exterior) into a place that radiates warmth and that you will want to spend time in.

The Importance of Lighting

You may have noticed from many of our other posts that we believe that interior lighting really can make a house a home. Regardless of the type or condition of the interior of your home if you get the lighting right it will hide a multitude of sins. The best way to get the right lighting is to use multiple light sources and in today world it has never been easier.

String lights used to be reserved for just Christmas and festive periods but this isn’t the case any longer. Whether they are wrapped around a bunch of willow in the corner of a room or all bundled up in a bowl, string lights look great all year round.

What sort of interior style are you trying to create?

It’s unlikely that if you are trying to create ultimate bachelor pad that string lights will feature in your lighting scheme. If you are female however and are trying to create the ultimate sanctuary string lights should be up there on your list of home accessories. Whether you own your home, rent a home or even just have your own bedroom in a place, there is no reason why you shouldn’t try to put your own stamp on it. Sting lights are the perfect way to do this, wonderfully feminine, string lights are the way to add some elegance, grace and warmth in to a room.

String lights also add a strong point of interest in a room, so if you are renting a place and can’t put things on the wall then you could try the methods that I mentioned before – let me recap on them and also add some new ideas.

How to use string lights to add interest to a room.

Many home stores now sell bunches of willow, by getting some string lights that have transparent cables you can weave them unobtrusively through the willow. When night falls and you switch on the string lights the light will bounce off the willow and will give the corner of your room a wonderful warm glow.

A plain glass vase and some battery operated string lights are all that you need to create a ‘wow’ focal point. Try and find some sting lights that are about 5 ft long and with a transparent cord. Stuff the lights in to the vase (making sure that you can get easy access to the on/off switch) and your done. The sting lights look fantastic at night particularly if you find some with a transparent cord as the light refracts through the cord creating a great spectacle.

Similar to the ‘bunches of willow’ tip is that of careful weaving some battery operated string lights through a plant. Instead of creating a warming glow you should get a slightly greenish tinge in the light from the plants foliage.

All three of these ideas are a beautiful way to use string lights to improve the appearance of your home.

Led garden lights are an extremely popular choice of lighting for the garden. They have become popular due to two reasons; the first is that advances in solar power that have allowed small solar panels to be produced for very little cost and the second is that the are much cheaper to run than the traditional incandescent bulb. With led garden lights being cheaper to run this also means that they are better for the environment which is one of the main factors to be celebrated about led’s.

When it comes to choosing led garden lighting you do need to consider your options carefully as they are not all the same. If you get it wrong your garden can look rather cheap and worse still the lighting will not do the task that you intended it to do. LiveIn|LiveOut has produced this article to guide you through choosing the right led garden lights for your home.

Led Color

Led’s come in many colors, and the color that you choose will depend upon the function that you want them to carry out. If you are looking for a more classic lighting scheme and want something simple then white led garden lights are idea. You do need to be careful when choosing your white led’s as they are not all the same. You will find that cheaper white led lights are very cold looking white which is almost blue. If you are trying to recreate a more traditional light then you will need to look for some warm white led lights which look more similar to an incandescent bulb. If you want something more exciting though and actually want some color in your garden you will be able to find whatever color you desire.

Function – Decorative of Functional

Do you want your garden lighting to be functional or decorative? This is a question that you must ask before selecting garden lights as many solar powered garden lights will only give off an ambient light which doesn’t provide enough light to read by. If you want something more powerful you may have to look at a mains powered variety – see below for selecting a power source.

The vast majority of decorative outdoor patio lighting now features led bulbs. Outdoor string lights will invariable be mains powered and are available in numerous colors. String lights are an idea addition to any garden lighting scheme as they look beautiful all year round.

For a more functional led garden lights you may want to consider those that come in the form as a spot light as these really will provide enough light for you to see with. Some manufacturers of security lights are even switching over to use led’s instead of the power hungry tungsten bulbs. Functional doesn’t always mean bright though so if you only want to mark the edge of a pathway solar patio lights with led bulbs are ideal.

Power Sources

From out other articles on patio string lights you will see that the power sources of garden lights come in three forms – mains power, battery power and solar power. With led garden lights this is no exception but the later is definitely the most popular and this in mainly due to the fact that they are cheap to buy, cheap to install and cheap to run. As mentioned previously if you want a useable light you are far better opting for mains powered led garden lights – these will work reliably 365 days a year.

If you bear the above three points in mind when choosing your led garden lights you should end up with a solution that you are pleased with. Led is still a relatively new technology and as time goes on more and more choices will be available.

Outside lights are an excellent way to improve the look and security of your home.  This guide provides an overview of the types of outside lighting available to you.

Outside light fixtures – no matter how small – will look great and deter potential thieves, exterior lighting need not cost a lot either – you will be able to finfd a solution that matches your budget and requirements. Let’s start off by looking at the power sources available to outdoor lights as this is the most disruptive, time consuming and costly part of installing lights.

Power sources for Outside Lights

Solar power is by far the easiest type of light to install – they require no cables and consequently you can be quite creative as to where you position the lights.  Cheap solar powered garden lights may not give out a useable light but they certainly will provide a visible light that looks appealing. If you’ve got a large budget then some of the more expensive solar patio lights will actually provide you with a useable light.

Mains and low voltage outdoor lights can be grouped together in terms of installation hassle. Depending on where you live there may be restrictions on the types of light you can install outside – you may be forced to use low voltage lights. Regardless of this though, you will still need to bury cables to get power from your house to the lights the only difference between them is that the low voltage lights will require a transformer before the cable leaves the house.

Outside Lighting Technologies

There are three main types of lighting available and these are LED, traditional filament and cold cathode. LED outside lights are now by far the most common type of lighting.

LED outside lights come solar powered or low voltage powered and are available in many different colours, they are cheap to run and are very durable and for these reasons they are proving to be very popular.

Traditional filament lights are the second most popular – these will have to be low voltage powered or mains and therefore are more difficult to install. That said, they will provide you with very useable and therefore practical light. Outdoor patio lighting fitted with traditional filament bulbs really do look great.

Cold cathode lights are a very specialist type of lighting that can be likened to fluorescent tubes. From an outdoor lighting design point of view the source of light would be hidden away so that you would just the see the glow. This type of lighting can be stunning but will cost you a lot of money.

Types of Outside Light

Where you can put your lighting will depend on the landscaping of your home, but fundamentally you’ve got four options:

• In/On a wall
• In the ground
• As a post
• Decorative Ligthing

Outside wall lights that are actually built in to the wall are sometimes referred to as brick lights – brick lights or wall lights they can both be considered the same thing. If you are at the exciting design stage of your garden or driveway then the world’s your oyster,  you will be able to design in the lights and run the power cables through the foundations of the wall and build the lights in to the wall. If however you are adding lights to an existing wall the easiest way is to use a surface mounted light. Outside house lights can be installed by drilling through the wall of you home and are relatively easy to install. Wall lights tend to come mains or low voltage powered and not solar powered – although if your budget allows you will be able to find some solutions that have a remote solar panel.

Most people consider ‘driveway lighting’ to be the types of lights that are set in to the ground and point upwards, but you can also get sideways pointing lights that spread the light across the surface of a driveway. Generally speaking this type of light provides only back ground lighting and is there to mark the edge of the drive and not really to emit any useable light. Like with the outside wall lights if you are in the process of landscaping your driveway then you can put what lights you want, where you want, if you’re retro fitting the lights though restrictions will apply. If you are installing lights in to an existing garden or driveway one of the best options may be solar powered. The lights sit in the ground facing upwards and are surrounded by a solar panel. The light given out by the solar lights is bright enough to create a stunning effect, yet dim enough to not contribute significantly to light pollution.

Post lights are an effective way to add lighting to the front or back of your home – there are many solar powered post lights but there are also many mains and low voltage types on the market. They look good but can be delicate so you’ve got young children or boisterous dogs this type of lighting may be best avoided.

Decorative lighting is also an important factor of any outdoor lighting design. The main form that decorative lighting takes are outdoor string lights and there are many different form to choose from. Patio string lights are a popular choice that can be mains powered or in some cases solar powered.

Lighting Strength

I touched on this in the previous paragraph but the strength of lighting should be considered.  In many circumstances some low powered solar lights will provide the perfect light to make your garden look stunning at night. This is better for the environment and wildlife, if you are worried about security then you could get a motion and heat activated porch light that would only come on when someone is detected.

I have always believed that lighting completes an environment. Whether it is a room in the house or outside, lighting without a doubt makes a difference on how relaxed you feel or how cosy it feels. Bearing this in mind it is so important to get it right.

If you look at any lifestyle shots in a magazine or on the television – you will be sure to find ambient lighting. The garden however is an area of the home that can get forgotten about and lighting it may not be at the top of your list. This is a mistake though because if you get the correct lighting it ‘forgives’ any imperfections or projects you may be chasing every year to finish. Your garden doesn’t have to look like something taken from the Gardeners World magazine a simple form of outdoor patio lighting will transform your space and make it somewhere you want to spend most of your time especially in the summer months.

Patio lights can come in many forms depending on your budget, taste and what style you wish to achieve with it. You only have to have a good look around your local garden centres on the internet and you will find a plethora of ideas to get inspiration from. One of the main differences in the type of lighting you choose is what sort of light you want them to give off. If you go for an LED option it more often than not will give off a white or blue rather stark light. This can look good in it’s place but if you wanted a more warm yellow light – plug in or wired options are a more suitable choice. You can get a warm LED light but this will cost you more ONLY on the outset as, once installed, the running costs will be cheaper.  LED solar patio lights are great for an environmentally sound option they do not add to the issue of light pollution. They are without a doubt easier to install due to the absence of a cable and they are much safer for children and pets to play around. With solar powered garden lights you will not have to remember to turn them off after you have finished outside either!

Once you have decided on the feel you wish to achieve with your lighting you need to think about whether you would like a single source of lighting or a string of lights for example. Here I shall outline the types that I can think of to help you.

Post Patio Light

This type of lighting is usually a stand-alone single source option. This type of light will mimic the old fashioned traditional style of lamp post and usually fairly ornate and finished in black. This light is ideal if you wish to create an oldy worldy feel in your garden. It will need a bulb and will also need to be wired in, the cable will have to run under the ground to a socket. Be careful if you chose to do this and you could get advice from your local authority or alternatively do a bit of research if you want to know how deep to bury the cable. I better idea may be to bury the cable under the patio slabs – that way you know it will be safe and it will look more concealed than if you were to dig channels out of your precious lawn!

Patio String Lights

There are plenty to choose from. Some battery operated, some LED functioning and some solar – all give fantastic looks. These string lights come in various lengths so think about where they are going to go before you part with your cash! There are also plenty of fun choices of patio string lights out there too! It is worth thinking about the fact that they will invariably stay outside for the most part so you will need to go for outdoor string lights specificaly designed to endure the outdoors. These look great draped over a shrub or intertwined on a willow fence – they bring a little bit of magic in to your summer garden.

Patio umbrella lights

Patio umbrella lights are relatively new to the market. They look like a UFO but absolutely fantastic once installed! They fit around the top part of your parasol or umbrella and cast a beautiful light onto the table. These light are usually battery operated but the lifespan of them is quite good considering.

Patio rock lights / mini post lights

Again, these can be solar, wired or LED options. These can be dotted around your garden and patio to accentuate specific plants or areas of interest in your space. The rock lights in particular are more dramatic and add depth to your garden because of the fact that they can be angled. Remember if you do want the flexibility of having no wire the light will be whiter and a little colder as opposed to an amber light that you get from wired lights. It is possible to obtain amber hues with an LED source but you may have to be prepared to spend a lot more.

Like most outdoor lights, string lights for the garden come powered by three main power sources. Regardless of the power source delicate string lights in the garden make a fantastic addition at any time of year. The three main power sources for outdoor string lights (or in fact any type of garden  light should they be driveway lights, patio lights or pond lights) are solar power, mains power or mains powered but low voltage and battery power. Not all of these power sources are suitable for year round use though, so if you want to use your string lights outdoors all year round then you will need to consider your power source carefully.

Solar Powered Outdoor String Lights

The most popular choice of power source for garden lights at the moment is that of solar power. Manufacturing techniques and the introduction of LED light sources means the solar powered garden lights have flooded the market. Although great in the summer (depending on where you live)  winter performance of solar powered garden lights may leave a lot to be desired. If you only want to use string lights in your garden in the summer then solar power is the ideal choice. The wire free solution of solar powered string lights really does give rise to some creative thinking as to where you can position the lights. There are solar powered string lights on the market that have the solar panel remotely located and this gives you even more flexibility in terms of where you can position them. The solar panel can be positioned in the sun and the lights positioned in a shaded area.

Battery Powered Outdoor String Lights

As with solar powered string lights the effect that LED’s have had on the battery operated lighting market has been astronomic. You are spoilt for choice as to the number of battery operated string lights you can get now although the most popular is still the traditional white string lights. The choice of battery you use in your lights is very important and not many manufacturers will explain this to you. Most battery powered string lights will run on AA batteries and these tend to come in two ‘flavours’ alkaline and lithium. If you only want to use your lights in the summer then just use cheap alkaline batteries. If however you want to use your string lights in the winter then you really should use lithium batteries. There is a very simple reason for this: lithium batteries will work in sub zero temperatures, alkaline will not. Battery operated outdoor string lights come in various guises – one of our favourites are patio umbrella lights that wrap around or clip to the arms of the umbrella.

Mains Powered String Lights

Mains powered outdoor string lights are certainly the most reliable, however they do have one very big constraint – they have to be plugged in. Having to be connected to a mains power source does give you year round lighting, regardless of the weather, however you will be severely restricted as to where you can put the lights. There are also some very important safety considerations that need to be taking in to account before buying and installing some mains powered outdoor string lights. You will find that the vast majority of commercial outdoor string lights and designer outdoor lights are mains powered as reliability is of the upmost importance. If you want ultra-reliable and you are going to use your string lights on a patio which is close to your house then these will without doubt give you the best performing outdoor lights. Mains powered outdoor patio string lights come in numerous different colours, lengths and styles so you shouldn’t find it too hard to find some that you like. Unlike solar patio lights you should be able to find that these types of light come in greater lengths.

Solar patio lighting is a lighting and design option for the outside of the home.  When you come home late even if you have a garage, it is more inviting to have some outside lighting.  You can take a look around and check things out before you enter the garage. 

Well, what are the options for decorating the outside with lights?  You can use electrical lighting or you can use the upright lights that resemble street lights.  However, the most feasible option not only for the decor and the simplicity, but also for the eco-friendly approach, is solar lighting.

Solar lighting is basically turning sunlight into energy that provides illumination.  This can be done passively or actively.  The passive method of using the sunlight to convert to illumination does not require any additional assistance.  However, the active method does.  The active method is quite a bit more expensive because of the additional accessories required.  As society moves forward, though, it will become more and more of a viable option with the decrease in costs as efficiency is perfected.

In the meantime, you can still choose to use passive solar patio lighting as a design and illumination feature for your home.  There are several types of designs for solar lighting that are available, and can even get patio umbrella lights.   This particular form of lighting can be obtained by using magnetic lights that attach to an umbrella.  Weatherproof and durable, they attach to awnings, canopies, or the patio umbrellas that come with patio furniture.  Charging even in cloudy weather, the top has a panel that is crystalline.  The bottom portion of the panel has 4 super LED lights that will run for up to five hours with a complete charge.

The LED term means that light can be emitted in the most safe, efficient, and eco-friendly way.  When charged electrically, the diode that serves as a semi-conductor gives light out incoherently.  There is little or no heat generated and it is safe to touch.  The magnitude of such efficiency boasts that a bulb can last more than 100,000 hours continuously.  These lights contain no mercury and that significantly decreases the carbon dioxide released.

This eco-friendly solar lighting is another option.  With today’s cultural focus on improving the environment and using natural resources more efficiently to meet our needs, the eco-friendly choices are increasing. A central solar panel is placed in the best place to optimize the energy of the sun and the lights themselves are placed strategically around your property to illuminate and decorate.  There are different designs for the cover of the bulbs including square or round. 

Speaking of different designs, programmable color solar lights are available that attach to the outside elements such as the fence, the shrubs or even the edge of your house.  The flexibility that is a part of these programmable lights offers you the opportunity to twist the lights around the item you choose.

Solar string lights are a great design for the outside.  Since they do not require an outlet, the placement options are endless.  Your design is only limited by your imagination.  Some of the string solar lights can last up to eight hours with a complete charge.  The string solar lights emit a brighter light and you can take advantage of this feature and have a solar powered garden lights with the versatility.

Many of the these options for the solar patio lighting are reasonably priced.  You can review the different choices with a residential store associate.  After settling on  a design for your patio and garden, you can speak to the residential store associate to compare choices and costs.  In order to choose the best type of solar patio lighting for your home, you want to consider the size.  If your home is very large, you may have the option of putting different types of solar lighting in different places.  For instance, you may consider decorating using patio string lights around the fence or through your garden.  You may consider the round or square holders along the walkway.  The magnetic solar lights may be more effective around the patio area with the tables and chairs.

There are plenty of options for you to choose from.  Pricing can range from around twenty dollars to well over several hundred dollars.  Your choice of design and where you would like to use your solar lighting will influence the total cost.  You can also price your choices at different residential stores and choose the best price that way.

Patio string lights make a fantastic addition to your outdoor space and can create the ultimate sanctuary for you to spend a relaxing warm summer evening in. Getting your outdoor lighting design right is critical for creating the right ambience and some people think that it is a difficult thing to achieve – but creating a lighting scheme doesn’t have to be difficult at all. The rules of lighting are really quite simple and you can apply the same rules to outdoor lighting just as you can indoor lighting.

The number one rule in any lighting scheme is to always have more than one light source. That means that if you are inside, you should never just have a light bulb hanging from the ceiling in the centre of your room. If you take this idea outdoors it means don’t just have a spot light fixed to the wall of your home aiming towards your ‘relaxing’ area. The fact is, that it won’t feel very relaxing, you will in fact feel as though you are trying to escape from a high security prison.

So, when designing your outdoor lighting scheme you need to think about different light sources and the effect that they have on your garden when the sun sets. You need some functional light – so that you can see what you are doing but you also need to add some decorative lights such as patio string lights – so that you can create an enchanting outdoor area. So let’s take a look at designing your outdoor lighting scheme and how by adding some outdoor patio string lights you really can create a garden that you neighbors and guest will be envious of.

Let’s start by taking a look at what points an outdoor lighting scheme should take in to account:

1. You don’t want so much light that is frightens wildlife and contributes to light pollution.
2. You want to highlight hazards
3. You will want to see your guest
4. You may want to read outdoors
5. You want to create a relaxing and peaceful outdoor space

At LiveIn|LiveOut we love solar powered garden lights – they are practical, environmentally friendly, and cost nothing to run. So we exclusively use solar lighting in our very own gardens and we think that you should to. We know that you can achieve the above criteria by just using regular solar garden lamps and they also do not produce enough light to deter wildlife and contribute to light pollution.

By highlighting trip hazards, such as steps and path edges by using lights that are set in the ground and shorter post lights you should also create enough light for you to be able to know who you are talking to in the garden. So that’s the second two of the five points satisfied.

If you want to be able to read outdoors you may have to look at a more expensive solar spot light solution. Failing that, if the cost puts you off, you could always get multiple solar lights and hang them from the porch, pergola or tree that you like to read under.

The fifth and final criteria if your lighting scheme is to create the relaxing and peaceful outdoor space and this is where the patio string lighting comes in to it’s own. Patio light strings come in various lengths and styles, but to be quite honest our favorite are just the plain LED warm white bulb type. The second favorite string light design of ours are patio umbrella lights.these also create a very nice ambience. Patio string lights are a very flexible type of light that add the much needed ‘decorative’ aspect to any lighting theme. Here are some ideas of how you could use them create that ‘sanctuary’ feeling you could:

• Weaving some string lights through the smaller shrubs on your patio creates a stunning visual effect. The shadows that are created, and the green hue given to the light as it bounces of the leaves of your shrubs makes for a very relaxing environment.
• If you have a pergola over your decking you could easily weave you patio string lights through the decking. Having some lights above your head when the sky is dark makes your outdoor spaces seem very cozy and create a real visual treat.
• If you have any trees in your garden the final way that you can use some patio string lights is to weave them through the branches of any trees. If you have a longer garden and you have trees down the far end of it then illuminating these trees with fine string lights adds a real wow factor to your garden and creates a very enchanting setting with depth.

Without the decorative aspect of patio string lights any outdoor lighting scheme would seem very boring and not very inspiring. By using suitable string lights however, you can add depth and excitement to your garden which you can enjoy long after the sun has set.

Solar powered garden lights are with out doubt one of the easiest ways to add some interest in to your garden when the sun sets. LiveIn|LiveOut have done some research in to solar powered garden lighting and would like to share with you five very good reasons why solar power garden lights are quite possibly the next best thing to sliced bread…

1. Solar powered garden lights can be positioned any where

The real beauty of solar powered lights comes in the fact that you have absolute freedom to position them wherever you want to. You don’t have to worry about getting power to them; all you have to worry about is that the solar panel can see some sun light every day. This flexibility in where you can position the lights gives rise to a wealth of opportunities and all you need to do is think creatively as to where and how you position them. Some types of solar garden lighting will in fact come with a remote solar panel and this gives you even more flexibility as to where you can place them. Having a remote solar panel means that you can position the lights in areas that do not get direct sunlight – such as under hedges or the eaves of your shed – but you can position the solar panel in an area that gets a maximum amount of sunlight every day. This flexibility of where you can position the lights gives rise to the next great thing about solar powered garden lights…

2. Solar lights cost little (if anything) to install

The very fact that solar lights have no power cables means that there is no expensive or exhausting landscaping work to carry out. There is simply no cable to bury and this means no expensive armored cabling or digging trenches across your lawn. Even if you decide to opt for a solar power garden light that has a remote solar panel (which will have a cable running between the light and panel) the cable does not necessarily have to be buried. It is only from an aesthetic point of view that you may want to hide it – from a safety point of view, the cable offers no threat of electrocution has the voltage and current needed to run a small solar powered led garden light is very small.

3. Most normal garden lights you can get as a solar powered version

Solar powered garden lights also come in a variety of different formats and this is good news for anyone that is designing their lighting scheme for their garden. Outdoor lighting design should – like interior lighting – revolve around having multiple light sources which give many different focal points and creates usable and ambient lighting. Solar outdoor lighting comes in the form of lanterns, string lights, post lights, pond lights, patio umbrella lights and bury in the ground lights. You pretty much have all the options that you would do if you were using regular mains voltage powered garden lights. However, unless you spend a significant sum of money it is unlikely that you will get a high powered spot light as these require larger and more sophisticated solar panels.

Another point to bear in mind when choosing a solar powered light is that some of the cheaper lights will emit a very cold (almost light blue) light, in some cases this may work well, but we tend to prefer the warmer white type lights. This type of light is more akin to traditional incandescent light bulbs and gives a much warmer feeling.

4. Solar lights cost nothing to run

Although solar lights may cost a little more than conventional lights you will easily and quickly recoup the cost in what they don’t cost you in terms of electrical power. So, not only will your solar powered lights cost you nothing to install they will also cost you absolutely nothing to run, what more could you want. There is one final point that this leads on to very nicely…

5. Solar powered garden lights turn themselves off

As all of the power that the solar panels have gained in the day slowly dies out throughout the night and so your lights will turn themselves off. This is one great – often overlooked – feature of solar powered garden lights, it means that at the end of the evening when you just want to go to bed you can do just that, you don’t need to traipse around the garden switching off all the lights individually or turning of plug sockets in the house.

Hopefully these five points will have inspired you to get out and buy some solar powered lights for your garden. Garden lights will enhance your garden greatly and make it a real pleasure to spend time in long after the sun has set.

If you are like us at LiveIn|LiveOut, you will no doubt appreciate the finer things in life. Now, this doesn’t mean that you have to spend the earth on finishing details but it really just does come down to having the right ‘eye’ for things and shopping correctly. Lighting clearly ‘makes’ a place special, inviting and calming. We want you to relax in your space when you finish a long week at work whether it is during the summer months or in the cosy winter ones.

Your house is your home – meaning that you need to be able to relax there, and by choosing the correct lighting you will be able to achieve this with no problems and at very little cost. Outside lighting is just as important as getting your inside lighting right, especially if you like to spend as much of your time as you can outside, gardening or simply just relaxing on your hammock with a beer. Creating the correct ambiance with lighting is simple, and depending on your taste I hope that we have come up with some solutions for you below.

Think about the space you have outside and what may lend itself to being decorated with some sort of lighting feature. Do you have a tree that could act as the focus of your outside space or alternatively, do you have a patio decked with a set of tables and chairs? Patio umbrella lights are ideal to keep the warm, cosy feeling of the hot sun going through into the evening.

If we focus on the patio umbrella as an option for you, we’ll take you through a few options you may like to try.

Your Options for a Lighted Patio Umbrella

Before you start deciding on what style or type of patio umbrella lighting you require, you will need to measure your space in order to get the correct size of umbrella. This may sound obvious, but if you need the umbrella to go up underneath some sort of awning or pagoda, then you will need to know the height you will require as well as the circumference. Lighted patio umbrellas can come as a set – Built in lighting into the actual umbrella unit will help to take away any of the unnecessary faffing with wiring etc. A patio umbrella with lights can come in many forms.

• A patio umbrella light is an umbrella with a single built in light situated on top of the ‘spokes’ of the erected umbrella. These lights can be solar powered, which is really useful in terms of fixing and ascertaining where the wire or plug will have to go, not to mention the hazards of trailing wires. Thegreenhead.com have on sale a solar powered example like this. It works by recharging the tiny LED light from drawing power in from the solar panels that are positioned on the top of the weather proof upper side of the umbrella.
• An umbrella with heater units fixed to the underside of the umbrella. This again is solving more than one problem. The heated units are perfect for keeping off the chill when you have more breezy evenings. This type of unit will work as a umbrella to shade during the day and keep you warm at night, together with decorating your space with attractive lighting. Try researching into this type of umbrella with a built in patio heater. 
• An umbrella with a line of small battery operated lights which are positioned on all of the underside spokes.  This is a really nice option, because of the rechargeable factor.
• An alternative is to decorate your already existing patio umbrella with a set of lights. You can now buy battery operated string lights which you can twist and place where you like. These can be suitable for outdoor use, but be sure to check this before you buy. If you are able to safely store a wire (perhaps under your patio itself) then you may want to bear in mind more permanent options – The only thing I would say about this, is that if the wire needs replacing for example, it may be a bit of a headache to fix problems.
• Think about different colours to change the mood of your surroundings. There are so many different options for you to experiment with, just be careful to give all of things a thought so that you choose the right set for you and your family.

We hope this has been helpful to you, and has given you some extra ideas as to what to do in your outside space. We believe it is all about the lighting so even during the winter we make sure the garden has some sort of accent lighting to brighten it up and make it look more inviting and inspiring!