Armed with years of experience bringing outdoor spaces to life after the sun goes down, landscape lighting specialist Mike Gambino urges homeowners already investing in beautiful exterior environments to extend the hours of enjoyment with the addition of well-designed lighting systems.
Whenever I see moving water elements in a pool or spa design, I always look for ways to exploit the motion with my lighting designs. If the landscape includes a cascading stream, for example, you can create almost magical effects by focusing light on the falls and cascades. The texture of the moving water will create flecks of glare that will constantly shimmer and draw the eye into the landscape, animating the scene with glints of jewel-like beauty.
The same is true of water falling over the mouth of a grotto, or perhaps the foamy plume of a fountain, or the texture of water gently sheeting over a stone wall — they all present opportunities to capture the motion with just the softest caresses of light. It might only take one small fixture grazing the moving water, but the impact of the effect might well turn out to be the more appealing than all the other effects combined.
Don't forget, these exquisite visual effects will combine with the aural beauty of moving water to create a multi-sensory experience that's truly mesmerizing. Imagine hearing the sound of trickling water from a hidden source, and then following a path toward the sound, perhaps rounding a small bend by a stand of trees and then being rewarded with the sight of a shimmering little waterfall or fountain.
It's scenarios such as those that generate unending client delight and satisfaction.
