6 Landscaping Lighting Ideas For a Magical Pavilion in Hershey and Enola PA Areas

Every homeowner wants their landscape to be a beautiful place of relaxation and entertainment. Whether in the warmth of the summer or quiet, sparkling winter nights, people crave gathering spots to be with their friends and family. A pavilion can be an elegant and cozy addition to an outdoor living space that keeps the outdoor experience alive while giving shelter. Pavilions can be the perfect place to chill out or plan an epic party in the middle of summer fun. Lighting your pavilion tastefully will keep it the hub of the summer entertainment after the sun dips behind the horizon. Here are six landscaping lighting ideas for a magical pavilion in Hershey and Enola, PA areas.

Related: Creating an Intimate Pavilion in Lemoyne and Camp Hill PA Areas

The Right Ambience

First, consider how you will use your pavilion the most. Will it be a place of solitude, complete with comfortable chairs, wind chimes, and sunshades? Or will it be lined with bench seating with tables in the middle and necessary appliances for entertaining guests outside? Quiet, subtle lighting will help create a relaxing atmosphere. Likewise, dramatic lighting will help keep the party alive all evening. Yet regardless of the level of drama, lights should never be glaring in the eyes or casting harsh, contrasting shadows. The secret here is to combine a few different lighting techniques to achieve the ideal balance of ambiance, safety, and practicality.

Backsplash Lighting

The name backsplash refers to the idea of light shining against a vertical surface, then bouncing back, creating a softer glow that doesn’t cast shadows. If your pavilion sits near a flat surface like a wall or fence, or a natural feature like a large boulder or tree, consider mounting lights with this idea in mind. Arranging lights in this technique provides a much more gentle and subtle ambiance than direct overhead lighting. 

Playing with Fire

Fire features are one of the best ways to create ambiance in an outdoor setting. Perfect for creating warmth as temperatures start to drop, fire also creates a substantial amount of light that, when combined with other light sources, can actually provide much of the light for a pavilion. Consider installing a small fire table in the center which uses smaller, controlled natural gas flames. Fire tables are great for finding the medium between subtle and dramatic ambiance. 

Spotlighting

To help escalate a dramatic feel, consider the technique of spotlighting. Not only will this technique draw focus to certain features around your pavilion, but it can also be used creatively as a great source for overhead lighting. This can be used to highlight the bark of a tree, the landscaping near the pavilion, or the details of the ceiling of the pavilion itself. 

Vertical Lighting

Light sources don’t need to be large to make an impact. LED lighting can be strategically used as a targeted light source that spotlights certain areas while having a lighter impact on the environment. They can easily be built into walls, beams, seats, and other features. Imagine the string lights used during the holiday season but in a much more permanent way.

Combining Styles

Most important of all in lighting your magical pavilion is to combine styles that suit various features of your landscape. Instead of using the harsh glare of a single floodlight, it’s important to have a variety of different light sources that help create ambiance instead of simply illuminating a dark area. By fully incorporating aspects of your environment into the lighting system, it will make your pavilion the magical hub for entertainment and relaxation.

Related: Plan a Pavilion Perfect for Summer Outdoor Living in Mechanicsburg and Hershey PA