What is Wall Grazing Lighting?
Wall Grazing Lighting For Your Maryland, DC, or Northern Virginia Home
Wall's Pop With A Light Grazing
Did you ever think you could make your walls look like art? Well, you can with the wall grazing lighting tactic. It’s a simple strategy that can have amazing results. You’ll be able to show off the stonework of your house at night because the lighting makes a big difference. Of course, you’ll need the correct wattage bulbs for your outdoor lights. Otherwise, they won’t work as well and may need frequent replacing, if not a new fixture. Keep reading to learn how wall grazing lighting can enhance your home.
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How Does Wall Grazing Work?
Wall grazing lighting accentuates textured, vertical surfaces by exaggerating their shadows. The play between light and shadow dramatizes the look of the wall, resulting in an amazing new look. The lights are on the smaller side and you can place them as up-or-downlights, each resulting in a different look and feel. To get the right effect, put the lights within a foot of the surface, otherwise, the shadows won’t have the same effect. This makes them one of many great hardscape lighting ideas! Now let’s go over the best places for them.
Best Places for Wall Grazing
The best walls for grazing have texture and are uneven ones of brick or stone. Flat walls won’t have anything for the light to catch and make shadows, making it wall washing instead of wall grazing (which we cover below). You can also graze pillars and columns for a more Romanesque feel. They may not have the right texture for catching the light, but the effect is still present. Have any statues or carvings? Grazing works perfectly for these too! It draws attention to the feature and gives it a mysterious look. This look won’t happen if you wash the walls in light, so read on to learn the difference.
Wall Grazing vs Wall Washing
They’re like twins where they’re very similar, but one or two things tell them apart. These two lighting styles are similar enough that it can be easy to wash instead of graze. Wall washing will disperse shadows on the wall and make it seem smooth, thus opening up the room. Using a floodlight can help with this effect due to their extremely bright nature. Wall grazing brings out the features of the wall itself. Too much lighting will take you from grazing to washing. If you want to learn how to set up wall grazing lights, continue to the next section.
How To Setup Landscape Lights For Wall Washing
Awash More Than Walls in Light
Once you have your walls artistically lit, what’s next? You could use some pendant lights to illuminate an outdoor area such as below a deck. Maybe installing some motion sensing lights would be a good idea for security purposes. Whether it’s for art or security, exterior home lighting works for both! What project is next on your mind?
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