Patios & terraces
Layered light around seating and dining so the surface reads flat, even and inviting.
Project Enhancement · Outdoor Lighting
Your garden, given back to you after dark.
Outdoor lighting isn't a separate trade at Northscape — it's part of how we design and build. Planned with your paving, decking or driveway, ducted while the ground is open, and commissioned at night when it can actually be judged.
The Same Space, Twice
Drag to see what lighting actually changes.
Not different gardens — identical spaces, photographed by day and after dark. This is the difference lighting makes to a finished Northscape project.
Porcelain terrace
Penrith
Recessed step lights and a concealed strip beneath the bench keep the terrace usable long after sunset.
Composite deck
Keswick
Edge markers and lit risers describe the shape of the deck without a single glaring fitting.
Resin driveway
Carlisle
The arrival is lit for safety and welcome — kerb line, piers and threshold, nothing else.
Garden and planting
Cockermouth
Two or three uplit specimens give the garden depth after dark. Everything else stays quiet.
Lighting Scenes
One garden, different moods.
A considered scheme is zoned and dimmable. The same space can welcome you home, hold a dinner, open up for guests, or quietly wind down — without ever being re-wired.
Welcome
Arrival only — path, threshold and steps lit so the house feels expected and safe.
Scenes are set up on separate circuits during the build, so they can be switched or dimmed independently.
Lighting by Space
Every part of a garden asks for something different.
Save the spaces that matter to you and we'll bring them to your design visit.
Decking
Recessed markers along board lines and lit risers where levels change.
Driveways
A calm, guided arrival — kerb definition and lit piers rather than floodlight.
Pathways
Low, widely spaced light that shows the route without turning it into a runway.
Steps & level changes
The one place lighting is non-negotiable. Integrated into risers, never above eye line.
Walls & structures
Grazing light across stone or render to bring texture forward after dark.
Planting & trees
Two or three uplit specimens give the garden depth. More than that flattens it.
Outdoor dining areas
Comfortable, glare-free light at the table so faces are lit, not screens.
Outdoor kitchens
Concealed task light where you cook, softer ambient light everywhere else.
Pergolas & canopies
Integrated downlights in the structure — the light source disappears into the build.
Entrances
The first impression at night: threshold, step and a graze of light on stone.
Types of Lighting
What we specify, and where it belongs.
A short, honest glossary — so the conversation at your design visit starts from the same page.
Recessed ground lights
Set flush into paving or resin so nothing sits above the surface.
Terraces, driveways, thresholds.
Step lights
Built into risers or adjacent walls to wash each tread.
Every level change, always.
Up & down wall lights
Two clean beams that add architecture rather than brightness.
House walls, piers, boundary walls.
Spike spotlights
Adjustable uplights concealed in planting beds.
Trees, specimen shrubs, textured walls.
Concealed linear strip
Hidden under copings, benches and nosings — you see the glow, not the fitting.
Seating, walls, floating steps.
Deck lights
Small, low-output markers recessed into the boards.
Composite decking edges and steps.
Downlights & moonlighting
Mounted high to cast a soft, natural pool of light downwards.
Pergolas, canopies, mature trees.
Low bollards & markers
Where recessing isn't possible, low fittings that light down, not out.
Gravel paths, long approaches.
Case Study · Penrith
A terrace that finally works in winter.
A tired rear garden rebuilt in porcelain and stone, with the lighting designed in from the first drawing. Move between the three stages, then explore the night view.
After — night
Lighting designed into the build: lit risers, concealed strip, two uplit trees, grazed stone.
Tap a marker on the night view to see how each part of the scheme was handled.
Design Principles
How we think about light.
01
Layer, don't blanket
A good scheme has three layers: low-level guidance, mid-level feature light and a soft ambient wash. Turn any one of them off and the garden still works.
02
Warmth over brightness
Warm white light at low output reads as expensive. Cool, bright light reads as security. We aim for the former and handle the latter separately.
03
Restraint is the skill
The temptation is to light everything. The best gardens after dark are mostly shadow, with a few things chosen carefully and lit well.
04
Hide the source
You should see the effect, not the fitting. Recessed, concealed and shielded wherever the build allows.
Colour Temperature
Why warm light matters more than bright light.
Colour temperature is the single decision that separates a garden that feels expensive from one that feels like a forecourt. Compare the same terrace across three temperatures.
Done Well, Done Badly
What we prefer — and what we quietly avoid.
What we prefer
- Warm 2700–3000K throughout
- Fittings recessed or concealed
- Pools of light with shadow between
- Every level change lit
- Zones you can switch separately
What we avoid
- Cool blue-white floodlighting
- Evenly lighting the entire garden
- Fittings at eye level causing glare
- Colour-changing RGB effects
- Solar spikes that fade by midwinter
Considered by Northscape
Lighting is part of the build, not an afterthought.
We design and install the groundwork, ducting and fittings as part of your project. Final electrical connection and certification is completed by a qualified electrician — we simply make sure the two halves meet properly.
01
Designed at the drawing stage
Lighting is planned with the layout, not added once the paving is down. That is the only way to get cables and fittings where they belong.
02
Ducting laid during the build
We run ducting and draw cords beneath the sub-base as the hard landscaping goes in — no lifting slabs later.
03
Quality fittings, correctly rated
IP-rated, corrosion-resistant fittings suited to Cumbrian weather, with the beam angles chosen per position.
04
Coordinated with your electrician
Final connection and certification is completed by a qualified electrician. We coordinate the programme so it happens at the right moment.
05
Commissioned after dark
We return at night to aim, dim and balance every fitting. Nothing is signed off in daylight.
Northscape is a landscaping and outdoor space specialist. Outdoor lighting is offered as an enhancement to a wider project rather than as a standalone electrical service.
Continue exploring
Let's design your garden for after dark.
Bring the lighting you've saved to your complimentary design visit. We'll walk your garden, talk through what's worth lighting, and plan it into the build from the start.
Prefer to browse first?Request our complimentary brochure