Aura tube lighting was installed along the edge of these poolside steps to make them safer and to emphasize the visual lines created by the steps.

For home and business owners seeking to enhance their properties through landscape lighting, today’s technology offers a multitude of options. Depending upon numerous factors (such as the size of the property, the architecture of its buildings, the layout of the grounds, the type and age of plantings, and the budget allocated for lighting), a system can be designed that will fulfill both the practical and aesthetic needs of the owner. The planning of such a system, however, requires the participation of both designers and technicians to ensure that optimal lighting is provided at the best possible cost.

The Feller Group, a landscaping firm headquartered in Glen Ellyn, Ill., has been designing and installing sophisticated lighting systems in western DuPage County for a number of years. The company’s lighting installations, which include many large and prestigious properties, illustrate some of the many ways in which lighting systems can be designed to highlight a site’s best features, while solving specific problems and enhancing both the safety and beauty of home and garden.

The use of louvered lights can create a more subdued lighting effect but still produce enough light to see in the dark.

Landscape lighting systems are generally run from transformers that step the voltage down from 120 to 12 volts. The lights themselves are 12-volt fixtures, so they do not need to be installed by an electrician (resulting in a savings in labor costs). The low voltage of the lights also makes them safe, ensuring that a gardener who accidentally cuts a cable—or a child who plays with a light—will not receive an electrical shock.

Transformers come in models designed to handle various wattage loads (typically from 300 to 2,000 watts). Depending upon the total wattage of the lights included in an installation, a transformer (or combination of transformers) with a capacity somewhat larger than current overall wattage needs will be chosen. This allows for later expansion of the system at the lowest possible cost (because transformer replacement will not be required). For short runs, 12-gauge cable is generally used. Longer runs, which result in a drop-off of wattage, will require either the use of a heavier cable (10 or 8 gauge), or the addition of a voltage booster to maintain the wattage. While the wattage of landscaping light bulbs can vary from as low as 1.5 watts to as high as 75 watts, the bulbs used in path lights are usually 25 watts; those used in spotlights are most often 50 watts

Adjustable rail lights were installed under the benches because of their ability to be moved and angled in a desired direction.

A number of basic types of lights are used in landscape systems, including spotlights, path lights, and tube lighting. Within the basic categories there are also a number of standard styles (such as tiered and hammered-roof path lights). Different manufacturers, in turn, offer their own unique versions of these established styles—often with choices of metal, type of glass (where applicable), size, and wattage. A number of whimsical, creative designs (such as those incorporating animal sculptures) are also available, as are various custom-built lighting solutions. The choice made will depend upon the lighting needs being met, the personal taste of the customer, and the budget available for landscape lighting.

When Ken Feller and his landscape designers visit a customer’s property to discuss lighting, they generally bring along a number of sample lighting fixtures, as well as a portable battery. This enables them to demonstrate the lighting effects produced by different wattages (and glass panels, where applicable), and to discuss the design, material, and cost of the various options. The customer has the opportunity to touch and thoroughly examine the fixtures before making a choice. Feller Group uses only high-quality fixtures composed of sturdy materials, such as metal and glass. In addition to offering the durability needed to withstand the Midwestern climate, such fixtures look beautiful both at night and in daylight, whether surrounded by greenery in the summer or snow in the winter. Quality manufacturing and materials ensure that landscaping lights will always complement their site aesthetically—when they are off, as well as when they are lit.

Post lamps were installed around the pool with clear glass to provide extra light around the poolside.

Some examples of Feller lighting installations will serve to illustrate both the many options available, and the planning required to create the most effective lighting system. One large installation, located in Bartlett, Ill., involves a home that is part of a development centered around a pond. The sumptuous mansion-sized house boasts both an upper patio and a lower deck, a swimming pool, and numerous plantings.

Spotlights were used to highlight the home itself, providing an enhancement both to the owner’s security system and to the appearance of the house. The optimal placement of spotlights is an art in itself. Spotlights should be positioned far enough from the building to wash it gracefully with graduated light (an effect that will be lost if the light is placed too close to the house). Care must also be taken to ensure that the light will not shine into the windows of the building, disturbing its occupants, or into the eyes of anyone approaching the house on the path or sidewalk. In general, spotlights are best placed in a bed with vegetation.

Lights at this residence were placed near the walk at various heights to ensure each step was lit.

On the home’s patio, post lamps (by SPJ Lighting Inc.) were used to provide both light and ornamentation. These lamps are available with stems of various lengths, as well as with different kinds of glass (clear, frosted, seedy, or opaque). The glass chosen will affect both the quality and brightness of the light provided by the fixture. Near the pool at this site, clear glass was used to provide the maximum amount of light for safety reasons. On the stairway, in contrast, louvered lights were installed. The louvers produce a subdued light that is not harsh or distracting, but that is sufficient to allow guests to find their way safely down the stairs.

The two wide, shallow steps near the pool posed a special problem because of their unusual shape and size. A pole lamp, for example, might light the area sufficiently, but it would pose a potential obstacle, as well as breaking up the attractive horizontal lines of the stairs. In this case, Feller chose Aura tube lighting to outline the edge of each step. This solution highlighted the steps enough to ensure safe passage, while also emphasizing their horizontal lines (working with, rather than against, the architecture). The use of tube lighting provided an extra touch of poolside glamour, and was also less expensive than installing riser lights (which would have required hard wiring work behind the steps).

Spotlights were placed within the recesses of the front entry at each side of the doorway to increase visual aesthetics and draw attention to the home's architecture.

Feller also installed adjustable rail lights under the benches around the swimming pool to provide additional light and create interesting effects. Lights of this type can be moved back and forth, as well as angled to shed light on different areas.

At another large property in Wheaton, Ill., the landscaping has changed and developed over time, and Feller has had to come up with new lighting solutions to suit the site’s changing conditions. Initially, the home had only a patio. The owners then had Feller add a pond. Later, they installed a lower deck, a pool, and a hot tub; eventually, Feller re-landscaped the entire backyard. In addition to lights all around the perimeter of this long yard, a spotlight was used to highlight the interesting "peeled" texture of a river birch on the property.

The plantings on a property may also determine the types of fixtures used. Hammered-roof path lights were used at this home to add an ornamental touch to immature plants and create light patterns and shadows.

A set of steps on this site posed a particular problem. The concrete stairs had been coated with an aggregate stone finish, which effectively eliminated any visual edge definition. This created a particularly treacherous spot at night. Feller identified the hazard, pointed it out to the owners, and provided a light of sufficient intensity to greatly increase the safety of the staircase.

Along the pathways of this property, traditional tiered path lights were used. The brightness of this type of fixture can be adjusted by removing the top of the lamp and sliding off one or more of the louvers, or by removing the shield covering the bulb. These fixtures are available with 1/4- and 1/2-inch-diameter stems, in lengths of 12, 18, and 24 inches, or with a 1-1/2-inch-diameter stem, in lengths of 18 and 24 inches. A telescoping "extend-a-stem" can also be ordered, permitting height adjustment as needed. All of these options provide different lighting effects that can be matched to specific areas of the property, without losing the consistency provided by use of the same style of fixture throughout the installation.

The lamp in front of this yard sits off the ground high enough to offer ample amounts of safety and provide the right highlights to the architecture of the house.

Lighting can also be used to solve problems created by an architectural design. A home in Bartlett, Ill., for instance, had a tall, recessed front entrance that was very dramatic by daylight—but shadowy and unsafe after dark. To solve this problem, Feller placed spotlights within the recesses at each side of the doorway. Unlike a post lamp, this indirect lighting makes the most of the entry’s visual flair, emphasizing its recessed design while drawing attention to the central focus of the home’s facade. In the yard, spotlights focused on the property’s impressive trees show them off to their best advantage, while echoing the lighting used in the entryway.

Decks are always a challenge when it comes to lighting. On the back of one home, Feller used "up-and-down" lights, which are open at both ends, on the deck itself and on the stairs leading up to it. Placed vertically, the fixture lights the area both above and below the deck; positioned horizontally on the staircase’s risers, the lamp illuminates both sides of each step. This system solves the site’s lighting problem, while maintaining an attractive consistency of fixtures throughout the deck area. At this site, spotlights were also used to emphasize the owner’s trees. Since the trees were relatively young, a minimum of light was required to highlight them. (When spotlights are used to illuminate trees, multiple fixtures can also be positioned so that their beams cross one another, and then cross again, creating especially interesting lighting effects.)

Spotlights were used and directed at the house's stone work to add detail and character.

The plantings on a property may also determine the types of fixtures used. At this site in Lombard, Ill., for example, the owner chose hammered-roof path lights (by Kichler Landscape Lighting) to add an ornamental touch to immature plantings. With their delicate shape and intricate cutouts (which create interesting patterns of light and shade), these lamps are as beautiful on their own as they will be when surrounded by mature vegetation. At this property, garage lights that match the lights placed in front of the house were also used to carry the aesthetic theme through the entire installation.

Sometimes, rather than having a problem to be solved, a homeowner simply wishes to highlight a particularly striking or favorite feature of the property. At this site in Bloomingdale, Ill., Feller used spotlights to bring out the dramatic stone texture of the home’s construction. At another house in Wayne, Ill., Feller positioned a spotlight on the roof to light up the building’s massive main gable. In a situation like this, of course—where a light is placed in a less accessible spot—the owner needs to consider maintenance issues as well as aesthetic effect. (The same holds true when spotlights are placed high on the trunks of deciduous trees to light up their canopies.) Feller’s representatives always make sure that owners understand the cost and safety issues raised by such placements before completing the design for the project.

The lighting for this house used a combination of techniques. The lamp post sheds light on both the pathway and the shrubs while the small spotlight uplights the tree.

While a good designer is needed to determine the types of fixtures, wattages, and placements needed to bring out a property’s best features, good technicians are needed to create the best wiring layout for each project. Feller provides both the artistic and technical expertise required to put together the best (and most cost-effective) lighting system possible for every individual site. Feller’s technicians will decide the optimal method of splitting lines from the main cable, determine which lights (and how many of them) can be supported by each line, and choose the number and magnitude of transformers required for the installation.

Feller’s technicians also find the safest and most unobtrusive routes for running cable. At this Bloomingdale home, for instance, a post lamp was positioned in front of the house, on a central island surrounded by a circular drive—far from the garage where the transformer was located. To accommodate this layout, Feller ran cable under an expansion joint in the drive (the filler in the joint was removed, the cable was installed, and a water-resistant marine glue was added on top). Cables can also be run unobtrusively at any point where two different materials meet (such as the place where steps adjoin a path or sidewalk). Knowledge and planning are needed to ensure that all factors—including transformer power, lamp wattage, line capacity, and cable runs—are taken into account and combined to create the optimal lighting system at the best price.

The use of spotlights should be done with care to prevent light from shining through the windows of the house.

Given the amount of thought, love, care—and money—that most people lavish on their homes and gardens, it only makes sense to light them in ways that will enhance both their safety and beauty. It is important, however, that lighting be planned as a total system in order to ensure consistency, permit the development of a logical wiring diagram, and allow for cost-effective expansion in the future. Any extra time or money spent on up-front planning will be well worth it in the long run. Effective planning for landscape lighting systems should be customized for each site, and should be conducted by a firm with both skilled designers and expert technicians, such as The Feller Group in Glen Ellyn, Ill.

According to Ken Feller, owner of The Feller Group, "We started designing and installing lighting over 12 years ago, and have built a dedicated team of landscapers and lighting experts. Our design staff is constantly learning, and seeking new ideas. Every job has its own characteristics, and gets specialized touches from Feller. We currently do lighting for one house a day, along with our regular landscaping work."

Landscape lighting is not limited to lighting trees or plants. Here a spotlight is placed on the roof to accentuate the main gable of the house.

While The Feller Group especially likes the quality and design of Kichler lighting products, the firm will mix and match fixtures from about 20 different suppliers in order to achieve the desired effects. Feller will also create customized lighting and fountains from various objects upon request—whatever is necessary to satisfy the customer. "I can convert anything from lawn ornaments to antiques," says Ken Feller.

For more information on lighting or other landscape needs, please visit The Feller Group web site at http://feller-landscape.com, or call 630-858-8485.