Patio lighting: Ideas for patio light scenarios

Once the days get longer and the evenings warmer, we all want to spend more time outside. The patio and balcony become an extension of the living room in summer. BBQ evenings and spending quality time with friends are at the top of everyone's agenda. Although most architects design the outdoor living room to be facing south or west to ensure sunshine as long as possible, the sun will eventually set anyway.

Practical, yet cosy LED lighting for the patio is a great solution if you want to keep enjoying the outdoors after dark. Find out what to remember when it designing to patio lighting and read our ideas and tips on how to make the most of your patio.

1. The right patio lighting – basic or accent lighting?

The patio is a great place to enjoy a lovely grill party or a fun game night with family and friends. The patio lighting you choose should always match your plans for the evening.

You will need bright light to eat, play board games or for reading a good book after sundown. That type of basic lighting is easily achieved by combining outdoor wall luminaires and some portable battery-powered luminaires.

LED recessed spotlights for the patio floor are great if you prefer indirect lighting. Alternatively, you could use spots to light up plants or maybe the wall. Another option would be LED strips. With strips attached underneath some wooden slats will refract the light beautifully to create a warm and comfortable ambiance.

2. Installing patio lighting: where to install patio lights

There is no end to the possibilities you have to create the patio lighting you want:

You could choose to install ceiling luminaires if there is a roof over your patio. Outdoor panels in particular emit a beautiful, evenly diffused light that won't stain your eyes while reading.
The patio floor also offers possibilities for creative outdoor lighting. You can enjoy wonderful mood lighting with recessed floor luminaires installed on your patio. A practical side effect: The luminaires are also useful for orientation.
LED wall luminaires for the patio are an excellent choice for basic lighting. Beneficial: Solar wall luminaires will save electricity costs and you don't need a mains connection on the patio wall.

Nearby hedges and brick walls are highlighted to perfection with elongated recessed or floor-mounted luminaires or light bars.
LED strips along the edge of the patio emit indirect light, are beautiful eye-catchers and also help with orientation in the dark.
If you like modern patio lighting, you can use decorative luminaires for the patio to create beautiful light accents next to your seating arrangement. These light objects come in a variety of shapes. They are a great idea for creating attractive LED patio lighting scenarios for Easter or Christmas.

Battery-operated fairy lights are a great alternatively where no mains outlet is available. They can be placed anywhere and moved whenever you like.
Portable luminaires also make for practical floor or table luminaires. You can put them wherever you want and never fall over any cables. Once the battery is depleted, you simply recharge it via USB cable or a powerbank.
Solar lights are another alternative for bathing your patio in light. They are a great choice if you get plenty of sun on your patio during the day.

Paulmann Tip:

When you are buying your luminaires, you should consider not only its design, but also its light colour for your patio ambiance. Central Europeans generally prefer a warm colour temperature with 3,000 Kelvin, while a neutral white, colder light colour with 4,000 Kelvin is more popular in Southern Europe.

3. Technical requirements for your patio lighting

As with any luminaires in the garden and also indoors, the right IP protection class is key! The number behind the "IP" tell you to what degree your LED light is protected against the ingress of dirt or water.

Spotlights or outdoor wall luminaires placed directly under the roof should have a protection class of at least IP44. All free-standing outdoor LED luminaires – be they installed in the floor of your patio or inside the flower bed next to the patio – need an IP67 protection.

You would like to learn more about this topic? Take a look at our information page on IP Protection. There you will find a useful video that explains everything you need to know in simple terms.

4. LED technology and patio lighting with solar power

Many people have become conscious about the environment and want to keep their electricity consumption for their living space and the patio as low as possible. That is where LED luminaires come into play. They consume less power and have a significantly longer lifespan than incandescent or halogen lamps.

A positive side effect: Over time, your lower power consumption not only helps the environment, it also saves you money. A switch to LED luminaires for the patio is definitely a good idea! Alternatively, you can light up your patio completely without mains power as well. Simply switch to solar lights! Aside from the initial purchasing costs, they will cost you another penny – sunlight is all you need to keep your patio nicely illuminated at night.

Battery-operated fairy lights are a great alternatively where no mains outlet is available. They can be placed anywhere and moved whenever you like.
Portable luminaires also make for practical floor or table luminaires. You can put them wherever you want and never fall over any cables. Once the battery is depleted, you simply recharge it via USB cable or a powerbank.
Solar lights are another alternative for bathing your patio in light. They are a great choice if you get plenty of sun on your patio during the day.

6. Latest trends: Stylish and modern patio light

Portable battery-powered luminaires and in particular 24 V-outdoor lighting systems like our complete set Plug & Shine are right on tend for modern patio designs with light. You get a special waterproof cable system that allows you to create light points with LED luminaires on the patio and all over the garden, without any need for burying the cables. Modern battery-powered luminaires offer just as many - if not more options: They can be placed virtually anywhere in your garden if you have found a nice spot to read your favourite book.

By the way: The Plug & Shine system is also smart-ready if you add a Zigbee controller. Not bad if you are sitting comfortably on your illuminated patio and just have to ask Alexa to turn up the brightness without you having to get up.

Garden Lighting Overview

You will need different types of luminaires for basic and accent lighting. Wall luminaires and portable luminaires create sufficient basic lighting on the patio. You can then add spots, recessed floor luminaires or LED strips for exciting light effects.
Always make sure that your patio lighting has the correct IP protection. Outdoor luminaires installed under the roof or on the wall should have IP44 protection, while free-standing patio luminaires need protection class IP67.
Keep your electricity costs low: Try modern LED technology or light up your patio with solar lights that don't need any mains electricity at all.
Choose DIY compete sets like Plug & Shine! You can do the entire installation yourself, without having to pay anyone else. Another advantage: Smart garden lighting systems make it super easy with getting started, and you can expand your patio lighting with additional luminaires whenever you want.