Your Backyard Is Not a Bistro: Six New Ideas for Outdoor Lighting

This year we’ve never wanted it more: to make every lazy summer night outdoors last as long as possible. The best way to prolong an open-air evening, of course, is with some artfully placed lighting. So how to achieve that elegantly casual, thrown-together yet deliberate ambience?

First, before installing anything, consider the entire area you hope to illuminate. “Lighting draws people’s attention to what you want them to see, vs. what you don’t,” says Sebastian Dostmann, whose company, Sebass Events & Entertainment in Greenwich, Conn., specializes in high-end alfresco functions. “An abundance of candles in the middle of a dinner table draws the eye away from the barbecue or hose reel.” Think layers, too, and mix brighter spotlights with twinkly, softer string lights.