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As more people are looking to expand their living space they are turning to outdoors for inspiration. If you already have a patio or decking area at your home then invest in some beautiful wooden furniture and effective lighting and suddenly you have a dining area for the family, a play space for the kids, and a place to sit and enjoy the fresh air in the warm summer months. 

Providing light to the outside area means you can sit out there well into the evening, have a few beers and chill out with your friends. Lighting can be both decorative and practical and can simply be plugged into an outside socket with a waterproof covering to protect it against the rain. Lights can be used to advantage to light up your dining and seating area, place fairy lights in the trees to create a certain atmosphere, or upright lights around a pool or pond for walkways and steps both for safety, illumination, and to be aesthetically pleasing. The choice in outdoor lighting fixtures is huge and very economical, here are a few ideas as to what is available.

Solar-powered LED bricks is low energy lighting at its best, they don't need to be installed and have no wiring to worry about, to fit them you just build them into the surrounding area. Solar lighting comes in all kinds of colours, from white, yellow, blue, green and red and soaks up the sunlight during the day, storing it up for nighttime, this means they don't release any harmful Co2 to the environment. Bricks are solid and robust, the exterior is principally made from stainless steel and aluminum and the interior 100% water proof. Using ultra-capacitors in place of standard batteries they can last as long up to 10 years. 

Fairy solar lights are also available now and have a great effect when placed in trees and bushes for parties and other events. If you're planning a party for the kids outside then these are the perfect choice. Waterproof options come in a range of shapes, colours and sizes and the integrated controller means you are able to choose from a number of different functions to make the lights stay on continuously, flash, burst, or pulse and more, choose a design ranging from tiny fabric lanterns and teardrop shapes, to bronze coloured dragonflies and cute metal flowers. 

Lanterns are a nice touch to hang just outside exterior doors as they look good and provide light for any after dark visitors. The Cathedral Outdoor Light is available in black and silver finish and comes complete with cathedral style lead glass, or go for something more traditional that hangs down on a chain in a black finish. Many of these outside lights should come with a ten year guarantee against corrosion, always check with the merchant you buy your products from.

The Led walkover light is suitable for outdoors and looks quite funky when set amongst the paving stones of your walkway or patio. If you are looking for something to inset higher then check out the Satin Silver Outdoor Wall Light with clear polycarbonate diffuser, an attractive design it will give any outdoor space the designer look at high street prices. 

Garden lighting kits vary in price depending what exactly you want to achieve, check out hardware and garden centers who stock a variety of DIY kits. Made from UVstabilised plastic, Tier lights can throw a subtle diffuse light suitable for paths or steps, complete with stake that's simply pushed into the ground for stability and rust-proof metal options. Some kits come with spotlights which can be used to highlight a tree or plant, statue or some other garden feature you admire. More expensive kits will comprise of spotlights, mushroom lights, bollards and uplights.

Outdoor lighting isn't only for aesthetic purposes of course, it can also ensure your property is secure and safe, using solar lights for paths means your garden is lit at night without the worry of switching them on/off, saving you both time and money. Using lights to mark borders around pools, etc. can also prevent accidents during the night hours.