By Clarissa Allison | March 18th, 2016

Using the right mixture of outdoor lighting in your front yard will enhance your home’s safety, security and beauty!

While it may seem like we can simply duplicate our backyard lighting scheme in the front of our homes, there are actually differing objectives to lighting your front yard. Lights in your front yard add security by deterring unwanted visitors while also adding ambient lighting to our landscape, and highlighting the architecture of our homes.

Must-see landscape lighting designs include top-quality LED, Energy SMART and ENERGY STAR-rated products, as well as solar-powered specialty lighting and fashion-forward spot and flood lights.

1.  Professional Series transformers and Design Pro LED lighting from Kichler Lighting

12-volt LED path, spread, deck and patio lighting, water lights and wall washers are now available in a flattering warm white 2700K and 3000K from Kichler Lighting.

2.  LED “Luna” deck lights from Hinkley Lighting

Dimmable to 25% and available in attractive finish options:  Bronze, Light Almond, Satin White and Titanium, “Luna” deck lights from Hinkley Lighting provide a tailored, energy-efficient elegance to your landscape lighting design.

3.  “Telsa” Energy SMART flood and spot lights from WAC Lighting

“Telsa” Energy Smart LED and ENERGY STAR-rated outdoor floodlights provide superb illumination that goes the extra mile!

4. “Alumilux”  path lighting from ET2 Lighting

“Alumilux” path lighting from ET2 Lighting comes in a variety of style options to present your home or office exterior with Energy Smart LED illumination.

5.  Solar landscape lighting from Kenroy Home

“Seriously Solar” landscape lighting from Kenroy Home is the go-anywhere and go-everywhere option for highlighting outdoor areas from pathway to pond.

* “Seriously Solar” lanterns from Kenroy Home are versatile outdoor decor accents by day and instant table top or outdoor hanging lamps by night. Available in Blue (shown) or Red, these ceramic lanterns contain removable LED solar discs that will constantly store a charge when placed in optimal sunlight.

See all new landscape lighting designs at 1800lighting.com.  Send in a picture of your outdoor areas for a free consultation and novel landscape lighting ideas from the lighting professionals at Capitol Lighting.

If you live in a safe neighborhood, or if you have a dog, you may not feel the need for a security system. But nobody is immune it burglary or vandalism. Typically when a home invasion occurs, the victims “never thought something like this” would happen to them. To best protect your valuables—and more importantly, your family—you should invest in a quality home security system. Is it really necessary though?

A Rutgers study found that as the number of home security systems increase in any given area, the number of residential burglaries decreased, even for people who didn’t have their own security system! Installing a security system yourself could deter criminals from attempting to rob you or your neighbors, making your neighborhood safer overall.

Most modern security systems allow you to remotely monitor what’s happening in your home while you’re away. You may be able to monitor what happens using cameras installed throughout your home. Additionally, you can use these systems to control your thermostat, door locks, lights, and more.

This may be one of the most beneficial part of installing a home security system. Having such a system in your home can lower your homeowner’s insurance by as much as 20%. In addition to protecting your valuables, this makes a home security system a worthwhile and money-saving investment.

Not only will your home and valuables be well protected, but having an efficient home security system will give you confidence that your home has extra defense against potential intruders. Most home owners would argue that peace of mind and sense of security may be the most important reason for anyone to invest in a quality home security system.