"Randall Whitehead is the San Francisco-based author of Residential lighting, a Practical Guide (2003) and dozens of articles on interior and exterior lighting for national trade and consumer magazines. He has discussed lighting on CNN, The Discovery Channel, HGTV and other networks. Here he shares tips with LASN readers on integrating landscape lighting with an overall residential lighting plan.

Step One: Start by looking from the house through the windows

One of the great benefits of exterior lighting is that it can visually expand the interior rooms of a residence. When there is no illumination outside, windows become highly reflective at night. This is known as the “black hole” effect. The windows end up reflecting the lights in the room, so that all the clients can see at night is their own reflection instead of the view beyond.

People often feel boxed-in at night when they are surrounded by these “black holes”. The rooms can seem smaller than they actually are. The rule of thumb is to try and balance the amount of light inside and outside the house allowing the windows to become more transparent, as they are during the day.

Psychologically, too, people feel safer when they can see the yard area around them. They feel more visible inside the house when there is no lighting outside. You don’t have to light up the exterior like the White House. That type of illumination would come under the heading of security lighting...

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