Month: June 2014

How to Keep Your Outdoor Grills and Kitchens Sizzling all Summer Long

Are you ready to put your outdoor grills and kitchens to use? Summer is almost here, and what goes with summer better than grilling? Here are a few ways to boost your summer to new levels of fun.

1. Get out of the kitchen. There is no reason to come home from work and be stuck in the kitchen. Check out the latest outdoor grills and kitchens. Turn off the TV and enjoy your evening as a family in the fresh air. You’ll be amazed by the newest innovations available, from granite countertops and drop-in coolers to rotisserie and smoker kits.

2. Enjoy the savings. Avoid heating up your house this summer and wasting all that energy to keep it cool again by relying on your outdoor kitchen. Take the heat of meal preparation outside, while you cool off in an open, relaxing seating area.

3. Entertain larger groups. Enjoy a mimosa fresh from your outdoor kitchen while you kick back with your friends or weekend get-togethers with your entire family. Choose grilling options like extra side burners and warming drawers to make cooking for the masses easy.

Discover more about outdoor grills and kitchens.

Landscape Lighting Basics

Landscape lighting enjoys many positive uses. When properly installed, it can add value to your home or it can attract business to a commercial setting. Lighting can be helpful in setting the right mood or atmosphere, as well as providing enough light for practical reasons. For instance, adding lighting to a dark backyard increases safety.

However, because there are several factors to consider when it comes to adding landscape lighting to your home, it helps to have a plan.

Consider the Effects You Want

What kind of functionality are you looking for? Do you need improved visibility? Would you like to warn visitors of potential dangers around your yard? Is your main concern giving your home an elegant appearance or an inviting glow?

How you plan to use the light is important because the impact of the light is often more important than the style you choose.

Path lights placed to provide subtle pools of light are a great way to provide lighting along a walkway without the runway effect of a straight line of lights. Directional lights are used to highlight specimen trees or shrubs and distinctive architectural features of your home, such as stone walls.

LED’s provide energy savings and allow for more flexibility in system design. LED’s also require less maintenance that incandescent or halogen bulbs.

As you begin to plan, don’t be afraid to think big. Consider your functional needs first, and then consider any changes made through the seasons. This will help you to create the perfect living space and maximize the use of lighting.

Learn more about landscape lighting by contacting WP Law.

Just how versatile are commercial fountains?

Commercial fountains add a sense of beauty and elegance to any business. They come in an endless number of styles, as well, so you don’t have to feel limited to the common “Grecian sculpture and reflective pool” combination.

The following three commercial fountains are some of the more popular options available:

1. Architectural Fountains

Architectural, artsy fountains combine the esthetic of architecture with the flow of water. Crisp design and functionality meet to help you establish a professional, cutting edge atmosphere.

2. Floating Fountains

Floating fountains can turn an existing body of water into a magical display of water and light. Depending on the size of the pond or lake, phenomenal displays can be easily created for less cost than many architectural water features.

3. Water Gardens

Water gardens can be small or quite large in size. These self-contained gardens of water-loving plants mix foliage, flowers, and water in a soothing and beautiful outcome. You can add other living elements too, such as koi fish or small turtles. You’ll inspire a feeling of tranquility, peace and caring into your environment, or of fun-loving creativity if the right decorative pieces come into play.

Commercial fountains stand out because they’re beautiful and unique. The styles mentioned above are a small sample of some of the best types used in businesses.

For more information on commercial fountains, contact us.

The Impact of Commercial Fountains Really Packs a Punch

Commercial fountains welcome people to your business and reinforce your brand and professionalism with the right design. If you want to draw new traffic into your business, consider one of these unique water features to your exterior’s layout.

How Do You Pick the Right Fountain?

Focus on how your landscape, building’s exterior, the fountain, and your business message can work together. Every element of your marketing, branding, and physical presence can cooperate to attract more of your ideal clients. The right feature design can help make this change obvious to your clients before they step through your doors.

What Does a Fountain Do?

Water features like fountains are a great source of relaxation. They’re known to help soothe stress. They’re also excellent ways to create white noise, allowing customers to escape the clatter of the street. Water is also very attractive to most people, providing a sense of nature and calm to any situation.

Businesses can take advantage of the power of water and the attraction of fountains. Health facilities, such as hospitals, chiropractic and therapeutic offices, and centers for psychiatric care, can attract visitors with the use of a fountain. Not only are they a beacon of calm, but they give off the impression of success.

It is not just the fountain, however, that businesses have at their disposal. The setting for your water feature can have just as big of an impact. Consider a tropical beach scene or an elegant marble foyer. What kind of impression would these give your patrons?

One very effective example of fountain use can be seen in restaurants where they’re used to distract people waiting for tables. Paired with a small pool and a handful of pennies, you can provide guests with a wishing well and wind up with surprisingly fun entertainment as well as a good impression.

For more information about what type of fountain is right for your business, just contact us.

Landscape Lighting Adds Depth and Drama

Landscape lighting is an amazingly versatile tool you can use to add drama to your landscape. Many different types of lighting systems are available, including those used to create dramatic underwater displays.

In terms of voltage, low voltage systems are safe and easy to install and they add subtle drama and beauty to a nighttime setting. A low voltage lighting system can provide dramatic effect or draw attention to particular features in your landscape.

Landscape lighting can also be an extension of your home or business, used to maintain the same style inside and outside. When you take the time to focus on improving the appearance of your property in this way, you’ll experience a big boost in curb appeal and in value-of-use.

Business owners benefit, too. For instance, a restaurant with an outdoor patio can draw in a new caliber of clientele with the help of low-voltage lighting. The atmosphere creates intimacy and allows patrons to enjoy the night outside during a wonderful meal.

Use landscape lighting to put a special touch on your outdoor spaces. Sure, there are the other benefits, but the creative use of space and the atmosphere you can create take center stage. To explore the full options of what lighting can do for your home or business, contact us today.