Ideas and tips for
lighting a terrace

Whoever owns a terrace knows how many moments of pure life it can offer, especially during Summer. It is a key space, so it not only has to be furnished and made cosy, but also lit in the right way.
There are several ideas on how to provide lighting to a terrace: from wall lamps and lanterns to candles, perfect for creating a romantic and comfortable ambience.

How to illuminate a terrace in style

The choice of terrace lighting is very wide and there are many innovative and eye-catching proposals to create a wonderful atmosphere. Here are a few:

Wall lamps and wall lights. Wall lamps and wall lights are perfect for projecting light onto vertical surfaces. This results in a less aggressive and softer reflected light. This type of lamp should be placed high up, choosing the focal points of the room, e.g. near exits or in areas where sofas and tables are to be placed.

Spotlights. Extremely versatile and suitable for terrace lighting,  spotlights are ideal for defining spaces and indicating passage, but are also useful for creating a relaxed atmosphere. One can choose between different types of spotlights, recessed, floor or wall-mounted.

Street and street lamps. Excellent for illuminating the terrace, street lamps and luminaires create vertical lighting. There are various formats and styles, suitable for every context.

Lanterns. Suggestive and beautiful to look at, outdoor lanterns are elements that elegantly decorate the terrace. Available in a thousand formats and in a variety of materials: wood, iron, steel, the main ones.

String lamps. Ideal for a party, but also suitable for use as terrace lighting, strings of bulbs allow the room to be illuminated in a fun and romantic way.

Illuminating a covered terrace

To illuminate a covered terrace, it is advisable to opt for simple light bulbs, preferably combined together and hung from the ceiling. If, on the other hand, you want to furnish your terrace in a shabbystyle, the advice is to go for lanterns, to be placed in corners or hung on the wall.
Those who prefer a modern, contemporary style can choose LED lamps to be placed on the ceiling. Or, for a minimalist décor, floor spotlightsare perfect. The  most aesthetically characterising choice is to go for a designer lamp. For example, browsing through the Bontempi 2023 catalogue, the refinement of the  Circle Lamp. A Floor lamp consisting of concrete base and lacquered steel frame. Perfect with any other furnishing accessory, the Circle lamp also goes perfectly with the lines of the coffee table and the Pattern Outdoor magazine holder by Bontempi, in lacquered steel.

Terrace lighting: the basic rules

The terrace is the ideal place to hold a dinner party, an aperitif, or to use as a space to relax , maybe reading a book. To illuminate the terrace, the style of the furniture and the layout of the room must be taken into account: every context is different and cannot be replicated, but there are transversal suggestions, valid for every type of space.

Choose low intensity lightswithout overdoing it because it is not a good idea to illuminate the terrace by day: this would make the atmosphere less pleasant.

Opt for lights that stand moisture, temperature fluctuations and other elements.

Pay attention to consumptionand aim for energy-efficient LED lights or choose solar-powered lamps.

Arrange a timer for automatic switching on and off during the night in order to further reduce consumption.

Favour warm white lightor neutral light.

Place your lighting points carefully and only where it is needed: for example, to make access to the terrace easy, to illuminate a table or to highlight plants and special architectural elements.

Having said that, a central light should not be missing, but above all, there should be no lack of lights on the walls: therefore, make way for wall lights and lamps, always to be placed in the necessary places. Terrace lights can always be combined, however, to achieve impressive scenic results.