Olioboard Inspiration – Lighting your Outdoor Parties this Autumn

Entry #2893, October 11, 2013

Today we continue Stagetecture’s feature ‘Olioboard Inspiration‘. Last week you enjoyed – ‘Creative Small Apartment Decor Ideas‘ from Mirella Parer. This week I feature Sam Holloway who is a member of the Facebook Olioboard Fan Room group and she helps you get your autumn outdoor home ready with gorgeous lighting suggestions for entertaining!

If you’re interested in being featured see details here: How to be featured on Stagetecture’s Olioboard Inspiration‘ series.

To see all the past Stagetecture’s Olioboard Inspiration members on Pinterest click here.

Olioboard Inspiration #40

‘Lighting your Outdoor Parties this Autumn’    Sam Holloway

“A beautiful season, fall is filled with color, crisp days and provides an excuse to indulge in great foods”,”season of mists and mellow fruitfulness”–Keats

For most people, Autumn is a time to reap in the  harvests and to preserve food for the upcoming colder months of Winter. The best way to celebrate a good harvest is to enjoy the fruits of your labour by throwing a party to share them with friends and family.

There is no need to stress over complicated recipes and decorations.  keep it subtle and simple and let the food speak for itself. Lighting sets the mood for any party, it is the key to ensure that your party can continue throughout the darker evenings that Autumn brings. . Think of the lighting as part of the party decorations when deciding what to use. Incorporate more than one type of light at your party for maximum effect, as one of the easiest and least expensive ways to add ambiance to an outdoor space is with lighting– the right lighting certainly does make an impact and cast a memorable glow.

Lighting ideas for your Outdoor Parties this Autumn

Make sure you have enough lighting so your guests are not struggling to see their food and drink even when it gets dark. this doesn’t mean lighting up your garden like an airport runway.

Atmospheric lighting  will help improve the general tone and feel to your party. Flares, lanterns and even your Christmas fairy lights along your pathway are great to ensure nobody ends up taking a swim in your fish pond. One good idea that I have used before is tea lights to mark out the garden path and steps, also in trees and bushes to add that ‘wow factor’.

There are so many different types of outdoor lighting available on the market nowadays and each type  contributes a different ambience.

Solar Lights:

These gather energy during the day from the sun  and automatically turn on as darkness falls. They can be left outside all year round and last about six hours at a time, so it’s possible that they will start to fade before your guests do so make sure you also have other types of lighting in use to ensure the party continues.

Electric Lights:

Use an outdoor lamp to brighten up a buffet, or wrap twinkling strands around columns or trees. To hide cords, duct-tape them to the ground and cover with an outdoor rug, or tuck them under bushy garden plants. Electric string lights can withstand the rain so can stay outside for up to three months; store them indoors for the winter and check for frayed wires before bringing them out next season. Strings of white or coloured holiday lights are a festive addition to your outdoor lighting year round. String them onto existing walls, fences and outdoor structures for instant lighting. Create a tent effect with several strings and a central pole. Place a pole that is at least 8 feet high in the centre of the party area. Run strings of lights from the top of the pole to the top of a fence or wall. String the lights so they radiate out from the pole to wall. If you don’t have a fence, place 6-foot stakes around the perimeter of the party area every 4 feet or so.

Battery Powered Lights:

These give you  the ambience of candles without worrying about gusts of wind extinguishing them or dripping wax which also make them ideal for parties where children and pets are present. Create lighting over seating areas by  placing a battery-operated light inside lanterns. Make sure to bring the lights inside at the end of the party: Batteries can leak and short if they get wet.

Paper Lanterns:

A variety of shapes, sizes and colours are available. Choose round accordion-style lanterns for bold lighting or narrow cylindrical lanterns for a more refined look.  Tie streamers to the bottom of the lanterns or leave them plain depending on the mood you want to set.

• Suspend paper lanterns above the party. And attach them to existing outdoor bulbs or attach them to string lights. Lanterns are especially striking when surrounding a pool because the light reflects off the water.

Candles and Torches:

Candlelight emits a warm, gorgeous glow with one strike of a match. Define borders by placing small candles in glass holders along flower borders, walls and paths. When hanging candles from trees, place them in deep containers so that the wicks are a minimum of fat least a few inches lower than the rims; this will prevent the flames from blowing out, also ensure that handles of the containers are made of wire and  long enough to keep flames about 12 inches away from leaves and branches.

With the right mix of lighting you can ensure that your garden will remain well lit until your last guest leaves. Now all you have to do is relax in the company of your friends and share your delicious home cooked feast.

Sam Holloway 38, from the South of England and am a Full Time mother and carer for my precious 4 year old daughter who suffers from the rare condition Klippel Trenaunary Syndrome Weber. Before becoming a parent I had always been lucky to of worked within the home décor and furniture sector of retailing as  management,my last position held was as a Mobile manager for Laura Ashley covering the South of England as a trouble shooter and was highly rated for my merchandising skills and carried out numerous store re-layouts and openings. I have always had a passion for interior design, architecture, photography and art and now spend my spare time sharing this love both through my Facebook group, Olioboard Fan Room but also through my design page on Facebook called Bubbles of Inspiration which is full of inspirational images and advice on styles of design and how to achieve them.