Terrace lighting ideas how to make your terrace the favourite spot after dark

Terrace lighting why light changes everything

1 · Fairy lights the single most important element

Fairy lights are the foundation of any cosy terrace lighting – and the cheapest thing you can do. The most important rule: always warm-white, never cool white. The difference is enormous: warm-white (under 3000 kelvin) glows golden and inviting, like candlelight. Cool white looks clinical and turns a garden into an operating theatre. Fairy lights can be used in countless ways: strung loosely across a pergola, wound around a tree, run along the house wall, or strung from post to post like a garland of light. My favourite trick: rather than one long strand, use two or three at different heights – that creates an atmospheric volume of light instead of a single line.

2 · Lanterns and tea-light holders warm, flickering, irreplaceable

Metal storm lanterns with real wax candles belong on every country-style terrace. Set them on the ground beside the seating corner, on the table, on steps, or in a group on an old wooden crate. The flicker of real candles is something no LED light can replace – it does something to us, biochemically. A metal lantern with an antique finish and a thick pillar candle is the cheapest décor element with the biggest effect on mood there is. Tea lights in old jam jars along the terrace wall, the steps, or between the flower pots create a field of light that looks as though you laboured over it for hours. But you didn't – it takes five minutes.

3 · Solar lights maintenance-free, flexible, sustainable

Solar lights have improved enormously in recent years. Good quality ones (not the cheapest supermarket versions) charge during the day and glow for four to eight hours – reliably, with no cables, no power. For the terrace, these work well: solar lights on ground spikes between the planters, solar lanterns to hang on a pergola or branch, and solar fairy lights that work wirelessly, with no socket needed. For the country look, choose solar lights in antique-finish metal or woven rattan – they blend beautifully into the picture, rather than looking like foreign bodies.

4 · Candles on the table the heart of the evening table

No summer evening without candles on the table. In country style: pillar candles of different heights in the centre of the table, in old brass or pewter tea-light holders, arranged on a weathered wooden tray. Lovely too: a row of small candles in old wine glasses or tumblers. Tea-light holders protect the flame even in a light breeze. Important: always many small light sources rather than one big one – the sum of the little flames makes the mood, not a single large candle. How to lay the table for maximum effect in the evening, and which light elements combine most beautifully, I show in my post on summer table décor outdoors.

5 · Ground lights and path lighting light from below creates depth

Ground lights pushed into pots or standing along the terrace path light the planting from below – which creates a dramatic, magical depth. A hydrangea lit from beneath turns into a sculpture. A lavender bush in warm light looks like a violet cloud. This uplighting technique is familiar from restaurant gardens, but it also works with inexpensive solar ground spikes. Combined with fairy lights from above, you get a layering of light that makes the terrace look like a stage – but a cosy one, not an over-the-top one.

6 · Fairy lights with Edison bulbs retro, warm, full of character

Fairy lights with large Edison bulbs (filament lamps) have been the darling of every restaurant garden for a few years now – and for good reason. These big, amber-glowing bulbs give an incomparably warm light while also being decorative in themselves. By day they look like a pretty garland; by night they bathe everything in golden light. For the country-style terrace they're ideal: strung loosely between pergola posts, from house wall to tree, or simply above the seating corner. Buy an outdoor-rated version (IP44 or higher) – then they'll survive the rain too.

7 · Fire bowl and fire basket the highlight of the summer evening

When the sun is gone and it turns cooler, a fire basket or fire bowl makes the end of the evening its loveliest hour. The crackle of the wood, the scent, the flicker – no other element of light has this effect. For the terrace: a classic round fire bowl in Corten steel or cast iron, on a fireproof base (stone slabs, never on a wooden deck without protection). Mind the safety rules: keep your distance from plants and furniture, always have water to hand. The fire basket isn't an everyday thing, but when it's lit, no one will leave for home early.

8 · The right combination layering light for maximum cosiness

The secret to truly cosy terrace lighting is layering – several light sources at different heights and of different qualities. My standard combination for a summer evening: fairy lights from above (pergola or house wall), lanterns on the table and ground, tea lights in jars between the pots, and now and then the fire basket. That gives a soft, physical light with no harsh shadows and no dark corners. No ceiling spotlight, no floodlight, no cold LED. Just lots of small, warm light sources – and at once the terrace feels like the best restaurant you've ever been to. For setting the whole romantic evening mood, I recommend my post on romantic summer evenings in country style.

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