Boise Landscape Lighting Design

Creating Atmosphere with Intention

Landscape Lighting Design in Boise, ID

Great landscape lighting isn’t just about visibility—it’s about vibe.

You know the feeling: you walk past a home at night and just stop to admire it. It glows in all the right places. The trees look dramatic. The pathway feels inviting. The house doesn’t just sit there—it stands out.

That’s no accident. That’s landscape lighting design.

If you’re in Boise, ID, and looking to elevate your outdoor space, it all starts with the design. And not just where to put lights—but how to use them to shape space, mood, and flow.

What Is Landscape Lighting Design, Really?

Landscape lighting design is about the intentional placement of light to enhance your outdoor environment. It goes beyond plugging in some solar lights and hoping for the best.

It’s a process that considers:

What areas need function vs. ambiance
How light interacts with structures, plants, and textures
How people move through the space after dark
How to create balance, contrast, and drama

In short: design is the art behind the glow.

Why It Matters (Especially in Boise)

Boise isn’t just growing—it’s becoming more design-conscious. Whether it’s modern homes in the Highlands or classic brick bungalows near the Bench, homeowners are thinking beyond grass and shrubs. They're investing in atmosphere.

Here’s why lighting design plays such a big role in Boise:

1. We Love the Outdoors

From backyard BBQs to fire pits and patios, Boiseans live outside. Design helps those outdoor spaces work after dark, not just during the day.

2. Beautiful Natural Backdrops

The foothills, tall trees, and changing skies make for dynamic scenes. Thoughtful lighting can frame those views without overwhelming them.

3. Diverse Home Styles

Boise has a rich mix of architecture. Design allows lighting to feel tailored—not cookie-cutter—whether you're enhancing clean modern lines or vintage charm.

Elements of a Well-Designed Lighting Plan

Designers don’t just ask, “Where do you want light?” They ask what feeling you want to create. Here’s how they get there:

1. Layered Lighting

Just like indoor lighting, your outdoor space should use layers:

Ambient lighting: gentle, general glow (string lights, wall lights)
Task lighting: functional zones like steps, paths, and entries
Accent lighting: focal points like trees, fountains, or sculptures

A good design blends all three to create a natural feel.

2. Light Direction & Placement

Do you want to highlight a stone wall or create a shadow effect from a tree canopy? Designers carefully choose beam angles, heights, and distances to control the way light spreads and interacts with its environment.

3. Focal Points

Every yard has stars—your favorite tree, a custom pergola, or that show-stopping front door. Design draws attention to them without overpowering the rest of the space.

4. Balance and Symmetry

Too much light on one side makes a home feel off-balance. A designer thinks spatially—working left to right, front to back, and even top to bottom.

What Makes Boise Lighting Design Unique?

Here’s what local designers keep in mind for Boise homes:

Weather-Responsive Fixtures

From snow-covered winters to dry, dusty summers, designs need to consider fixture durability, placement (above potential snowbanks), and hard water effects from sprinklers.

Sunset Timing Variations

Boise experiences big swings in sunset times. Good design includes smart scheduling or photocells so lighting adapts naturally as seasons change.

Neighborhood Norms & Dark Sky Awareness

In Boise’s more rural or foothill-adjacent neighborhoods, excessive brightness isn’t always welcomed. Designers often favor shielded fixtures and warm-toned lights to reduce light pollution and keep the stars visible.

Creative Ideas That Work Beautifully in Boise

Looking for inspiration? Here are some popular (and proven) lighting design choices Boise homeowners love:

Uplighting mature trees to create height and drama
Backlighting ornamental grasses or boulders for texture
Downlighting from second-story eaves for moonlight effects
Washed lighting on brick or stone facades to bring out detail
Lit gravel paths that curve naturally through xeriscaping
Accent lighting for water features or custom art pieces

DIY vs. Hiring a Boise Landscape Lighting Designer

Some homeowners enjoy the DIY route, and basic solar lighting or plug-in fixtures can go a long way. But when it comes to a full lighting design, here’s what the pros bring:

A designer’s eye for balance, proportion, and impact
Deep knowledge of beam spread, lumen output, and light temperature
Expertise in fixture selection based on Boise’s weather and soil
Long-term planning—ensuring your system looks great now and as your landscaping matures

If your goal is “looks good,” DIY works. If your goal is “turns heads every night,” design is the secret sauce.

130+ Satisfied Customer Reviews

We pride ourselves on offering five star service and products. If you're one of our satisfied customers, we'd love for you to leave a review and let others know what you think.

Every time we hire After Dark for some relatively small lighting job, we're so thrilled with it, we end up hiring them to do another little job. They're always so prompt, efficient, and friendly and never seem to mind that we're on the "add a few lights" program.

M. A. Boone

Great company to do business with. Excellent product, great team of installers. This company knows what they are doing. High quality lighting material. Scott, the owner answers all o four questions, showed up on time for the estimate, installed the lights on the day that worked for both of us and the guys cleaned up after themselves.

Tom Rodrigues

After Dark Landscape Lighting are true professionals. They handle both project work and service calls with the same approach: customer service and expertise. They are prompt, knowledgeable and always responsive. I recommend them to all my friends and neighbors.

Paul Gray

Our lighting couldn’t have turned out better. Thanks Scott for the placement suggestion, and Joey and team for a seamless install! We love our lighting. All of it provides such a nice ambiance in our front and backyard.

Lauren Goodman

I’ve been a longtime customer. My original lights were placed approximately 20 years ago. I recently noticed that one of the light fixtures had been broken by the landscaper and called after hours to come take care of this. They came in a very prompt manner. I had two other light fixtures that I had forgotten existed because they were buried in the shrubs.

Mitzi Cieslak

We have recently completed a landscape lighting project with After Dark Lighting and could not be happier. We contacted them after seeing their truck in our neighborhood. We selected them over another competitor because of their professionalism, experience and customer involved process.

girth

We are thrilled with our new landscape lighting! It is simply beautiful and our yard looks like a park! I am happy to recommend Scott and his company After Dark Landscape Lighting.

Rich Jarvis

I first use after dark over 10 years ago and just recently had them upgrade my lighting The product Quality is consistently outstanding Exceeding my expectations every time. I was completely impressed with the professionalism and customer service. I totally recommend them and give them a five star rating

Terry Robb

Scott and his After Dark team were extremely professional, detail-oriented, communicative, creative, and offered multiple design options. Would highly recommend to anyone considering landscape/exterior light work.

Scott Delphey

After Dark lighting has been our outdoor lighting expert for years. They fix what they say they will, they are quick to come when called. We would highly recommend them for your outdoor lighting needs.