Outdoor bar lighting is essential for all premises looking to make the most out of their garden area. Outdoor bars require bright and colourful illumination to not only attract potential customers, but to allow them to safely navigate within the space, and, of course, to create an energetic, vibrant atmosphere.
But how can you effectively utilise outdoor bar lighting to create the right atmosphere for your space? To help, we have put together some of our favourite outdoor bar lighting ideas and trends.
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Consider Ambient and Task Outdoor Bar Lighting
When it comes to any kind of lighting application, it is crucial to consider all types of lighting. This can be split into three main categories: ambient lighting, accent lighting, and task lighting.
Ambient Lighting
Of course, in an outdoor space, you must remember that even though the sun might illuminate the area, once it sets you will need robust outdoor lighting - not just decorative lighting, but also to ensure that both you and any guests can see what they are doing.
Thus, you should think about the overall light levels you want for your outdoor bar space, and if there are certain areas that might need additional lighting.
As the name suggests, along with atmospheric lighting, ambient lighting is what sets the mood, too. This means you will want to consider the various colour temperatures on offer, as well as the brightness level.
Warm white can feel cosier, whereas cool white can evoke a more luxurious feel - similarly, dimmer lighting can feel more romantic and sensual, whereas brighter light can make you feel more awake and peppy.
The choice you make will depend on the vibe and ambience you are hoping to create. That said, colour-changing exterior lights with a dimmer switch can provide you with a multitude of combinations to suit all occasions.
Task Lighting
If you feel that some areas might require specific lighting in order for you to carry out certain tasks, this is known as task lighting.
For example, you might opt for outdoor LED lighting such as flood lighting or large outdoor lamps to illuminate the entire space. But, you will likely need some downlights over the bar itself so that you can make your drinks like a true mixologist with ease - a hanging industrial-chic light can make for a particularly modern design.
In the same vein, lighting up any dining areas, tables or chairs in the garden space will ensure that you minimise the risk of any accidents in the dark. Again, you might do this with wall lights, downlights, or uplighting, depending on the vibe you’re hoping to create.
With this in mind, you might also consider functionality. When mixing your drinks, you’ll likely have wet hands, and so will not want to touch any switches - you will also not want your guests to enter a dark space and have to fumble around for the light switch. With this in mind, motion-detecting lights might be the perfect choice.
Use Outdoor Bar Lighting to Make Your Sign Pop
To attract people to your outdoor bar space, you will need to ensure that your premises and business signage are visible. When people walk by, it is important that they know exactly who you are and what you offer, converting them into potential customers. In addition to this, if people are inside and you want to draw their attention outside, clear signposting is key.
But how can you make the sign, name, or logo for the outdoor bar really pop? With lighting of course - and there are a few ways you might do this.
Light-Up Lettering
You might have seen light-up lettering becoming increasingly popular, especially when it comes to social media, bars and weddings. Whether you spell out the name of the bar or simply ‘BAR’ in large block capitals, lit by round bulbs, this can be an attractive way to light up your outdoor bar. Here, LED fairground lights are particularly well-suited.
Light-up letters come in a range of different styles, from towering freestanding 3D sculptures to tabletop designs. You can even get customisable lightboxes where you can leave illuminated messages using bold black lettering, backlit by the lightbox itself.
In order to make your installation as cost-effective as possible, we recommend using LED bulbs in all your lighting solutions. At Vision Lighting, we have a range of LED bulbs to choose from - including the GU10, GLS A60, and the C35 - to suit a wide range of different applications.
Neon Signs
Neon signs are another Instagram-worthy outdoor bar lighting solution, especially those that are custom-made to display your bar’s logo, or the name of a themed night you are hosting.
That said, custom neon signs can be quite the investment - a more cost-effective and creative alternative might be to spell out your bar’s name using coloured LED strip lights instead. Our LED strips can be easily cut to your desired length, which can then be carefully manipulated into your desired shape and design - all you’ll need is some creativity and patience.
Sign Lights
LED sign lights will illuminate your business signage with bright and clear projection. The Nano Light is ideal for this application, highlighting your signage for passersby and potential clients alike. Thanks to its innovative design, it can withstand everything that the Great British weather throws our way, so you can rest assured that it will operate seamlessly even through the rain and snow.
The Nano Light comes in a range of sizes to fit all lengths of signs, and can even come with an integrated photocell day and night sensor, automatically turning on when the sun starts to set. Not only can this ensure that your sign is always illuminated throughout the day, but it can also save you money on your energy bills, as it won’t be switched on all the time. If you feel like adding some colour to your sign lighting, speak to one of our team about a colour changing Nanolight RGBW.
Accent Artwork and Menus with Outdoor Bar Lighting
Every bar has to have a menu - whether it is for bar snacks, beverages, or your custom cocktail menu. In addition, you might also like to display local advertisements, custom prints, or artwork to elevate your space.
Designing and displaying these things can take a lot of time and effort - efforts that could be wasted should you not be able to see them as soon as it gets dark.
This is why one lighting option might be to digitise your menus and advertisements. By displaying these things on a screen, you can also benefit from the lighting that is projected into the area too.
On the other hand, you might prefer the classic printed product - and that’s where we can help. Our SIGNTRIM can be customised and cut-to-size to suit your needs, with either fixed-corner or no-corner options.
Now that your prints are protected from the elements, you can accessorise them with LED light strips, affixing them so that there’s a coloured glow appearing from behind. You can change the colours of these light strips depending on the theme at hand, for special occasions, holidays, seasons, and so on.
Finally, lighting up key pieces of artwork can bring elegance and vibrance to your outdoor bar. Instead of the artwork staying on the page, it pops out of its frame, interacting with guests and giving your bar a unique character.
Add Pops of Colour with LED Striplights
Easy to install, versatile, and available in a wide range of colours, LED strips have an enormous variety of applications in your outdoor bar lighting. Some of our favourite decorative and game-changing ideas are explained below.
Under the Bar Countertop
To add some colour to your bar, or to simply give the impression of an almost floating countertop, run LED strips under the lip of the bar where the counter overlaps the base. This can add an unparalleled vibrance to your outdoor bar.
Not only that, but it can truly elevate your bar area into something entirely more upmarket and luxurious. Such a simple trick can make any outdoor bar seem brand new, giving off an expensive and exclusive feel.
Whether your bar is wooden or marble, there will be the perfect colour LED strips to suit you. For example, the contrast between a black marble countertop and a cool white LED is understated, classic and modern. On the other hand, a rustic pine bar with coloured or warm white lighting is homely, comforting and inviting.
Above Cabinets
Another way to use LED strips is in the alcove on top of your cabinets. This way, you will get a halo-like glow from atop your cabinets. This is also a fantastic interior design technique for your kitchen at home, too.
Behind Your Spirits
Many bars display their spirits at the back of the bar, on perspex or glass shelving so that it can be seen by the patrons. To really make the spirits pop against dark backdrops of the outdoor bar, install LED strips to run along the back of the shelving, or simply along the back of the bar.
This will backlight the spirits, allowing both bar staff and customers better visibility, as well as making the bottles into decorative centrepieces.
You might also consider theming the colour of your spirit display to the type of bar you are or the event at hand. For example, a Tiki Bar can become even more fun and exotic with yellow LEDs illuminating the Malibu and pineapple cocktails.
On Valentine’s Day, however, you might opt for softer pinks or deep reds - displaying rich chocolatey liquors - for a more romantic atmosphere.
Around Beer Fridges
The beauty and simplicity of LED strip lighting is that they can be installed anywhere - they are incredibly easy to cut to size and install with a self-adhesive backing or specialist tape. Due to this, you can install them vertically or horizontally, in all kinds of climates.
Thanks to their easy installation and never-ending possibilities, why not install LED strips around the doors of your beer fridges, either on the inside or outside, the choice is yours. This can allow customers to better see what bottled beverages you have in stock - and, it will also draw their attention, allowing you to also use this technique to promote certain offers.
Enhance Your Outdoor Bar with Vision Lighting
Vision Lighting has over a decade of experience in refining, designing, and developing the very best lighting products for business lighting and commercial premises alike. From outdoor bar lighting to illuminating large warehouses, our skills and experience can help to find the perfect lighting solution for a wide variety of applications.
We understand everything that is required for a lighting solution to have an optimised lifespan outdoors - that’s why all our lighting solutions are clearly labelled with an IP rating so that you can have peace of mind that it is protected from the elements and suitable for the task at hand.
To make things even more simple for you, all the products recommended to you in this blog have an IP rating that makes them suitable for outdoor lighting. However, if you would like any more information or have any queries about which of our products are suitable for outdoor lighting, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the team to chat with an expert.
Whether you are looking for reliable functionality or a specific design, a comprehensive array of lighting products or simply an LED light bulb, we are confident that we have the right products to create a bespoke lighting solution that suits each and every one of your needs.
You can find everything you need for your outdoor bar lighting here at Vision Lighting. Get in touch with us today to take the first step towards taking your outdoor bar lighting to the next level.