The Best Outdoor Task Lighting for 2026
Outdoor task lighting simply refers to the type of lighting needed to perform a particular task outside. This can be helpful for performing a specific task, like safely using the grill, or for brightening up a space to share a meal on the patio with family.
- Porch and deck tasks: downlights/area lights, deck lights, and LED stair lights create safe and beautiful front porch and backyard deck aesthetics.
- Patio grilling: pendant lights and under-counter lighting are great for cooking and meal prep, providing the necessary brightness for outdoor productivity.
- Patio eating: chandeliers, candles, and lanterns allow you to entertain guests outdoors with the intimate, flickering ambiance of illumination.
Carolina Outdoor Lighting offers unique residential outdoor lighting options to suit your needs, regardless of the outdoor activities you enjoy.
Outdoor Lighting to Create Ambiance
One of the main reasons to add the sparkle of outdoor lighting to your yard is to create the ideal ambiance for your home. Depending on how you hope to use your patio or outside living space, outdoor lighting trends for 2026 will help guide your preferences.
Color-Changing Lights
Part of the fun in adapting the exterior of your house to reflect your personality is the ability to change the atmosphere along with your mood. Using RGBW lights adds a surprisingly versatile approach to your outdoor lighting aesthetic.
RGBW lighting is named for the colors used– red, green, blue, and white. This means you can choose one shade of color at a time to set the mood, or program your lights to alternate through a variety of colors at once.
This 2026 outdoor lighting trend brings any backyard to life for a celebration or holiday. Use them year-round to enjoy the vibrancy of a fun place to spend your nights.
Moonlighting
When you spend time outside, it’s often healing and comforting to bask in the moon's natural glow. Unfortunately, our plans to spend time in the backyard don’t always align with the moon’s schedule. That’s why installing moonlighting—lighting that mimics the feel and sensation of natural moonlight—delivers the relaxing sensation of a natural outdoor setting on any day of the year.
Moonlighting is installed from above, cascading the light source down toward you. One of the best trends for moonlighting this year is to install downward-facing floodlights 20-25 feet high in a tree. The light will shine through the branches making it an ideal spot to set up a hammock or a cozy blanket and pillows to create a unique spot to enjoy a drink or cup of tea at night as though you’re sitting underneath the moon.
Bistro Lights
Just like you see in your favorite outdoor-seated restaurant, bistro lights (commonly called string lights) transform a dull deck or porch. Bistro lights are popular for outdoor entertaining, whether it’s a small get-together or a large party, combining functionality, safety, and visual appeal. Bistro lights come in LED, solar-powered, incandescent, and battery-operated options, making them a viable option regardless of budget, space size, or access to a power outlet.
With classic and timeless styles to choose from, string lights add a touch of glamor to your outdoor space. Bistro lights come in teardrop or sphere shapes, strewn along a string. These are commonly used for weddings, dinner parties, or for creating a bohemian-inspired oasis in your backyard.
Lighting Water Features from Within
If you have a pool, pond, waterfall, or fountain, adding a lighting feature to the water provides an attention-grabbing focal point in your yard. Underwater lights add a soft and calm glow to water. Lighting water features from below draw the eye’s attention, allowing your yard to have a beautiful place to draw focus toward in the dark of night.
Working with electricity to install lights near or in water should only be done with the help of a professional. Contact us to discuss options for water light features to your backyard aesthetic.
Landscape Lighting Trends for 2026
One of the most significant ways to add value, appeal, and security to your home in 2026 is through landscape lighting. Brightening the gardens, trees, pathways, and little hidden nooks in the exterior of your home can make dark, enclosed spaces vibrant and charming.
Downlighting vs. Spotlighting
When lighting a feature of your garden or landscape that is close to the ground, downlights are mounted high above the head. The light source comes from above, making trees and branches an ideal spot to place the fixture. Because downlighting comes from above, it creates an effect similar to moonlight, offering a subtle, warm, and natural glow. Spotlights illuminate from below. Garden beds, beneath trees, and below visual components such as columns, artwork, or garden statues are ideal placements for spotlights.
If you’re looking to draw attention toward a particular feature, location, or item in your yard, highlighting it with a spotlight is sure to impress visitors and elevate the space.
Path Lights
The purpose of path lights is to project the light down toward your feet. Lighting the walkway from your driveway to the front door, or the path from your garden to the deck, is a great way to ensure safety when navigating your yard.
There are a variety of different path lights available, ranging in price and craftsmanship. Most path lights are driven into the ground and feature a canopy top to direct the light downward.
Underlit Hardscapes
Underlit hardscape lighting adds drama and a contemporary look to your outdoor space. Trends for 2026 bring underlit hardscape lighting to fire pits and the counters and cabinets of outdoor kitchens. In addition to adding visual appeal, underlit hardscape lights are used to hide less attractive floodlighting or hardscape surfaces you would like to hide.
Most underlit hardscaping lights attach to overhangs or the undersides of capstones on columns, pillars, gazebos, or walls. If your home’s exterior features brick, stone, or marble design elements, underlit hardscaping lighting is one of the best trends to follow this year.
Illuminated House Number Lighting
Illuminated house number lighting is a clean, modern way to make your home easier to find after dark while adding a polished design feature to your exterior. This type of lighting uses subtle backlighting or focused downlighting to highlight your home's address numbers, mailbox, or entry pillar. It improves visibility for guests, deliveries, and emergency services. The result is a small exterior upgrade that adds both safety and curb appeal, especially when paired with pathway or entry lighting.
Core Drill Outdoor Lights
Core drill outdoor lights are a sleek lighting option installed directly into hardscaping features such as concrete, brick, stone steps, pool decks, or retaining walls. They are recessed into the surface, creating a low-profile look that feels intentional and looks high-end. Homeowners choose core drill lighting to highlight stairs, walkways, and patios because it adds visibility exactly where it matters most—without overpowering your outdoor space.
Environmentally Friendly Outdoor Lighting
It’s no secret that home design and decor for both indoor and outdoor living in 2026 focus on sustainability. Each day, homeowners try to find ways not only to reduce the cost of energy used in their homes but to reduce their individual carbon footprints. With that in mind, Carolina Lights offers environmentally friendly lighting options for your residential landscaping needs.
Benefits of using LED lights for new landscape installations and retrofitting outdated halogen lights to LED:
- the same warmth of color illuminated
- less heat produced
- bulbs last much longer
- less energy is consumed
- ecologically friendly
Set Up Your Raleigh Home with the Best Outdoor Lighting Trends for 2026
With these outdoor lighting trends for 2026, you can create a usable, inviting hangout spot and incorporate new lighting features with security and safety in mind. To learn more about our lighting services or to schedule a no-obligation, free evening demonstration and consultation in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Wake Forest, Apex, Cary, Clayton, Morrisville, Pittsboro, Fuquay-Varina, Knightdale, Zebulon, and the surrounding Triangle areas, please reach out to us today.
Call us at 919-523-0561 or fill out our easy-to-use contact form to get started.