Garlands, curtains and glowing figures for the tree, house and garden… There’s more to choosing Christmas decorations than just aesthetics
Cinema and TV are a great source of inspiration when it comes to images of Christmas lights, but be sure to consider other criteria like longevity and safety when lighting up your Christmas. LED lighting offers long life, low energy consumption and a wide range of colour and display options. As they’re often used in exteriors at a rainy time of year, make sure yours has an IP rating so you don’t have to worry about blackouts or short circuits.
One of the most common formats for decorative festive lighting is LED light curtains or garlands, perfect for covering large areas of vertical space. They instantly create a magical atmosphere and look stunning on any wall, window, ledge or balcony. They can also be controlled via an app, so you can set them to different patterns.
Some have flashing bulbs with a flickering effect, others cascade like falling raindrops. These are available in warm, cold or multicoloured lights. In addition to bulb lighting, there’s also a wide range of luminous outdoor decorations in the form of typical Christmas characters like snowmen, reindeer, bears, Father Christmas and elves. These work best with a steady light, as constant flickering can become too much after a while.
LED bulbs boast low energy consumption, but if used in excess, they can get gaudy, so don’t be tempted to overdo it! Remember, everything in moderation. If decorating with metallic tones, keep lights to a minimum or forget them all together to avoid overkill. A sea of lights and colours don’t necessarily equate to a better Christmas. Stick to two different colour combinations, three at most. Red and green is a safe bet, or elegant white and grey. Stick to one colour scheme and use lights in moderation.
Once the lighting design has been decided, focus on safety. IP protection is a standard developed to classify the protection of a device. It is made up of two digits. The first digit shows its effectiveness at blocking foreign particles like dust, and the second digit indicates how effectively it protects against moisture intake like rain. In this way, IP23 to IP44 are suitable for terraces, patios and facades; IP64 to IP66 for frontages exposed to heavy or torrential rain. Use IP67 for floodlighting at ground level in patios and gardens where puddles might accumulate, and you’ll need IP68 if you want underwater Christmas lighting for your swimming pool.
