When the seasons begin to warm up it’s natural to start considering the use of our patio areas once again. Unless you live in the tropics these landscaped zones around our houses become uninhabited and dormant, devoid of all life leaving us with distant memories of a summer filled with laughter and chatter. So it’s only natural that as the cold of winter dissipates our attention is turned back to those relished moments and thoughts of recapturing at least some of those treasured experiences.

For me, the patio is an evening haunt. While we certainly use it to escape the day-time summer heat it’s not until the sun finally sets that our outdoor area comes alive. Food, wine, friends and a starry sky to gaze at between imperfect dialogue is more than a recipe for those balmy, warm evenings.

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While this is all good, the success of such experiences can only be realised by great ambient lighting. But, it doesn’t have to be an expensive exercise. In fact, fitting your outdoor area with some patio umbrella lights will create an ambience second to none while still allowing you to keep your bank balance in a reasonably healthy shape.
<h3>Tropical Ambience Using Patio Umbrella Lights</h3>
The first ambient upgrade you can make is attempting to re-create a sense of the tropics. If you’ve ever spent time in the tropical wet season you’ll notice that the lighting is coloured yet mildly subdued – an attempt to keep the gargantuan bugs at bay. Therefore it’s an easy fix to add a lighting kit with green or blue coloured globes facing up into the umbrella’s canopy and diffusing the light over the fabric.

The beauty of this makeover allows you to set those low-voltage lights so that whenever you’re outdoors, even when you’re not entertaining on the patio, your umbrella will mimic a tropical resort and remind you that summer is a time to slow down and take it a little easier.
<h3>Projecting Light Onto Your Patio Umbrella</h3>
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This idea for creating ambient lighting is the only that doesn’t require the lights to be contained within the umbrella. Instead it’s more about projecting light onto the outside of the umbrella and illuminating it that way. This gives the added benefit of having a decent outdoor light to help navigate you through the garden, or across the patio, with relative safety but won’t blind you when you take up your relaxed position lounging under the umbrella.

As above, a coloured yellow light will work best for creating this ambience and won’t attract any unwanted nightlife.
<h3>Creating the Party Atmosphere with Patio Umbrella Lights</h3>
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You guessed it, this is all about colour – and lots of it. Decorating each patio umbrella with a series of colourful lights and globes will really set your next party off and force your guests into the party atmosphere almost instantly. Here they’ve been used as paper lanterns but plain, old colourful globes will do the trick just as well.

In order to really set the atmosphere alight, having multiple patio umbrellas illuminated will truly set the scene.
<h3>Lighting For Summer Evenings</h3>
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I can’t think of a better way to enjoy your patio – and a saltry summer evening – than with good friends and an even better bottle of wine. You’ll find yourself winding up the conversation at 2 in the morning flabbergasted as to where the time went but thoroughly enjoying an evening with friends. The lighting doesn’t have to be perfect to help create this ambience so long as it’s subdued yet bright enough to focus on each others faces.

Even fairly lights might work with this setting.
<h3>Patio Umbrella Lighting To Set The Romance</h3>
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Creating a romantic atmosphere is never an easy assignment so playing with lighting for your patio umbrella to create an intimate mood isn’t going to be an easy task. However, provided you keep it simple, understand the difference between party atmosphere lighting and setting the mood for an intimate couple, your intentions won’t be wasted. To create this ambience it’s all about going with the minimum and showing restraint – less is good.

A few subtle lights attached below the umbrella’s canopy will be more than enough. The rest is up to you….