Garden lighting on a London self build is mostly about restraint: on a city plot overlooked from three sides, the best scheme lights steps, paths and a few chosen features softly and keeps light out of everyone else's windows. That only works if the circuits, ducts and controls are planned with the house, so the cables are in place before the patio, the planting and the boundary walls are finished. This guide explains how we plan it and what to put in early.
It is written for people building their own home in London, from a new house on a back land plot to a replacement home on a suburban street, where gardens are often small, sunken behind a basement lightwell or shared with a terrace of neighbours.
Why garden lighting needs care on a city plot
The government's planning guidance on light pollution sets out the principles well. It describes light intrusion as light that spills beyond the area being lit, says lighting near or above the horizontal is usually to be avoided to reduce glare and sky glow, and notes that domestic exterior security lights are a common source of complaints. It also makes the point that more lighting does not necessarily mean better lighting, and that lights can be switched off or dimmed when they are not needed.
In a London garden those principles translate into a few habits. Point every light downwards or at a surface you want to see. Keep fittings low. Avoid lighting the top of a boundary wall or a tree that a neighbour's bedroom looks onto. And put the outdoor lighting on a schedule, so it fades late in the evening rather than burning all night.
Layers that make a small garden feel larger
- Steps and level changes: recessed step lights, so nobody misses a step from the kitchen terrace to the lawn.
- Paths: low path lights or lights set into walls, pointing at the ground.
- Features: a narrow beam on one tree, a sculpture or a textured wall, chosen so it reads from inside the house.
- Lightwells and basement courtyards: soft wall washing, which makes a narrow space feel open.
- The front: enough light for the door, the house number and the path, kept off the street.
Lit this way, the garden becomes part of the room at night. Without it, large glazed doors turn into black mirrors after dark.
What to put in before the landscaping
| Item | When | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor lighting circuits | First fix | One circuit per zone, leaving the house through sealed sleeves where the garden design needs them |
| Control positions | First fix | Keypads by the garden doors and in the kitchen that operate the outside zones as well as the room |
| Ducts under paving | Before the patio and paths | Ducts with draw ropes under every hard surface a cable must cross, plus a spare |
| Cable to beds, walls and steps | With the landscaper | Runs to each feature, left coiled and marked until the fittings arrive |
| Garden room or studio | Groundworks | Power and a data cable in a duct, for lighting, heating, Wi-Fi and music |
Our first fix wiring guide for London self builds covers the rest of what goes in at the same stage, and our lighting design guide covers the rooms inside.
Front gardens, gates and the street
The front of a London house is seen by everyone who walks past, so it deserves the same care as the back. Light the path, the step and the door, and make the house number easy to read for visitors and deliveries. If there is a gate or a video entry panel, plan its power and data cables in the same trench as the path lighting; our gate and intercom guide for London self builds covers those runs. Keep fittings below eye level and aimed at the ground, so the light stays on your side of the railings and does not shine across the pavement or into the windows opposite.
Controlling garden lighting from the house
With each zone on its own circuit and run back to a lighting control system, the garden can come on at sunset, step down at ten and go off at midnight, while a single button by the doors brings the terrace up when you go outside. Scenes can link the garden with the kitchen and living room so the view outside always matches the mood inside. Our lighting control in London page shows the systems we install, and if you want music outside too, our outdoor audio page shows what can share the same trenches.
Electrics, certificates and who does what
Outdoor lighting on a new house is part of the electrical installation, so it is designed, installed and certified with the rest of it by your electrician. We design the lighting and controls, supply and programme the system, and give your electrician drawings and a cable schedule through our survey and design service. Our founder, Kieran McGuire, is an electrician, so the drawings show circuits and routes as well as fittings. A design consultation is 360 pounds plus VAT, with further time at 90 pounds an hour plus VAT, as shown on our booking page.
Questions we are often asked
How do I stop garden lighting bothering the neighbours?
Use low fittings that point down or at a surface, avoid lighting the tops of walls and trees near their windows, and dim or switch the lights off later in the evening.
When should garden lighting be designed?
With the indoor lighting, before first fix, so the outdoor circuits and control positions are built into the house.
Do I need planning permission for garden lighting?
Ordinary domestic garden lighting rarely needs it, but light that causes a nuisance can be dealt with by the council, so design it to stay within your boundary.
Can a lightwell or basement courtyard be lit well?
Yes. Soft light washed down a pale wall makes a narrow space feel open. Plan the cable routes before the waterproofing is finished.
What colour of light suits a London garden?
Warm white. The planning guidance notes that white or blue rich light is generally more disruptive to wildlife and sleep than warmer light.
Book a consultation or call our head office on 01344 937999 (London office 0208 064 0196).
- Log in to post comments