By Bernardy Lighting • June 2026
DFW homes have a huge advantage when it comes to outdoor living: the climate and the lot sizes. Long evenings on the patio, mature trees in established neighborhoods, stone and brick facades on custom homes — all of it becomes dramatically more impressive with the right lighting. Here are seven outdoor lighting ideas we install regularly across North Texas, from Southlake to Frisco to Lewisville, along with what each one actually looks like in practice.
1. Tree Uplighting
Tree uplighting is the single highest-impact outdoor lighting upgrade most DFW homeowners can make. A brass spike fixture placed at the base of a mature live oak, pecan, or crepe myrtle — aimed up into the canopy — turns an ordinary front yard into something that stops people mid-drive. The key is fixture placement and angle: too close to the trunk and you get a washed-out column of light; positioned 2–4 feet out and angled 30–45 degrees, you get the full shadow play across the canopy that makes the tree look three-dimensional at night. We recommend 2700K warm white for most residential trees — it’s flattering and doesn’t look clinical.
2. Soffit Downlighting
Core-drilled soffit fixtures are the most requested upgrade we do in DFW. We drill a clean hole through the soffit/eave, recess a small LED fixture flush with the surface, and wire it back to the transformer — no surface hardware, no exposed conduit, nothing to corrode or get knocked around. The result is a clean wash of light down the front facade that makes the home’s architecture visible at night and creates an unmistakably professional look. On brick homes especially — which make up a huge portion of DFW residential construction — the contrast of warm light on red or tan brick is exceptional. Spacing is typically every 6–8 feet depending on eave depth.
3. Pathway and Driveway Lighting
Pathway lights serve double duty: they’re practical (you can actually see where you’re walking) and they define the approach to your home. The most common mistake homeowners make is over-lighting — placing fixtures every 4 feet turns a walkway into an airport runway. We typically space path lights every 8–10 feet and aim them slightly downward, so they light the surface without blinding anyone walking toward them. In DFW, where many homes have long winding driveways or curved entry walks through landscaping, path lighting done correctly is one of the most elegant upgrades possible.
4. Pool and Water Feature Lighting
If you have a pool, fountain, or water feature and it’s not lit at night, you’re missing the best version of your backyard. Submersible LED pool lights in 2700K or RGBW give you color options and dramatic reflections across the water surface. For fountains and pondless waterfalls, small directional fixtures aimed at the falling water create a shimmer effect that’s genuinely stunning. We work closely with pool companies on new builds and retrofits — submersible fixtures require specific waterproofing and transformer circuit isolation that we spec and install correctly every time.
5. Fence and Perimeter Lighting
Perimeter lighting serves both security and aesthetics. Small directional fixtures mounted on fence posts or aimed along privacy fence lines define your property edge and eliminate the dark corners that are the first thing criminals look for when selecting a target. For wood privacy fences (extremely common in DFW), we often use low-profile surface-mount fixtures on the top cap or small uplights at the base aimed at the fence panels. For iron fences, we frequently do downlighting from trees or gate posts. Either approach turns a security asset into an aesthetic one.
6. Bistro and Patio String Lights
String lights have had a serious glow-up in the past five years. The Edison bulb and globe string light styles now available in commercial-grade, weatherproof LED versions are a world apart from the cheap plug-in strands that fade and fail after a single Texas summer. Properly installed overhead string lights on a patio or pergola create a warm ambient canopy that makes outdoor dining and entertaining feel like a restaurant experience. We mount them on powder-coated steel poles, cable systems, or existing structures — whichever fits your space — and wire them into your low-voltage transformer system so they’re on the same automated schedule as everything else.
7. Color-Changing RGBW Lighting
RGBW (red-green-blue-white) smart fixtures are increasingly popular for homeowners who want versatility — especially for holiday seasons. With an RGBW system, your home can show warm white year-round and switch to red-and-green for Christmas, orange and purple for Halloween, or blue and white for the 4th of July — all controlled from an app. Our permanent holiday lighting installations use RGBW technology specifically so you never have to hang and remove seasonal lights again. The fixtures are professional-grade, rated for permanent outdoor installation, and look clean and intentional rather than decorative.
How to Choose the Right Combination for Your Home
The best outdoor lighting systems layer multiple fixture types. A common starting point for a DFW home: uplights on 2–3 focal trees in the front yard + soffit downlighting across the eave + path lights along the walkway. That combination alone transforms curb appeal. From there, many homeowners add backyard and patio lighting over time as budget allows. We design systems with expansion in mind — your transformer is sized so you can add zones later without replacing it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What color temperature should I use for outdoor lighting?
For residential outdoor lighting, we almost always recommend 2700K warm white. It’s flattering to skin tones, makes brick and stone look rich, and complements landscape greenery. 3000K is acceptable for a slightly crisper look. Avoid 4000K+ (cool white) for residential exteriors — it reads as commercial and harsh. The one exception: security/floodlight zones where visibility is the priority over aesthetics.
How long does a full outdoor lighting installation take?
A typical front-yard system with 8–14 fixtures takes one day (4–8 hours). Larger projects with multiple zones, pools, and back yards may take 1–2 days. We complete most DFW residential installs in a single scheduled visit with our full crew.
Ready to upgrade your outdoor lighting?
Bernardy Lighting serves all of DFW. Free consultations, professional installs, 3-, 5-, or 7-year Bernardy Lighting system warranty covering qualifying materials and our labor/workmanship, depending on the selected package and subject to the written warranty terms.
Get a Free Quote or call (817) 542-6445