Decorative Lighting. Commercial Outdoor Decorative Roadway & Street Light Poles & Fixtures.
Decorative lighting works on two different levels.  In terms of lighting itself, it helps add a sense of dimension to a building and its surrounding landscape.  Too much bright light can flatten the appearance of structures, making them look too one dimensional.  By combining layers of higher and lower intensity light, outdoor decorative fixtures generate a blend of accent and shadow that adds proportion and dimension to the site.  In terms of aesthetic, decorative lighting fixtures add an ornamental element to a number of important areas on the property.  When installed correctly, they provide a very robust presentation that fulfills all of the safety and security requirements of site lighting— while at the same time creating an aesthetic that makes a facility more attractive to prospective tenants and potential clients. 

Most contractors are required by municipalities to nstall decorative lighting for commercial clients in certain parts of town.  In most cases, this is intended to create period themes in historical districts.  Landmarks such as a 19^th century courthouse, or pre-World War I storefronts, look much better when lit by fixtures that compliment the architecture from these times.  People visiting these areas should experience a suspension of present realities and be able to visualize themselves in a simpler, more romantic era free from the many fears of the future.

Decorative lights can either be wall-mounted or pole-mounted, depending on where they are installed.  Normally, we see a great deal of both in historic downtown areas and shopping districts.  Walls are lit by lantern-style sconces, while sidewalks are illuminated by decorative posts supporting the appropriate fixture types mounted anywhere from 8-12 feet above the ground.  In these environments, decorative lighting poles are just as important as the fixtures themselves.  The quality of the finish, and the physical size and taper of the pole, will either work with or work against surrounding architecture and landscapes.  It is very important to pay attention to these things when bidding a new system for a municipal client. Striking the balance between what works, what will last, and what looks appropriate to the theme can be difficult if you do not have access to multiple, major American manufacturers who can give your client more than one option to consider.

Since outdoor decorative lighting is highly customized in nature, it is vital to plan any new installation or upgrade with a photometric analysis.  Fixture specification sheets normally provide data specific to a standard installation at typical pole elevations.  Foot candle charts and min-max ratios are factored against these two fixed variables.  In a decorative lighting system, however, these variables nine times out of ten mean nothing to the contractor.  Shorter pole heights and more complex mounts alter both lighting intensity and beam spread to the extent that everything must be recalculated to produce a satisfactory quality of light along with the desired ornamental effect.

Since it is neither time efficient nor cost effective to work out these calculations by hand, you either have to spend a small fortune on photometric software, or work with a vendor like us who already has the software.  Normally all we to get started is a general description on the type of decorative lights your client wants, a CAD file, and possibly some photos of the site.  Using these basics as a frame of reference, we can import the IES file on any given fixture and render 3-dimensional models of what your client’s site will look like when lit with any number of decorative fixtures and poles.  This gives you more than just a bid to lay on your client’s table when proposal time comes—it gives them a detailed picture of what their site will look like when the project is finished.

RLLD Commercial Lighting will also reimburse you the cost of the photometric analysis by deducting it from your equipment purchase order.  The investment is well worth it when you consider the greater level of accuracy and diversity of options this approach offers you, as well as a more robust presentation to pass on to community’s and commercial property owners at the end of the day.