Barefoot Landscape Lighting

Why we don't list the amount of fixtures you're getting on your proposal. How many lights am I getting with this proposal? "How many lights am I getting?" Captain Matt here with you, we just dealt with this the other day, and so I wanted to make a little video on it. When we do our proposal that's based on a phase, let's call it the structure of the home, the front landscaping, the backyard, the birch tree area, whatever the case may be, it's by areas which we call phases. Now we don't list out a specific number of lights, and the reason we do this is is twofold; one I look at it and I decide how many I think I'm going to need knowing that I always end up adding a few more at least than I think. If I give you, let's just say for an example, if I tell you it's going to be 20 lights and I give you a price, what happens then if I have to use 21, 22, or 23, or even 30 lights do I come back and have to do it work order? and change order with you...

Captain Matt talks about over the ground installs for the winter. Spring Landscape Lighting Almost Filled Captain Matt here, as spring is almost filled up on the schedule for landscape lighting i just want to uh answer questions people ask me. "Is there anything we can do now?" the answer is yes we can do what we call an "over the ground install", and what that is is we place the lights where they are going to go on the permanent installation, but because the ground is frozen and the snow is out there we can't bury the wires yet, however we can hook up the system and let it light up. Now, for the structure of the home and front landscaping, that's really easy because typically is going to be mulched or stone, so he's not going to have any lawn mowing in that area when it comes to like further out in the yard, trees in the back or the front that can be set up so that as soon as it thaws we can get them plugged in and get them working quicker. However we w...

Captain Matt's proposal process. Does my budget change your design process? Question Captain Matt, how do you do a proposal and design? Does my budget have a factor? No, your budget doesn't have a factor in my design, simply because when I'm designing something as a lighting designer I'm designing to its full potential what it could be, understanding that that's not always in the budget that very time, but I need to design its full potential. I mean I think you want my full potential, rather than just lackluster,  right? So the designs are always made to full potential, keep in mind though talk to us. If you tell us your budget we'll still give you the full potential, but if we need to scale it back there are some things sometimes that we can do that'll still look amazing, and you'll just have to do another phase, maybe next year, the year after that to bring that landscaping to its full potential. That is my proposal process in terms of design and bu...

What is moonlighting? What does it do? 🌛 What is moon lighting, besides amazing eye candy? 👀🍭 Captain Matt here, I want to tell you what moonlighting is. So a lot of times on proposals or during demos, or when we're just meeting up and discussing things I'll mention moonlights and one of my jobs as a lighting designer is to make sure that you become a lighting critic, and that you understand the different aspects to a lighting project, it's more than just putting a light on a tree and calling it a day. So one of the things I absolutely love is called moonlighting, moonlighting is when you have, typically a tree, but in a tree you have lights that are actually shining down. Those lights are shining on the branches, and during the spring, summer, and fall shines on the leaves and the vegetation, it creates really cool shadows it gives you a nice ambiance when you walk near or underneath that tree, and it's just not as bright though , there's a difference between d...

The difference between lighting can make to your outdoor space. You’re not using your space…why? Bad lighting design Captain Matt here, wanted to talk to you about lighting design and what the difference is between like lighting contractors, or just putting a light in the ground and actually designing a portrait for you, a living illumination portrait of your property. So I will ask you when I meet you, or one of my designers meet you, "how do you use your property right now now?". It is something that we take into consideration, but in all honesty it doesn't really matter how you use it right now because once we design the project and is installed it's going to change how you use your property. It changes it every single time because there's so many areas in your yard that you will not be able to conceive of actually using it, like "why would it be there what would be the purpose there", but as the lighting portrait will draw your eyes to your house and...

The difference lighting can make to your interior. Increase your interior space with outdoor lighting?! How? Why? Captain Matt here with a little lighting tip to show you in the daytime the difference lighting can make. So a lot of times we talk about bringing the outdoors in so you have you know outdoor living inside. What's also really important, and if you talk to your interior designer you know continuing your interior to the outside makes a huge difference. One of the biggest things here to consider is that say you have your sitting room, or your kitchen, or your living room and you're sitting there when it's nighttime especially in the winter time. Once we have more darkness than we do light when you look out the window it ends, it's just a black window at that point there's nothing beyond that because there's no light. So adding strategic lighting out there to bring your eyes to something actually expands even your inside it makes your mind think that tha...

Many people tell me they don't want their homes looking like Disneyland I don't want my house looking like a stadium or Disneyland! Captain Matt here with Barefoot Lighting. Many people say "Matt, I don't want my yard looking like a stadium, I don't want my yard looking like Disneyland". That's usually the first thing they say when I arrive and they see all these cases of lights about to get a demo when I'm about to drop 60 lights on their property to give them a a small glimpse of what I have in my mind for their property. It won't , I know it sounds like a lot but there's a difference, the lighting I use some lights will throw it higher, some lights will throw it further, some lights are a little bit less output so they're not as bright. So if you look at a total number of lights you're going to think it looks like a stadium or Disneyland until you see it in person, or you see some of our pictures on our portfolio, when you realize ou...