An interior designer’s best tips for holiday lights that actually look good

This weekend is a good one to start decorating the exterior of your house for the holidays. For most of us this means Christmas lights; for a precious few, inflatable santas (I have no help for you). If you’re looking to up your light game from last year, start by taking a good look at your house and take it from there.

1. Snap a photo of your home, or at the very least walk across the street and study it, then plan out the possibilities. There are three main areas to consider. A) Architectural features like windows, doors or pillars. B) Garden elements like a tree, hedge or bush. C) A thoroughfare like a pathway to the front door.

2. Decide on a look. Do you want to keep it traditional with all white lights, make it festive with lights in a rainbow of colours or try out the latest trend and install a laser light projector? You might also want to consider a simpler and easier alternative: simply illuminate a wreath on the front door with a wide-angled light.

3. If you're using last year’s lights, check for burned out ones before you string them. If starting from scratch, take a quick measurement of the areas you want to illuminate, taking into consideration the height of objects (like trees) as well as the width.

4. If you’re confused about the best white LED lights to buy, remember that ones labelled warm will mimic the glow of classic incandescent lights while cool or pure white will give off an icy blue tinge.

5. No matter what look you decide upon, make sure you strike a balance. You don’t want all the lights to be along the top of your house or on a small bush in the right-hand corner of your garden. If possible, your eye should travel over three focal points covering the entire footprint of your house.

6. Use the right connectors. Avoid old-fashioned nails and screws that can damage your house. Instead opt for plastic clips that are made for the job.

7. Choose shorter rather than longer light strands that way if a string stops working you can replace it more easily and affordably.

8. For deciduous trees, start at the bottom and wrap lights around the base of the trunk and move outward along the branches. For an evergreen, start at the top and zigzag lights downwards.

9. Consider the backyard especially if it is a view you will be seeing from inside your house during holiday parties.

10. Finally, and most importantly, make sure lights are rated for outdoor use.

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