The Science & Art of Color Temperature in Outdoor Lighting

Posted on May 21, 2025May 21, 2025 by mattcarli

When it comes to outdoor lighting, selecting the appropriate color temperature is more than just a technical choice—it’s a creative decision that sets the tone and determines the atmosphere of your space. At Moonlighting, we understand the importance of finding the perfect balance between science and art—functionality and beauty. You can learn more about our mission and team here.

What Is Color Temperature?

Color temperature refers to the tone of white light emitted by a fixture, measured in degrees Kelvin (K). It plays a crucial role in determining how a space feels at night—whether it feels warm and inviting, cool and contemporary, or something in between.

2000K offers a soft, amber glow often described as “candlelight warmth.”
2700K adds a slightly cooler, cleaner tone—still warm, but with more clarity.
3000K & above shifts into cooler territory, creating a bright, modern atmosphere often used for commercial or architectural emphasis.

Why It Matters in Outdoor Design

Landscape lighting temperature sets the emotional tone for your landscape just as much as your plant choices, hardscaping, or furniture. A well-chosen temperature can make a space feel intimate and lived-in—or striking and dramatic.

At Moonlighting, we tailor our choices based on your goals and the environment we’re working with. Are we enhancing a historic oak? Framing a pathway through garden beds? Illuminating a clean-lined modern patio? Each design calls for its own unique temperature strategy. See how temperature impacted this unique rooftop project next.

Balancing Beauty and Function

Our approach blends science with creativity. We consider not just aesthetics, but also how your lighting system will serve you every evening—from entertaining guests to safely navigating your walkways.

A warm 2700K might make your patio feel like a resort retreat. A crisp 3000K could highlight the contemporary details of your home’s façade. The right balance creates an outdoor environment that feels intentional, comfortable, and quietly elevated.

Lighting as a Design Element

It’s easy to underestimate lighting until you’ve experienced it done right. A thoughtful system can subtly frame your home, guide guests, emphasize natural features, and shift the mood from everyday to enchanting—all without calling attention to itself. You can see another prime example of this aesthetic here.

That’s the power of purposeful lighting—and it all starts with getting the temperature just right.

What’s Next?

Ready to Transform Your Space? Contact Moonlighting Landscape Lighting Systems today to learn how we can bring your vision to life!

A Beacon of Landscape Lighting Design: Our Most Ambitious Sullivan’s Island Project Yet

Posted on January 21, 2025January 21, 2025 by mattcarli

In the final stretch of 2024, we took on our most ambitious project of the year: a stunning property at the farthest end of Sullivan’s Island. With the holidays in site, our team faced the challenge of transforming this coastal property into a masterpiece of both functional and aesthetic lighting. We believe the results speak for themselves, demonstrating the power of thoughtful design, teamwork and technical expertise.

The Scope of the Landscape Lighting Project

This estate was a tall order and required comprehensive approach to the lighting design, which is segmented into five distinct zones:

An Entry Lighting Zone was first priority. We used carefully positioned down lighting fixtures to highlight the natural beauty of the oak trees they were hanging from while also ensuring a safe and seamless approach to the driveway.

An Everyday Lighting Zone was designed with functionality in mind, to ensure every liminal space is well-lit for safety and to complement the property’s overall aesthetic.

The Enhanced Landscape Lighting Zone showcases the property’s lush greenery and carefully designed landscaping. We installed a sequence of both up lights and down lights, creating depth and drama.

The Pool Lighting Zone gives a serene and sophisticated ambiance, and was achieved by brightly up lighting the nearly 50-foot palm trees surrounding the pool. This also provide a nice effect of depth from the entrance to the property, creating a welcoming first impression.

Finally, the Rear Circulation Zone subtly ensures easy movement in the backyard and at the boat landing without overwhelming the natural beauty of the space.

The Numbers Behind the Magic

This project was a feat of logistics and technical craftsmanship, involving:

More than 100 Fixtures: Carefully chosen along with the appropriate lamp to meet the unique needs of each zone.
Thousands of Feet of Wire: Expertly installed to ensure seamless operation across the property and little to no voltage drop.
Several Transformers: Strategically placed to manage power distribution and maintain the integrity of the design.

Overcoming Challenges

Completing this project installation in just one week required months of careful planning. Our team coordinated every detail, from initial design and material procurement to installation and final adjustments.

The result? A flawlessly executed install on a property that’s now as functional as it is beautiful. Zoning the property helps define boundaries and create a harmonious flow, so whether enjoying a quiet evening by the pool or hosting a waterfront garden party, the homeowners now have a lighting system that elevates all of their outdoor experiences.

A Year-End Triumph in Charleston, S.C.

This Sullivan’s Island project was the perfect way for Moonlighting to close out 2024. It shows the expertise, creativity and quality that define our team and services. We are proud to have delivered a design that not only enhances the property’s aesthetic appeal but also provides practical benefits for the homeowners.

As we begin 2025, we’re excited to take on all-new challenges and continue creating extraordinary lighting systems for our clients. Stay tuned for more stories that shine a light on what’s possible with Moonlighting!

Ready to Transform Your Space? Contact Moonlighting Landscape Lighting Systems today to learn how we can bring your vision to life!

A Modern Charleston Rooftop Garden Accentuated With Custom Outdoor Lighting

Posted on October 7, 2022October 7, 2022 by mattcarli

How Moonlighting Transformed A Charleston Rooftop Garden

During a recent lighting consultation, we found ourselves atop an amazing Charleston rooftop garden surrounded by some of the most spectacular views of the Holy City. The decking is composed of decorative ipe wooden tiles. Both sides of the garden are flanked by natural native grasses, currently in bloom. While an array of planters filled with seasonal color are spread throughout the garden. This rooftop also bodes a seating area that was in dire need of a focal point. It’s the perfect location to take in the Charleston sunset with a beverage in hand. All it needed was a touch of Moonlighting landscape lighting.

Site Photos Taken During Design Phase

Here lies the challenge. How do you tastefully introduce light into a bed full of grasses? How do you create a focal point in a seating area full of negative space? With limited space, how can we make an impact without overpowering the garden and still allow the Charleston skyline to be star of the show?

The illumination of grasses is not an easy task. We chose to introduce a small bollard, with modern flare to match the theme of the garden and desired style of the homeowners. We methodically placed them behind the taller grasses which helped create a glow and softly blanket the planting beds with a low layer of light. The placement of these bollards created natural definition of the space and a sense of depth. All the while, keeping the light levels low here still allows the eye to enjoy the unobstructed views.

Custom Illumination of Native Grasses

As for the seating area, it was quite literally a blank canvas. A blank wall served as the backdrop behind the outdoor furniture. The wall needed a focal point. We introduced a decorative screen with a custom pattern that was a perfect marriage for the space. We would essentially frame this screen and illuminate it from the inside and allow it to serve as a piece of art and a new focal point for the space for both daytime and evening enjoyment.

Fabrication and Illumination Of Custom Decorative Panel

If Moonlighting can help add a touch of creativity to your home contact our office and schedule a consultation today with our team of designers.

The Charleston Visitors Center: A Holy City Landmark Gets A New Look

Posted on November 24, 2020 by west

Originally constructed in 1840, the historic Charleston Visitors Center has taken on a new look.

Listed as a National Historic Landmark, the visitors center opened to the public in 1991 and has been a hub for Charleston tourism ever since. Along with a full scale renovation of the building, the landscape also received the same treatment led by Charleston landscape architect Glen Gardner.

Moonlighting was tasked with creating a landscape lighting design that would accentuate the key features of the landscape. The new landscape consisted of the introduction of new palm trees, camellias, etc. A key part of our landscape lighting design was safely illuminating the stairs to allow for a safe entry/exit for visitors of the center.

Scroll through the gallery to see more photos of our latest project and leave a comment below! For daily updates and regular happenings, be sure to follow Moonlighting Facebook, Instagram and Houzz .

Moonlighting Enhances A Serene Scene With Landscape Lighting

Posted on September 16, 2020 by west

We’re excited to share our latest featured project with you! The focus of our latest design is an elaborate three-tiered water feature nestled quietly in a Kiawah Island Zen garden.

The project began with a design consultation. We discussed the overall scope of the project and what the client was looking to achieve through the landscape lighting. Curb appeal, aesthetic enhancements of the landscape and circulation lighting along the driveway were key needs. As we continued to walk the property and make our way to the backyard, we were welcomed to the backdrop of a beautiful Kiawah Island marsh view. What we stumbled upon next was a complete surprise! Hidden away on the side of the property is a stunning zen garden anchored by an elaborate water feature unlike any we’ve seen in the Charleston area. This was a welcomed site and a design challenge that we were excited to take on. The lowcountry typically doesn’t lend itself for set-up like this. The elevation changes in the space that allowed the water feature to flow through it make it feel as if it was formed there naturally. The client expressed their desire to be able to use the space in the evening hours. We were granted total creative freedom and we couldn’t wait to get started!

After the design was in officially in place, we were ready to hit the ground running. We took careful consideration in specifying the proper fixtures and lamps to appropriately capture the overall scene.

Several fixtures were installed in and within the feature itself, while we were also able to utilize the trees within space to illuminate the feature from above. Creating a usable space that allowed the clients to safely walk through and relax in after the sun goes down was a priority that we were able to accomplish. With cooler temperatures on the horizon, there’s no better time to enjoy your outdoor living spaces! The gravel pathway was softly lit from above, creating a naturally “moonlit” effect. It was important to also to feature the landscape by highlighting some of the key palm trees, japanese maples and bamboo clusters for a successful and comprehensive lighting scheme.

Take a few moments to scroll through the photos below of the final product and let us know what you think in the comments!

Turn the volume up and enjoy!

Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Houzz to keep up with the daily happenings at Moonlighting.

Moonlighting Travels For An Atlanta Landscape Lighting Installation

Posted on July 8, 2020May 13, 2021 by west

Just last week ahead of the Fourth of July, Moonlighting hit the road, bound for the Peach State to install our latest custom landscape lighting design.

Our latest project lands us in Atlanta, Georgia. The landscape and property itself offered many great opportunities for illumination as both the front and backyard had elements of both entertainment space and focal points within the landscape.

The backyard especially is used for entertaining as the elaborate deck structure required a need for circulation lighting to help make the space easier and safer to navigate in the evening. While enjoying a nice cocktail from the beautiful deck, we knew that adding a secondary layer of landscape lighting by highlighting some of the key trees and creating some enjoyable scenes was an absolute must.

It wasn’t all work while we were there… Since we were able to wrap up a little early before the final night aiming, we took to the links for a friendly round of golf and go-carts… well mini golf. Ricky was crowned the champion of the round!

The best part of this project is we were able to have everything completed in time for the Fourth of July holiday and ready to enjoy!

Do you have a project outside of Charleston? We can help! Traveling out of state for projects is not something we are strangers to. In the last two years alone, we have traveled for landscape lighting designs and installations in California, Texas, Florida and Georgia. You never know where you might find us next!

Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Houzz to keep up with the daily happenings at Moonlighting.

Moonlighting Featured In Landscape Architect And Specifier News

Posted on April 21, 2020 by west

We’re excited to share an amazing project with you that was just recently featured in the April issue of Landscape Architect and Specifier News magazine.

Completed in early 2018, the landscape lighting was designed for an incredible rooftop garden which features some of the most breathtaking views the Holy City has to offer overlooking the Charleston harbor.

To learn more about this details of this incredible project, click here for the full article and let us know what you think! Aslo, feel free to venture over to our Houzz page and see some additional photos of this project.

How Do You Light A Tree?

Posted on September 12, 2019 by west

A Common Question Further Explained…

How do you light a tree with landscape lighting? Well…that’s a trick question. Not every tree is created equal and not every tree calls for the same application as the next. We’re here to help explain.

Where we are located in Charleston, South Carolina, we see a wide variety of trees on our projects ranging from live oak trees, palmetto trees, crape myrtles and olive trees just to name a few. Whether it be new construction where newly planted trees have been installed or it’s an existing landscape where trees have had years to blossom and mature, our knowledgeable design staff is always prepared for the best design techniques to best illuminate your trees.

In this blog post, we’re going to show you a beautiful live oak tree illuminated in three very different ways.

Let’s start with the most basic method.

Flooding:

In this photo we have positioned three fixtures on the ground, about 30′ away from the tree and aimed them to illuminate the tree. In the big picture, the whole tree is illuminated and it’s being shown off in all of its beauty. Essentially, it’s the easiest way to illuminate this tree while still accomplishing a positive effect. While still very effective, we can probably do a little better and create a little more interest within this scene.

Grazing:

In this photo, were aiming for a different effect. We’re looking to create interest and we’re looking to enhance the limb structure. This is what makes the live oak tree so unique and a focal point within many lowcountry landscapes. Live oak tree limbs tend to sprawl and crawl in their own way. This makes them so unique and quite honestly, so much fun illuminate.

For the “grazing” technique, we’ve positioned three up lights closer to the tree than what you see in the previous photo and focused on the limb structure of the tree. This allows you have a better visual of the detail of the tree and limb structure.

Tree Mounted Up & Down Lighting:

Let’s say this tree is in a high traffic area and we need to keep fixtures off the ground so they don’t become a hindrance, thats where this technique comes into play. In this photo, the oak is illuminated with fixtures all mounted within the tree itself. We have two fixtures mounted about 15′ up, aimed up into the canopy while we have three down lights, mounted at about 35′ aimed down. One is aimed through the center of the tree, picking up the trunk while the other two are picking up the right and left side of the tree. The down lights as a whole create some great shadowing on the ground plane below. We’re again focusing on the detail of the tree and further enhancing what makes the oak tree the specimen tree that it is. What we’re accomplishing here is illuminating the top parts of the limbs that cannot be picked up by just simply up lighting.

By combining up lighting and down lighting, we’re painting a multidimensional picture as opposed to the one dimensional technique you see with the first two techniques.

If you want to see this in person… you can find it at the Addlestone Library on the College of Charleston campus where it permanently illuminated with technique No. 3 (tree mounted up and down lighting.) Because it is in fact in a very high traffic area, that is why we elected to design with this method.

Contact our office today and schedule a consultation with one of our award winning designers and learn more about how Moonlighting can assist in creating a custom landscape lighting design for your home or business.

Be sure to also follow Moonlighting on Facebook, Instagram and Houzz to keep up with our daily happenings!

Revitalizing A Familiar Downtown Garden

Posted on June 18, 2019May 13, 2021 by west

For the second time, Moonlighting has helped in the revitalization of a familiar downtown Charleston garden. This King Street property is one we’ve become very familiar with over the years as we were part of the design team that first overhauled this space in 2010. Almost a decade later, we were fortunate enough to team back up with Wertimer and Cline for another pass at this re-imagined garden.

Not only did we design and install this project originally, we have also maintained it on a regular basis from the day it was installed. A major benefit of regular maintenance on this project was the opportunity to repurpose many of the existing fixtures. Regular maintenance encourages a longer lifespan for the fixtures, which in-turn was a big cost saver for the client. If you feel that your landscape lighting system could benefit from a service contract and to learn more about what is involved with regular maintenance, contact our office today for a free consultation!

During this renovation, we worked closely with the talented team at Ables Landscapes, who was tasked the landscape installation and hardscape additions. The original landscape had matured quite a bit, so we responded to not only the new plant material that was introduced but also the existing plant material to ensure that the landscape in its entirety was being illuminated in the most effective ways possible.

There were several mature crape myrtles that we approached by both up lighting and down lighting, which provided for some great textures below on the lower lying fatsia. There are also four custom arbor structures on site that we added a mini LED fixture with a low level output to softly illuminate the walk through. Another feature that really became a dramatic focal point was the statue we lit inside the fountain. The statue lit nicely and the backdrop of crape myrtles and fig ivy covered walls made a for a beautiful scene, and one that can be appreciated from many angles within the garden and inside the home.

Check out the gallery below for more photos of this project and be sure to follow us on your favorite social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Houzz for our weekly updates!

Moonlighting Heads To The Sunshine State For Newest Design

Posted on March 19, 2019 by west

Our latest project takes us to a new part of the country… Winter Park, Florida. Over our nearly 30 years business, our designs have taken us to many locations outside of our home base of Charleston, SC, including the Bahamas, California, Tennessee, Alabama and Maine, just to name a few. We are no strangers to packing up our tools and traveling where our services are needed.

In the latter part of 2018 we were contacted by Randy Boyd of Thurston Boyd Interior Design located in Laguna Beach, California. Randy had a special project located in Winter Park, Florida and tasked Moonlighting with the outdoor lighting scope. Within a few weeks, our lead designer Matt Carli boarded a flight to Florida for a site visit and to cultivate a custom outdoor lighting plan.

After several months of construction and landscape renovations, it was time for Moonlighting to pack up and head south! In early March, the Moonlighting installation crew and Matt spent the week installing this custom design. It was four busy days on site, the design itself required the installation of over 40 tree mounted fixtures, mounted anywhere from 24′-32′ along with over 60 fixtures on the ground.

This three acre property boasted some incredible design opportunities that we were really excited about. Upon entry to the property, the driveway is flanked by an allee of live oak trees that would serve as natural light poles to softly wash the driveway. When sitting inside the house, or on the pool deck the landscape itself offers focal points from all angles by means of more live oak trees that we would be both up lighting and down lighting, palm tree clusters, sword fern beds, etc. When talking about some of the design elements, Matt noted…

“One of my favorite parts of this design was picking up the textures of the giant sword ferns from the trees above. The plant material here in Charleston is somewhat similar to what we were working with in Florida, maybe a little more tropical in FL, but seeing these huge ferns serving as natural groundcovers was something I knew we had to pick up successfully. The only way to do that was from above.”

Another element of the design was incorporating an antique chandelier that came all the way from Paris, France into the lighting design. We made this happen by independently hanging a small fixture inside the chandelier. With the unique details in the chandelier, this application would provide some incredible shadows onto the ground plain below. We then hung the chandelier about 30′ above the driveway making a permanent fixture within the lighting design.

[wpvideo ZFaUjPA5]

Moonlighting always enjoys the opportunity to work in a new location as this was an exciting and creative project that we were very fortunate to be a part of. When asked about the design process, Randy Boyd stated…

“I brought in Matt to design the lighting for a 3 acre residential project in Winter Park, FL. He and his crew were so professional and completed the installation in a timely fashion. The evening of the “unveiling” both my clients and myself were blown away. Thank you Matt, your lighting design was truly magical!”

See more pictures of this incredible project below. Be sure to follow Moonlighting on Facebook and now Instagram to keep up with our daily happenings!