Brighten Up Your Summer: Top Indoor and Outdoor Lighting Ideas

Summer in the Chicago suburbs means backyard barbecues, late evenings on the patio, and more time spent in and around your home. It also means your electricity bill is climbing. ComEd rates hit 10.4 cents per kWh this summer, and lighting accounts for around 15 percent of the average home’s electricity use. 

The right outdoor lighting ideas and indoor upgrades can make your home more comfortable, more inviting, and cheaper to run all at once. Here’s where to start.

Lighting Ideas At a Glance

• LED bulbs use at least 75% less energy than incandescent bulbs and save the average household about $225 per year, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
• Layering your indoor lighting with ambient, task, and accent fixtures is the most effective way to improve how a room feels without a full renovation.
• Smart lighting systems give you app and voice control over brightness and scheduling, but hardwired installations require a licensed electrician.
• Outdoor landscape lighting extends your living space into the backyard and makes your property safer and more welcoming after dark.
• Summer is the best time to schedule lighting upgrades, since outdoor entertaining season is already here and installer schedules fill up fast.

Start Inside: Switch to LED and Save Right Away

If your home still has incandescent or halogen bulbs anywhere, that’s the first thing to change. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, LED bulbs use at least 75% less energy than incandescent bulbs, last 25,000 hours or more, and save the average household about $225 per year. With ComEd rates where they are this summer, that math adds up fast!

Modern LEDs come in a full range of color temperatures, from warm whites for living rooms and bedrooms to cool daylight tones for kitchens and workspaces. Many are even dimmable and smart-tech controllable for a full range of RGB colors and brignthess levels, giving you more control over how a space feels throughout the day.

How much can I save by switching to LED bulbs?

The DOE estimates the average household saves about $225 per year going fully LED. Replace one 60-watt incandescent with a 10-watt LED used three hours a day, and you save about $9.56 over a year. Multiply that across every fixture in your home, and the savings get meaningful quickly.

Layer Your Indoor Lighting for a Better-Looking, Better-Feeling Space

Most homes rely too heavily on a single overhead fixture, which creates flat, unflattering light. The fix is layering: combining ambient lighting (general overhead illumination), task lighting (focused light for reading, cooking, or working), and accent lighting (fixtures that highlight architectural details or shelving).

This doesn’t have to mean a full renovation. Adding under-cabinet lighting in the kitchen, a dimmable pendant over the dining table, or a table lamp in the living room can transform how a room feels without touching the ceiling. The biggest indoor trend right now is mood-enhancing lighting: dim-to-warm technology and fixtures that adjust throughout the day to support natural light patterns. These circadian lighting systems help with sleep, energy levels, and focus, and they’re worth considering for bedrooms and home offices.

Do I need an electrician to add accent or task lighting?

Plug-in lamps and under-cabinet LED strips don’t require any electrical work. Hardwired pendants, recessed lighting, or new wall sconces do, and those need a licensed electrician to wire and connect safely.

Take It Outside: Landscape and Patio Lighting for Summer Nights

Outdoor lighting is where summer upgrades have the biggest visible impact. A well-lit backyard extends your usable living space into the evening, makes your property safer for guests after dark, and adds real curb appeal.

Use the same layered approach as indoors: 

• Pathway lights along walkways and garden borders provide safety and a welcoming glow. 
• Spotlights or uplighting on trees and architectural features add depth. 
• String lights across a patio or pergola create the warm atmosphere that makes outdoor entertaining feel effortless.

Motion-sensor lighting is worth adding at entry points, driveways, and dark corners of your property. Positioned to illuminate approaching faces rather than blinding those inside, motion lights add a practical security layer without running constantly.

Any hardwired outdoor lighting needs to go through a licensed electrician. Outdoor electrical work involves weatherproof wiring, GFCI requirements, and code compliance that aren’t optional.

If you’re planning to add outdoor lighting this summer, get it scheduled now. Installer availability tightens quickly once the season is in full swing.

Smart Lighting: What It Is and What You Need

Smart lighting lets you adjust brightness and color temperature from your phone, set schedules, or use a voice assistant to control your fixtures. For outdoor lighting, smart controls mean your fixtures come on at dusk and turn off automatically, with no more forgetting to switch off the porch lights.

Most smart bulbs are plug-and-play. But hardwired dimmers, in-wall smart switches, and whole-room systems require proper electrical wiring and often a neutral wire that older homes don’t have in their switch boxes.

Before buying a whole-home smart lighting system, have a licensed electrician check your home’s wiring and panel capacity. Compatibility issues between smart switches and existing wiring are one of the most common reasons these installations run into trouble.

Can I install smart light switches myself?

Smart bulbs are an easy swap. Smart switches are more involved; they require access to your home’s wiring, and many need a neutral wire that older switch boxes don’t have. If your home is more than 30 years old or you’re not comfortable inside a switch box, call a licensed electrician first.

When You Need a Landscape Lighting Electrician

Some lighting upgrades are DIY-friendly: swapping bulbs, plug-in fixtures, and solar path lights. Others need a professional. Call a licensed electrician when you’re:

• Adding hardwired outdoor lighting where no fixtures currently exist
• Installing in-ground or in-wall fixtures that require trenching or conduit
• Upgrading to a smart system that involves rewiring switch boxes
• Adding circuits to handle increased lighting load
• Running wiring for a pergola, deck, or outdoor kitchen

Nu-Trend’s licensed electricians handle indoor lighting installation, outdoor lighting, and any electrical work your home needs to support a full lighting upgrade.

Make This the Summer Your Home’s Lighting Actually Works for You

Switching to LED puts money back in your pocket right away. Adding layered indoor lighting and a well-designed outdoor setup turns your home into the place everyone wants to gather on a summer evening. With ComEd rates climbing and entertaining season in full swing, now is a great time to get your indoor and outdoor lighting installation scheduled with a team that knows North Shore homes. 

FAQs: Indoor and Outdoor Lighting

Q: Do I need a licensed electrician to install outdoor lighting?

A: It depends on the type. Solar path lights and plug-in fixtures don’t require electrical work. Hardwired outdoor fixtures, in-ground lighting, and anything needing a new circuit or conduit do. Outdoor electrical work also carries specific GFCI and weatherproofing requirements under code.

Q: How much can I save by switching my home to LED lighting?

A: According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the average household saves about $225 per year by switching fully to LED. LEDs use at least 75 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs and last up to 25 times longer, so savings come from both lower energy use and fewer replacements.

Q: What’s the difference between a smart bulb and a smart switch?

A: A smart bulb replaces your existing bulb and connects to your Wi-Fi with no wiring required. A smart switch replaces the wall switch and controls any fixture on that circuit, including non-smart bulbs. Smart switches are more powerful, but they require wiring work, and many need a neutral wire that older homes don’t always have.

Light Up Your Home This Summer With Nu-Trend

Our licensed electricians serve homeowners across Schaumburg, Naperville, Barrington, Elk Grove Village, Buffalo Grove, Palatine, Northbrook, and the surrounding North Chicago suburbs. 

Call us at (847) 882-1888 or contact us online to get your summer lighting project on the calendar.