Extend Your Evenings Outdoors with Lighting, Kitchens & Fire Features

When the sun dips below the horizon, your outdoor space doesn’t have to go dark. With thoughtful design, functional features, and modern landscape lighting, you can create an extraordinary space that lets you enjoy the best of your outdoor living well into the evening. Whether you’re enjoying a quiet dinner under the stars, hosting outdoor entertainment for friends, or just unwinding beside a crackling fire, the right additions can bring warmth, functionality, and ambiance to your outdoor living environment.

At Campbell Ferrara, we’ve been transforming Northern Virginia landscapes since 1945. As landscape experts and hardscape experts, we believe that maximizing your yard’s potential doesn’t end when the daylight fades. Below, we explore three impactful ways to extend your evenings outdoors: LED landscape lighting, outdoor kitchens, and outdoor fireplaces or fire pits.

1. LED Landscape Lighting

LED landscape lighting is a game-changer when it comes to extending your time outdoors. Not only does it illuminate your space beautifully, but it also enhances safety, security, and usability long after dusk.

There are three primary types of outdoor lighting that you can incorporate in your designs:

Path Lights: Ideal for walkways, garden paths, and around patios, these lights provide both ambiance and safety, preventing tripping hazards in the dark.
Uplights: These are used to highlight trees, architecture, and vertical features, giving your space a sense of depth and sophistication.
Floodlights and Spotlights: These powerful fixtures illuminate larger areas or focal points, such as dining spaces, clusters of foundation shrubs, water features, or your favorite garden sculpture.

Adding landscape lighting is one of the most effective ways to elevate your outdoor living environment. It blends function and beauty, allowing you to enjoy your space safely and stylishly, even after sunset. Here’s why we love landscaping lighting:

Energy Efficiency & Smart Controls

One of the biggest advantages of LED lighting is its energy efficiency. LEDs consume far less electricity than traditional bulbs and last for years, even with frequent use. You can also opt for smart lighting systems that can be programmed to turn on and off automatically or controlled remotely via smartphone. This adds convenience while making sure your landscape lighting always aligns with your evening plans.

Safety, Security & Style

Strategic outdoor lighting along walkways, steps, and driveways improves safety and reduces the risk of trips or falls. It also enhances home security by illuminating dark corners and increasing visibility around your property. With design-forward placement, from uplights on trees to soft glows on stone walls, you can showcase the beauty of your landscape design after dark.

Mood & Ambiance for Outdoor Living

Lighting sets the tone. Whether you’re hosting friends or relaxing solo, well-placed LED landscape lighting helps create a welcoming atmosphere. From peaceful walkway strolls to glowing patios, lighting allows you to make the most of your outdoor living.

Integrated seamlessly into your hardscape design, lighting enhances not only function but also the entire aesthetic. It’s an extraordinary investment that supports a true transformation of your space.

2. Outdoor Kitchens

There’s something special about sharing a meal outdoors. An outdoor kitchen gives you the freedom to cook, dine, and connect with family or friends while surrounded by nature. It also removes the need to run back and forth to your indoor kitchen, helping you stay fully engaged with your guests.

More Than Just a Grill

Modern outdoor kitchens go far beyond a simple grill on the patio. Today’s designs can include built-in refrigerators, sinks, pizza ovens, prep counters, and even wine coolers. When thoughtfully integrated into a comprehensive hardscape design, your outdoor kitchen becomes an extension of your home that is functional, personalized, and inviting. It’s a central hub for outdoor entertainment and a cornerstone of elevated outdoor living.

The Power of Lighting

No outdoor kitchen is complete without the right outdoor lighting. Thoughtfully placed landscape lighting enhances visibility and sets the perfect evening ambiance. Accent lights can highlight counters and prep areas, while string lights or sconces bring a festive, intimate atmosphere. Our designers seamlessly incorporate LED landscape lighting into architectural features, like under countertop overhangs, along seat walls, or beneath cabinet toe-kicks, to ensure both style and safety after sundown.

A Smart Investment

Beyond comfort and functionality, outdoor kitchens also deliver exceptional value. An outdoor kitchen thoughtfully designed for both personal enjoyment and current market trends can deliver an impressive ROI often between 100% and 200%. Furthermore, outdoor cooking during the warmer months helps keep your home cooler by reducing the need for air conditioning, leading to noticeable energy savings. This means you’re not only enhancing your lifestyle, but also increasing your home’s resale potential. It’s a smart move in any outdoor living environment.

Designed for You

At Campbell Ferrara, our team of experts can create a completely custom kitchen that reflects your style and cooking preferences. Whether you’re a seasoned chef or a weekend griller, a thoughtfully designed outdoor kitchen brings people together and makes every meal feel like a celebration. It’s an extraordinary transformation of your outdoor space, built for convenience, enjoyment, and long-term value.

3. Outdoor Fireplaces and Fire Pits

Few features capture the magic of the evening quite like an outdoor fireplace or fire pit. These timeless additions bring warmth, ambiance, and a natural focal point to your yard, inviting friends and family to gather, relax, and make memories.

So, which is right for you?

Outdoor Fireplaces: These offer a dramatic, architectural element to your yard. With tall chimneys and structured backdrops, they provide wind protection and directional heat, making them ideal for more formal outdoor living areas.
Fire Pits: More casual and open, fire pits allow for 360-degree seating and are perfect for roasting marshmallows or telling stories under the stars.

Cozy Comfort That Extends the Season

Both fire pits and outdoor fireplaces are excellent choices for enhancing your outdoor living experience. These features bring people together, whether it’s storytelling with the kids or sipping wine with friends, especially as temperatures begin to drop. Fire elements help extend your time outside well into the cooler months, transforming crisp evenings into cozy, memorable gatherings.

Function Meets Style with Lighting

When paired with thoughtful landscape lighting, your fire feature becomes even more inviting and functional. One of the most popular additions we design is a seat wall surrounding the fire pit or fireplace. As part of the overall hardscape design, these walls can be enhanced with under-cap LED lighting, casting a subtle glow that illuminates the space without overpowering the ambiance. This not only boosts safety but also adds a refined, finished look to your outdoor areas.

Bonus Features: Entertainment Beyond the Flames

Looking to elevate your fire feature even further? Consider adding a pet-friendly, low-maintenance synthetic turf putting green. With integrated landscape lighting, you can enjoy putting practice long after the sun sets. It’s a playful and functional element that complements your existing landscape design beautifully.

A Space You’ll Love Year-Round

Whether you choose a built-in fire pit or a custom outdoor fireplace, the result is nothing short of an extraordinary transformation. The flicker of flames, the warmth of the fire, and the carefully crafted seating area create a true destination in your backyard. It becomes a lifestyle upgrade designed and crafted by landscape and hardscape experts, giving you a reason to linger longer outside, no matter the season.

Build an Evening Escape with Campbell Ferrara

Extending your evening outdoors goes beyond simply adding light. It’s about setting the tone for meaningful moments. With carefully placed landscape lighting, thoughtfully designed walkways, stylish outdoor kitchens, and a cozy outdoor fireplace or fire pit, your backyard can become a place where the day doesn’t have to end at sunset.

As your trusted landscape and hardscape experts, we’re here to help you turn your ideas into a reality. Whether you’re looking to light up your garden paths, host unforgettable gatherings, or roast marshmallows with your kids on a crisp fall night, we’ll guide you through every step of the process, from design to installation to finishing details.

Ready to transform your space into a beautiful nighttime retreat? Contact us today at (703) 354-6724 to explore how our team of experts can bring your outdoor living vision to life.