Five Common Outdoor Lighting Mistakes to Avoid

SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- May 10, 2007 -- With spring taking hold and summer right around the corner, it's time to head outdoors to enjoy the garden and patio. To help, Croft & Little (www.croftandlittle.com), one of the leading on-line suppliers of traditional lighting, provides homeowners with these tips to help them avoid common outdoor lighting mistakes.

-- Select outside sconce/lanterns that are large enough for the size of
   your house. Homeowners tend to choose fixtures that are too small,
   because they appear 25 percent larger in the showroom.  The Tourou
   Aluminum Outdoor Wall Sconce ($261.00, www.croftandlittle.com) is a
   Stylish larger outdoor fixture.

-- Use more than luminaries (lantern or sconce-type fixtures mounted on the
   house) alone to light the outdoor space, as that approach leaves the
   rest of the yard and house in relative darkness. Supplement luminaries
   with other types of outdoor lighting, such as:
     -- Spotlighting -- Use it sparingly for sculptures, specimen plants or
        statutes. These can be mounted overhead on eaves or trellises to
        reduce glare.
     -- Landscape lighting -- Draws attention to the plantings. The A-line
        27-inch low-watt Aroyo Craftsman landscape light ($146.80,
        www.croftandlittle.com) features soft light to enhance the look of
        the garden at night.
     -- Step lighting and path or driveway lighting -- This offers safe
        access for pedestrians and as lighting a path for vehicles, but
        should be designed to avoid looking like an airport runway.

-- Try not to over-light since very bright outdoor lighting often has a
   garish, theatrical look.

-- Do not put exterior lights on dimmers. Standard incandescent light,
   when dimmed, becomes even more amber in color and green plants look
   sickly under yellow light.

-- Remember the inside of the house. Create two levels of light: one for
   when you are inside looking out, and one for when you are in the garden
   or outside.

"One of the great benefits of outdoor lighting is that it keeps windows from becoming 'black mirrors' at night and also visually expands interior spaces," said Jeff Zwelling, founder and president of Croft & Little. "Lighting can also help create outdoor rooms and greatly enhance your outdoor space."

Croft & Little (www.croftandlittle.com) is the premiere online lighting store, with thousands of light fixtures for every room of the home or apartment. With a wide range of quality brands such as Robert Abbey, Hudson Valley, Arroyo Craftsman, Maxim and more, Croft & Little maintains low prices and outstanding customer service. Based in San Francisco, Croft & Little is a sister company of Ylighting -- the largest modern lighting online retailer.

Contact Information: For more media information, contact: Lisa Hendrickson 516-767-8390 Email Contact