LED Lights in Outdoor Design: Tips from Urban Landscape Pioneer Garett McCorkle

Urban Landscape is one of Southern California’s most in-demand outdoor design firms, operating in Orange County and beyond for over 25 years. Owner and president Garett McCorkle is so passionate about landscape design that he also launched Urban Landscape Magazine with the hopes that his publication would “tell the story of how to build outdoor environments, why they’re important and how everyone can enjoy them.”

Browsing through Urban Landscape’s gallery of projects is impressive—the company has created new designs and remodels for every type of outdoor environment, including pools, waterfalls, patios, outdoor kitchens, gardens and even living walls. But even more inspiring is McCorkle’s commitment to continually evolve and grow along with his industry. One key element of his approach is to stay educated about the most recent advances in outdoor design; doing so ensures Urban Landscape is always using the most cutting edge tools and products for the job. I spoke with McCorkle about one specific type of product he uses in almost every environment he creates: LED lights.

McCorkle began using LED lights a few years ago: “we started hearing about how they were the best for outdoor applications: there’s so much custom stuff you can do with them, and the lighting is so dynamic, efficient and long-lasting,” he says. ”We use them everywhere from up lighting trees to water features. They’re great for all types of designs, from rustic, small spaces to more grandiose, vast backyards.” For instance, McCorkle designed the stunning custom water feature pictured above using waterproof LED strip lights.

Talking to McCorkle, it’s clear that passion for outdoor design goes hand-in-hand with passion for lighting. McCorkle believes lighting is one of the most important parts of creating an inviting space. “We believe laying the groundwork for seamless functioning of stylish lighting is crucial for creating a stunning design and the most important result: a happy client,” he says.

In a recent design of a private residence in Laguna Niguel, McCorkle and his team created a beautiful, craftsman-inspired outdoor room and remodeled the pool, incorporating Carrara Marble, recessed LED lighting and waterproof flexible LED strip lights.

This outdoor room employs recessed LED lighting in the ceiling that’s similar to Elemental LED’s super bright LED module light.

Above all, McCorkle recommends blending “the structural and natural: Like the final step in any creative process, the addition of the natural elements to the structural, is what truly makes your outdoor space breathtaking.”