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Cheers to your own beer garden:
How to transform your outdoor area into the pub space of your dreams
By Brian Davenport, lighting expert and Co-Founder of
68 percent of Brits believe pubs are a British institution, so it’s no surprise that many of us love nothing more than to spend a sunny evening in a pub garden with friends and family.
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However, over a quarter of Brits are scaling back their spending on ‘going out’ due to rising costs. But Brits could instead create their own pub garden on a budget.
With some creativity and the right tools, you can transform your garden into a cosy beer garden that rivals your local pub and can recreate the environment without the extra cost of a drink or meal.
Here’s how you can use lighting to turn your outdoor area into the ultimate back garden boozer for relaxed evenings and weekend get-togethers.
Pick a theme to tie it all together
Sticking to a theme can create a more harmonious environment that feels more pub-like and matches the vibe you’re going for.
You could aim to create a rustic countryside feel with wooden tables and benches and vintage-looking lanterns. Alternatively, you could opt for a modern gastropub look with sleek furniture and industrial lighting and features.
Cohesion is key from textures to furniture and lighting, so make sure they all match and are in line with your chosen theme to ensure everything will work well together.
Coordinate furniture choices with accents like outdoor rugs, blankets and lighting. Matching the warmth of lights with the tone of furniture and colours will create a more polished look that still has plenty of character to feel just like your favourite local.
Go big on festoon lights
Festoon lights are a staple feature that perfectly captures the charm of traditional pub gardens. They create a warm and ambient glow that instantly makes a space feel cosier and creates a lovely atmosphere during social gatherings.
To emulate that classic pub garden feel, drape the lights along garden fences or across the top of a pergola for gentle overhead lighting. You could also suspend them between trees or posts to form a canopy of lighting.
Solar festoon lights are particularly ideal for saving energy costs as they’ll charge throughout the day and switch on as the sun sets. Opt for warm bulbs for a soft golden hue, which will help you feel more relaxed.
Highlight key zones
A well-thought-out pub garden isn’t just about ambience – layout is key. Depending on your theme, how you organise your furniture, accents and lighting can make or break the vibe of your space.
Lighting can be strategically used to subtly define areas in your garden to make it look more organised and intentional in layout.
Soft spotlights can highlight taller structures in your garden, like large trees, which are often low-lit in pub gardens at night. Lining paths with lights can create a welcoming entrance for your home beer garden.
For any fun additions like a games corner, which could include darts, table football or a pool table, focused lighting like floodlights can provide the necessary brightness to see clearly.
Creating zones will create a more functional structure and add a ‘designed for entertaining’ feel, which is essential for recreating a pub garden.
Keep things subtle
The goal is to enhance the existing environment with lighting to match pub vibes, not overpower it.
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Outdoor lighting should gently illuminate key features and create a welcoming feel, so avoiding harsh, bright and cool-toned lighting is essential to avoid making your garden look and feel clinical and cold.
Stick to warm tones and focus on ambient lighting while adding some functional lighting sources too. To make good drinks, you need to be able to see!
Remember, you don’t need to light every corner. Pockets of shadow will nicely balance illuminated areas, and when done right, lighting can transform your garden into the relaxed pub haven you can enjoy every day.
Brian Davenport, Llighting Expert and Co-Founder
