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A Light TN rendering of a lit estate at night, showing layered landscape and architectural lighting Designed before we digSee your property rendered at night
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Landscape Lighting · Nashville & Middle TN

Nashville landscape lighting, designed in layers

Light TN designs and installs custom Nashville landscape lighting around the natural character of your property, using trees, architecture, planting beds, and elevation to shape the experience after dark. Every system is designed for the property, not pulled from a fixture catalog.

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Licensed CE-D: 76580Low-voltage LED · Brass & copper
KPM
4.9★ · 62 reviews★★★★★
Tree-lined driveway with brick pillars and a timber fence in daylight
Tree-lined driveway, brick pillars and timber fence illuminated after dark
Before After
Uplighting & moonlighting
Path & step lighting
Low-voltage LED
Brass & copper
Trenchless burial

What We Do

Revealing what a property
already holds after dark.

Landscape lighting is the craft of revealing the structure of a tree, the texture of a bed, the line of a path — without making the place feel lit up. Light TN designs low-voltage landscape lighting for homes across Nashville and Middle Tennessee, and the work begins with the landscape itself: how the grade falls, where the canopy throws shadow, which trees deserve to be the focal point and which simply need enough light underfoot to walk safely.

Before choosing an installer, compare landscape lighting proposals against the same design, equipment, installation and service scope.

We are a design studio, not a crew setting fixtures off a truck. Every plan is drawn around your property, rendered for your approval, and installed to licensed contractor (CE-D: 76580) standards by the studio that designed it.

The Craft

Bright is one thing.
Depth is another.

We light in layers — a low glow guides the path, a warmer accent grazes a stone wall, a soft wash lifts the canopy of a specimen tree. Three depths instead of one flat blast of brightness.

We shield each fixture below your sightline, so you see the effect on the tree and never the source in your eyes — and we choose a warm color temperature so brick, bark, and stone read the way they look in daylight. The goal is atmosphere and safe footing, not a property that looks floodlit.

Lit in layers Shielded sources Warm color temperature
A Middle Tennessee estate lit in layers at night, with uplighted trees lining the driveway

What a System Includes

One studio for the
whole landscape.

Tree uplighting & moonlighting — trunks lit from below, and soft light cast down through the branches to mimic the moon.

Path & step lighting — shielded, low-output fixtures that give footing without glare.

Bed & garden grazing — light raked across plantings and stone to bring out texture.

Accent & feature lighting — for water features, sculpture, and specimen plantings.

Low-voltage LED throughout — efficient, long-lived, and safe to run across a planted landscape.

Solid brass & copper fixtures — they patina rather than corrode, with manufacturer lifetime warranties.

Why It Matters

A design problem,
not a product.

A landscape is alive, and it changes. A maple that reads perfectly this year will throw a wider canopy in five, shifting every downlight angle. A bed fills in. A young tree becomes the focal point of the whole yard. Designing for that is the difference between a system that still looks right in five years and one that was aimed for a single night.

It is also an engineering problem below ground. Middle Tennessee's heavy clay makes trenching across a finished lawn a scar that takes a season to heal. We bury low-voltage wire with the L2 Line Layer — the only trenchless machine of its kind in the Nashville market — so cable goes in and your established turf and beds stay whole.

An established lawn and landscape, left intact

Our Process

Designed to your property,
aimed after dark.

01

Evaluation

Daryl walks the property after sunset — reading tree species, grade, sightlines, and the paths that need light for footing.

02

Design & Rendering

We design the layered system — fixtures, beam angles, placement, wiring — and produce a photorealistic rendering of your property at night.

03

Approval Before We Dig

You approve the design on screen, looking at your own home, before any fixture goes in the ground.

04

Installation

Clean wire runs, concealed fixtures, and trenchless cable burial — installed to licensed contractor CE-D: 76580 standards.

05

Night Aiming

We return after dark to aim, shape, and balance the system. This is where a landscape lighting design completes itself.

What Sets Light TN Apart

Owner-designed,
built to last.

Owner-Designed

Daryl Bentfield designs every system himself and is on site with the crew. The designer who reads your landscape is the one who aims the lights at night.

Built to Last Outdoors

Solid brass and copper fixtures, low-voltage LED, lifetime manufacturer warranties, and an annual fixture failure rate under 1%.

Trenchless & Non-Invasive

The L2 Line Layer runs cable beneath an established lawn without trenching — the only machine of its kind in the market.

FAQ

Landscape lighting,
answered.

What is the average cost of landscape lighting?

Light TN prices each landscape lighting project after seeing the property and designing the system, rather than publishing a fixed average. The main variables include the fixtures and zones, the property’s size and grade, mature trees, and the transformer and cable runs. Our on-site consultation is complimentary, and you review a rendering and scope before commitment. Ask for the proposed design, fixtures, installation and after-dark aiming to be clear in the quotation. A regional average cannot tell you what it will take to light your particular landscape well.

How to plan a landscape lighting layout?

Map the routes people use, the outdoor spaces they gather in, and the landscape features that deserve attention. Then consider the views from the home and the approach to the property. Light TN’s evaluation reads the trees, grade and sightlines before designing the fixture placement, beam angles and wiring. You review a photorealistic rendering before installation. The plan should connect path lighting, tree accents and other features as layers, with enough restraint that the landscape keeps its depth instead of becoming a uniformly bright yard.

What is the best low voltage landscape lighting?

The best system is one specified for your property’s lighting tasks and designed so its components work together. Light TN uses low-voltage LED with solid brass and copper fixtures, concealed runs and after-dark aiming. Compare how the proposed fixtures control the beam and shield the source, as well as how the layout will be adjusted and serviced. Our plan accounts for trees, paths and planting beds before selecting the fixtures. A product label alone does not establish how the finished landscape will look or how well the lighting will fit its use.

What is the best landscape lighting for trees?

Choose the effect around the tree’s structure and the way it is viewed. Uplighting can reveal the trunk and canopy, while downlighting through branches can create a softer effect on the ground. Kichler’s tree-lighting guide distinguishes these approaches and uses different arrangements for different tree forms. Light TN uses tree uplighting and moonlighting as part of a layered landscape design. A specimen tree can become the focal point while nearby paths receive quieter light. The right choice should serve the whole composition, rather than making every tree equally bright.

What is the best way to uplight a tree?

Consider the trunk, canopy and principal viewing angles together. Kichler’s guidance varies the fixture arrangement by tree form and size; it also explains why a tree seen from more than one direction may need more than one accent. Positioning should let the light reach the intended branches and canopy rather than stop at an obstruction. Light TN evaluates the landscape before drawing the plan, then returns after dark to aim and balance the fixtures. That final review lets the tree read as part of the property, with deliberate contrast and shadow.

How many lumens to uplight a large tree?

There is no single lumen count that fits every large tree. The canopy’s height and spread, the viewing angles, the fixture position and the beam distribution all affect the result. Kichler’s guide treats the trunk and canopy as separate lighting tasks for a large deciduous tree and describes a combination of accent lights. Light TN determines the fixture layout during the property evaluation. Ask the designer to explain the proposed coverage and output together, then check the effect during after-dark aiming instead of approving a tree from a lumen figure alone.

What is moonlighting in landscaping?

Moonlighting places a light high in a tree and directs it down through branches so the light and shadows resemble moonlight on the ground. Light TN uses it alongside uplighting and other landscape layers. Kichler’s guidance emphasizes choosing an appropriate tree, avoiding a source that is glaring from below, and allowing for tree growth in the mounting arrangement. It can be useful near an outdoor living space when the tree and sightlines suit the effect. The result should feel like part of the landscape, with the equipment kept discreet.

How far apart should landscape pathway lights be?

Spacing depends on the fixture’s beam spread and the path you need to illuminate. VOLT’s path-light guide recommends checking the chosen fixture’s spacing information and distinguishes overlapping coverage from separate pools of light. Path length, surface conditions and existing ambient light affect the decision. Light TN plans paths and steps for visible footing with shielded, low-output fixtures. Review the beginning and end of the route, turns and changes in level as part of the layout. A standard interval copied across every path can miss the places that need attention most.

Should pathway lights be staggered?

Staggering is often a useful approach, but it should follow the path and the selected fixtures. VOLT’s guidance favors a zigzag arrangement on both sides over placing every fixture directly opposite another. It also notes that a wide path needs the diagonal distance between fixtures considered when calculating coverage. Light TN designs the route within the surrounding landscape, keeping the sources shielded. Use the pattern to guide movement and preserve the composition, then confirm that the light reaches the walking surface without creating glare or leaving important transitions unclear.

What are some common problems with landscape lighting?

Common issues include failed lamps, dirty or shifted fixtures, vegetation blocking a beam, and damaged wiring. TCP’s maintenance guide identifies these categories, while Kichler notes that growing landscapes can require fixture repositioning and re-aiming. Record the affected location and whether the problem is constant or intermittent when requesting service. Damaged or frayed wiring needs professional assessment; low voltage does not make every cut cable harmless. Light TN’s design anticipates that trees and beds change, so periodic review of the aiming can help the lighting keep serving the landscape.

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See your landscape lit the right way.

Book a complimentary on-site design consultation with Daryl and the Light TN team.

Book an on-site design consultation
(615) 808-8882
★★★★★
4.9
Average rating across 62 Google reviews from homeowners in Belle Meade, Franklin, and Brentwood.