Our client approached us to help bring their garden back to life at night. When the Hunza light fittings were first installed, they loved the effects that the garden lights brought to the night.
However, over time the light fittings had started to show their age; most were no longer working and needed a refresh.
We agreed to undertake a complete garden lighting refurbishment for our clients. This included removing all of the old Hunza lights, dismantling them and then rebuilding them with LED lamps and new seals. Once we had revamped the fittings, we discussed the new planting layout and how they expected the garden to mature over the next ten years.
As Hunza is an NZ-made product of high quality, we were able to approach Hunza for refurbishment kits. This included new tails, new seals and new modern LED lamps. Usually, we would send all the light fittings back to Hunza for refurbishment.
Still, as we were unsure if there would be too little or too many fittings for the new garden lighting layout, we decided to refurbish the landscape lights as the design developed. With the refurbishment kits and the high-quality machined fittings from Hunza, we could also re-issue another 5-year warranty on the light fittings.
The garden had undergone a full replant, so we had to work closely with the client to ensure that the new lighting design would work even once the plants matured. The client highlighted certain features and plants they wanted the eye drawn to as guests arrived and asked us to ensure the finished effect was warm and inviting.
We opted for uplighting specified items on either side of the entrance, not flooding the entire space with light, and we also chose to go for ultra-warm lamp colours that had to be imported from Australia that were well worth the wait.
As the new design was so radically different from the old one, we decided it would be best to replace all of the garden cabling and connections for new. Modern connections are gel-filled and submersible, far superior to the wire nut or heat-shrink connections previously used.
With the new lamps, all LED, we were able to run a significantly smaller cable as the power consumption is lower - This is a great cost-saving benefit to LEDs - and the transformer powering the lights is also smaller, meaning less heat, less cost and longer life.
The client opted to upgrade the controls to the new Bluetooth controller, allowing them to change the time the lights come on via their phone and even override the timer for special events wirelessly without needing an electrician. The intelligent Bluetooth controller also geo-located the position of the installation and can track accurate sunset and sunrise times, allowing the on and off schedules to be dynamic and precise.
The new lighting design, coupled with the replanting, has resulted in a stunning area for entertaining that our clients and their guests love. The garden comes to life at night, with the different areas being picked out by the lighting and inviting people to explore. The client also opted to install LED strip lighting to the outdoor steps, giving the illusion of the stairs floating at night. With the steps lit and the garden lights highlighting features, depending on where you stand in the garden, you get a different feel and result, allowing for a dynamic outdoor entertainment experience that everyone can enjoy and find favourites.
