How good lighting makes your outdoor space feel cosy as the weather cools

By Trove Collective Co | Outdoor Lighting 

There's something about winter that most people get wrong — they assume the outdoor space is off limits until spring. But the truth is, a cold evening with the right lighting is one of the cosiest things there is. Rugged up, glass in hand, warm amber glow overhead — your outdoor space can be the best seat in the house all year round, if you set it up right.

The single biggest thing you can do to make your outdoor space feel warm, inviting and genuinely cosy as the seasons change? Lighting. Not more of it — the right kind. 

That's where Festoon House comes in. We stock there range here at Trove Collective Co and winter is honestly the best time of year to use it.

Why winter is actually the sweet spot for outdoor lighting

Summer entertaining takes care of itself — long days, warm nights, no effort required. Winter is where good lighting earns its keep. The sun sets earlier, the evenings draw in fast, and the difference between a well-lit outdoor space and a poorly lit one becomes impossible to ignore.

Get it right and you have an outdoor space you'll use every single evening. Get it wrong and everyone migrates inside by 6:00pm.

Good lighting doesn't just illuminate — it creates atmosphere. And the warm amber glow of a well strung festoon or a fairy lit tree is about as close as outdoor living gets to a fireplace.

Festoon lights — the warm glow that anchors everything

If there's one thing to do this winter, it's this: string festoon lights over your entertaining area.

Festoon House's outdoor festoon lights are commercial-grade and built to handle Australia's outdoor conditions year round — IP67 waterproof rated, UV-resistant rubber cables, SAA-approved, and fully connectable to run beyond 100m from a single power point. Their LED bulbs give off that warm amber light that makes every winter evening feel intentional.

The 100cm bulb spacing is the classic — elegant, not overdone and their bestseller for good reason. If you want a little more flexibility, the RGB Smart Festoon Lights let you shift the mood with an app. Warmer for a quiet weeknight, a little brighter when friends come over.

Draped over a alfresco, strung between posts or hung from the eaves above your outdoor table — festoon lights are the thing that makes people look up, exhale and settle in.

Tree lights — bring your garden to life after dark

Most gardens disappear at dusk. A beautiful tree becomes a dark shape. A carefully planted garden bed goes completely invisible. Winter is the perfect time to fix that.

Festoon House's outdoor fairy light tree kits are purpose built for wrapping trees in warm, ambient light — turning a daytime feature into an all evening focal point.

Each kit comes with IP65-rated connectable strings of warm white LEDs and a low voltage 24v transformer, with sizes from small (40m, from $295) through to extra large (300m, from $1,659) to suit any tree in any garden.

The effect is genuinely transformative. As one customer described it: "These lights have transformed our backyard. The splitters and extensions are very handy." Another simply said: "Our garden looks amazing."

Wrap a maple or liquid amber while it still has it's leaves. Light up a large ficus or magnolia. Wind strings through a hedge or standard topiary. However you use them, they make your garden feel considered and alive long after the sun goes down.

Fairy lights — the finishing layer

If festoon lights are the main event, fairy lights are the finishing touch that pulls everything together. Draped along a fence line, wound through outdoor shelving or strung above a seating area in a delicate canopy — they add warmth and texture without demanding attention.

Festoon House's commercial fairy lights are waterproof, low voltage, fully connectable and available in warm white or cool white. For the easiest possible setup, their solar fairy lights are brilliant in winter — no wiring, they switch on automatically at dusk and the warm white glow is just right for those cooler evenings.

Layer them with your festoon lights or tree lights and you'll have an outdoor space that genuinely glows.

The winter lighting reset — where to start

Not sure where to begin? Here's a simple approach:

One anchor. Start with festoon lights over your main entertaining area — your alfresco, deck or outdoor table. This is your foundation.

One feature. If you have a tree or large plant in your garden, wrap it. The tree light kits make this completely DIY-friendly.

One layer. Add fairy lights along a fence, railing, or seating area for depth and warmth.

That's it. Three products, one weekend afternoon and your outdoor space will look completely different by the time the sun goes down.

Shop Festoon House lighting at Trove Collective Co. →

Trove Collective Co. — high quality outdoor living, for every corner of your space.
Proud stockist of Festoon House.