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 same is true whether you're talking about a family backyard, a glamping site, or an eco-retreat tucked into the bush. The single biggest thing that makes an outdoor space feel warm, inviting and genuinely cosy as the seasons change is lighting. Not more of it, the right kind. 

That's where Festoon House comes in. We stock their range here at Trove Collective Co and winter across Australia 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.

For homeowners, 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.

For glamping operators and retreat owners, the stakes are even higher. A poorly lit site in winter means guests retreat indoors early and the outdoor experience you've built falls flat. A beautifully lit one means guests linger by the fire, take photos that end up on Instagram and remember the evening long after they've checked out.

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, your guest deck or your communal fire pit zone.

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, whether it's lighting up a family pergola or an entire glamping site.

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 guests arrive.

Draped over a pergola, strung between glamping sites or hung from the eaves above an outdoor table. Festoon lights are the thing that makes people look up, exhale and settle in. For operators, they're also one of the most cost effective ways to make a site feel finished and considered.

Tree lights — bring your landscape to life after dark

Most gardens and properties disappear at dusk. A beautiful tree becomes a dark shape. A carefully landscaped site 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. The effect is genuinely transformative. As one customer described it, these lights have transformed their backyard. Another simply said their garden looks amazing.

Wrap a maple, a gumtree or natural features around a glamping site or retreat instantly elevates the whole guest experience after dark. However you use them, they make a space 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, cool white, or colour changing RGB. 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, whether that's around a single tent or across multiple sites on a property.

Layer them with festoon lights or tree lights and you'll have an outdoor space, or an entire guest experience, that genuinely glows.

The winter lighting reset — not sure where to start

Not sure where to begin? Here's a simple approach, whether you're resetting your own backyard or fitting out a property for guests.

One anchor. Start with festoon lights over the main entertaining area, a pergola, deck, outdoor table, or communal fire pit zone. This is your foundation.

One feature. If there's a tree or large natural feature on the property, wrap it. The tree light kits make this completely straightforward, even at scale.

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

That's it. A simple lighting plan, and the space will look completely different by the time the sun goes down, for your family or for your next guests.

Shop the range 

Whether you're lighting up your own backyard or fitting out a glamping property, the Festoon House range is available through Trove Collective Co. Trade accounts are welcome for operators looking to outfit a site or property at scale.

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.