Chicago Tribune – Let There Be Light

“Tim Tacheny installs exterior lighting for a living, but at the end of a long day, he still smiles when he drives up to his house and sees everything lit up.”

“Lighting is enjoyable for the long haul,” said Tacheny, principal of Estate Lighting Inc., based in Richmond, Ill. “We spend a lot of time in darkness in this part of the country. Lighting helps.”

“Good exterior lighting follows many of the same principles as good landscaping.”

Tacheny said a common mistake outdoors is overlighting driveways and pathways, creating a landing strip effect. Instead, he climbs ladders to tuck lights into tree branches and digs into the dirt to disguise them in flower beds.