A structure that was built to prevent soil from eroding in strategic locations, retaining walls have been widely used in many landscapes and homes. Built using many different kinds of materials, retaining walls have made their mark by creating a beautiful design for a home's garden or yard.
While these walls may look beautiful in the daylight, they shouldn't be left behind during the nighttime. Retaining walls look beautiful when lit up properly, and they make the home look brighter. Recently, solar lights have become popular so many homeowners have also used them in their landscapes.
Solar lights are great options if you'd like to add a lighting design to your retaining wall. In this post, we've listed down 15 of the best solar lighting ideas for a retaining wall, with suggestions on how you can achieve the same look.
Solar Lighting Ideas For A Retaining Wall
1. Flower Spotlights
Retaining walls also often double as flower beds, and a great way to showcase those perennials is by lighting them up. Spotlights are great additions to retaining walls because they can be strategically positioned, plus they are quite bright which adds illumination to your landscape.
See these solar spotlights on Amazon.
2. Retaining Wall Pathway Lights
Quite a lot of retaining walls are also seen beside pathways and walkways, and these places should be properly lit because no one likes to trip over a dark path. If you prefer to have your pathway only lit up when someone is walking in the general area, consider getting motion-activated solar lights to keep people from tripping.
Check out these motion-activated solar lights on Amazon.
3. Brightly Lit Wall Sconces
Wall sconces are lighting fixtures that are attached to the walls, and you'll find different styles that you can use for outdoor lighting. In this retaining wall, the wall sconces brightly light up the yard, illuminating the house even during a dark night.
Get these decorative wall sconces on Amazon.
4. Underlighting Retaining Wall Edges
Some decks and patios also use their retaining walls for multiple purposes. In this inspirational photo, the retaining wall's tops are pretty wide, which can also be used as extra seating or resting space for guests. Solar light fixtures can be installed underneath the seat wall to add extra lighting to the patio.
Check out these solar outdoor lights on Amazon.
5. Concrete Retaining Walls
Another example of a retaining wall with a seat bench, this one is made of concrete, and it is lit up underneath with some warm white lights. By using concrete slabs, this hardscape looks more industrial and masculine, and the lighting design veers more towards practicality over aesthetics.
Get these decorative solar lights on Amazon.
6. Fire Pits and Walls
In some patios and decks, retaining walls are often installed close to rock gardens and fire pits. These spaces are great for entertaining guests, and while fire pits are brightly lit with flames at night, some solar lights installed under the benches offer added illumination at night.
Check out these weather-resistant solar lights on Amazon.
Just for fun, if you'd like to add a little flair to your fire pits, why not add a touch of "fire" to your space. These solar torches are great additions to your yard, and they'll definitely give your guests a fun time enjoying the warm vibe of your fire pit.
Get these solar torches on Amazon.
7. Flower Bed Lights
These solar lights are pretty common, plus they are very easy to install. You'll most likely find these labeled as pathway solar lights. However, you can place them amongst your plants on the flower bed to offer illumination to your landscape without having to worry about turning the light on every night.
See these solar pathway lamps on Amazon.
8. Fountain Globes
Some retaining walls are placed alongside a water feature like a small fountain or pond. To light up hardscapes like these, you can use spotlights, or in this case, solar globe lights. These kinds of lights add whimsy to the area, plus they look beautiful against the water.
Get these solar globe lights on Amazon.
9. Retaining Wall and Fence Lighting
On some occasions, retaining walls also have a fence built on top of them, mainly for safety and security reasons. Despite the fact that the retaining wall is closed all throughout, you can still add lights to illuminate the space.
Solar lights add extra security to your fences, and they are easy to install on retaining walls.
Check out these stainless steel solar lights on Amazon.
10. Whimsical Rock Retaining Walls
Lantern-type solar lights are great to install on small rock gardens or flower beds made with stone retaining walls. It gives off a fairytale-like atmosphere, so choose solar lights that look like it was pulled right out of a storybook.
Add some colorful flowers and plants, and you could probably imagine a bunny hopping about in your garden.
Get these lantern solar lights on Amazon.
11. Brick Lights
Bricks are often used in retaining walls, and they are great when lit up alongside brick steps and pathways. Solar lights can directly be installed on these retaining walls and on the steps themselves to make sure that the area is always well lit at night.
See these solar powered step lights on Amazon.
12. Solar LED Strips
Another option you might want to consider using on retaining walls with seat benches are solar LED strips. These lights are easy to install and they come in different brightness levels.
Some of them are a little softer, but you can definitely get them brighter if you like. You can also find colored LED strips, but we suggest using white to light up your space.
Check out these solar powered LED strips on Amazon.
13. Ground Lighting
A retaining wall made of wood definitely looks even more beautiful when lit up. In this example, solar lights are embedded in the gravel, and they illuminate the space without offering too harsh lighting. These lights are also easy to install and maintain, and it's also a perfect choice for pathways.
Check out these solar disk lights on Amazon.
14. In-ground Deck Lights
This patio or deck typically uses standard lighting for wood patio floors, but you can also find a solar alternative in most hardware stores. If you'd like to have something like this for your patio or deck, look for in-ground deck lights which are easy to install and place either on the ground or on wood flooring.
Get these solar deck lights on Amazon.
15. Lantern Lights
Solar lantern lights are great additions to any garden, whatever style or design you might have for your landscape. These lights provide your yards with quick ways to illuminate hard-to-reach areas, plus you can also use them to showcase special plants and flowers that you want your guests to see all the time.
Get these hanging solar lanterns on Amazon.
Why Should I Place Lights On My Retaining Wall?
There are a lot of reasons why you should consider putting lights on your retaining walls. For most homes, retaining walls are part of their beautiful landscape and garden, so it's a perfect way to showcase them. Your plants and flowers would definitely look brighter and prettier under the lights.
Another purpose of adding lights to retaining walls is safety. Most of the time, yards are not lit properly in all the areas, and adding lights to your retaining walls will definitely illuminate the space. Solar lights are great for this purpose because you can program them to light up as soon as it is dark out.
Lights are also great for making the area look bigger. If your garden or yard with the retaining wall is pretty small, adding lights to the walls will make people feel like there is more space to wander off to. The lights also open up the space created by the retaining walls, giving off the illusion that the area is wider than it seems.
Consider using solar lights for your garden because they are very cost-efficient, they add decoration, plus they are really easy to install. With these kinds of lights, you'll have your retaining walls brightly lit and shining in no time.
In Conclusion
Sometimes, you might find that the choice of available solar lights at your local hardware store may be a bit limited, but they are really worth the investment. Look for a set that you love, because these lights are more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly, and they'll make your retaining walls look beautiful every night.
