Custom Lighting Overboard or Not?

A few years ago my husband and I took the opportunity to design our own custom home. When it came to the electrical we had to choose all of the places we wanted electrical outlets, cable,  fans, lighting, and the such.

When it came to lighting we had to purchase a total of 88 light fixtures for our home. Some of which were thankfully can lights which were easy to agree upon and choose. The other choices such as closet lights, hanging fixtures, ceiling fixtures, under cabinet lighting, and the ceiling fans required a good amount of negotiation to agree upon.

When it came to our outdoor lighting we had planned on seventeen outdoor fixtures in our design. Even we were surprised with the number when it came time to choose and purchase the needed fixtures. Some were flood lights and others were more decorative. But why not, with a custom home we should have options, right?

Well, tonight I found myself after dark, in a rural area with no street lights, home alone with a hubby out of town on business, and needing to take the trash to the curb. We actually don't have curbs so to the end of the driveway. A driveway that after dark seems a far longer walk than in the daytime.  If there were any bad guys out there they would have known someone was coming as I walked through the house turning on every single exterior lighting option. I was also hoping if any coyotes or any other desert critters that come out after dark were out there that the lights would send them back into their hiding places.

We have been here nearly five years and I can't think of a time when all seventeen exterior fixtures were needed at one time. Well, tonight was the night and I was very thankful that I had every single one of them. The 25 landscape lights were also on. I opened the garage door with all FIVE interior garage lights on and I was relieved to see just how bright it was out there in my little corner of the dark, dark desert. We are on an acre lot and our outdoor lighting served me very well. I could see well beyond our property lines.

I still didn't like it too much but I got the job done. So, do I still wonder if perhaps we went overboard on our custom lighting options.  NOT,  for at least tonight anyway!