Middleburg
Landscape Lighting Design for Middleburg and Hunt Country Estates
Light for the house and the countryside, not the night sky
Middleburg is a Loudoun County town in Virginia’s hunt country, surrounded by stone walls, pastures, horse farms and historic estates. Lighting here should reveal the architecture and landscape while leaving the stars, the fields and the neighbors alone.
Dayloom is a Loudoun County company based in Aldie, led by founder and principal designer Patrick Harders, LC (Lighting Certified), who has been designing landscape lighting since 1998. Patrick is a longtime public advocate for dark skies and thoughtful land use in the region, and that conviction shapes every design: light the places people use and the features worth seeing, and leave the rest of the night alone. We design every Middleburg system by hand, install it with our own crews, and return after dark to aim every fixture.
Get My Free Design Plan or call 703-636-5225.
What makes hunt country properties different
- Dark skies. Open countryside means any stray light shows. We use shielded, warm, low-glare fixtures and light only what needs it.
- Long approaches. Tree-lined drives, gates and stone walls set the first impression. We light the way in softly, without turning a drive into a runway.
- Historic stone and timber. Fieldstone, brick, clapboard and old barns take gentle grazing light beautifully.
- Pastures, horses and roads. We aim light away from paddocks, fields and roadways, so animals, neighbors and drivers aren’t bothered.
- Outdoor living. Terraces, pools, gardens and pavilions should be usable after dark, with steps and edges lit for safety.
Dark-sky friendly by design
Our hunt country designs follow a few simple principles:
- Down-lighting and fully shielded fixtures. Wherever possible, light points down, from shielded fixtures that keep the lamp out of view and send no light into the sky.
- Soft, subtle light levels. Gentle accents and quiet pools of light instead of floodlighting, so the property looks natural after dark.
- Warm color, 2700K and below. Warm-white light flatters stone, timber and foliage and suits a rural setting.
- Smart controls, timers and dimming. Lights come on when you need them, dim to the right level, and switch off later in the night instead of burning until dawn.
- No glare or light trespass. Careful aiming keeps light off neighbors, pastures and roads.
The Town of Middleburg’s zoning ordinance includes Outdoor Lighting Standards (Article XIX), which call for outdoor lighting that is hooded, shielded and aimed downward, with glare onto neighbors and streets minimized and direct light kept within the owner’s property. In the town’s Historic District, exterior changes visible from a public street need a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Historic District Review Committee before work begins, and applications are due 14 days before the meeting. Many properties also have easements or HOA guidelines. Please confirm requirements with the Town’s Planning & Zoning staff before installing. We design with these in mind and can provide a lighting plan and fixture specifications for review.
From concept to a finished design
Every Middleburg project starts with a design you can see before we install anything. We prepare a lighting plan with drawings and renderings that show where each fixture goes and how the finished scene will look. Once you approve the design, we prepare working documentation: fixture schedules, circuit and transformer layouts, and installation details. Our crew builds from that plan, so what you approved is what gets installed. We aim for warm-white, high-color-rendering light that makes stone, brick, and foliage look natural, with careful aiming and shielding to respect your neighbors and the night sky.
Award-winning design
Dayloom’s work has earned 3 international LIT Lighting Design Awards and 8 North American AOLP awards.
The welcome home you deserve.
Light Trespass Studies
On Middleburg’s estates and horse properties, good lighting stays on your land. As lighting experts who teach on protecting night skies, we can run a light trespass study on your design to make sure your lighting system’s light doesn’t leave your property.
Ask about a light trespass study with your design: Get My Free Design Plan or call 703-636-5225.
Our Work in Hunt Country and Western Loudoun
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you work in Middleburg?
Yes. We work throughout Middleburg and the surrounding hunt country from our office in Aldie, in Loudoun County.
Can landscape lighting be dark-sky friendly?
Yes. We use shielded, warm-white fixtures, aim them carefully, and light only what needs it, so the night sky stays dark.
Will lighting bother my horses, neighbors or passing drivers?
It shouldn’t. We keep light off pastures, neighboring properties and roads. We can also do a light trespass study if you request one.
Do I need approval before installing?
It depends on your property. The Town of Middleburg’s zoning ordinance includes outdoor lighting standards, and in the town’s Historic District, exterior changes visible from a public street need a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Historic District Review Committee before work begins. Easements or HOA rules may also apply. Please confirm with the Town’s Planning & Zoning staff before installing. We can prepare a lighting plan and fixture specifications for any review.
Do I need to be home for the design visit?
Only at the start, so we can walk the property together and hear what you want.
How do I get started?
Start with your complete design, free. Get My Free Design Plan or call 703-636-5225.
Projects in other locations
Our Process
- Request your design. Tell us about your property online or call 703-636-5225. Daytime phone photos help.
- We study your property. Before we arrive, we look at aerial views and your photos.
- Your design visit. We walk the property with you and talk through the features you want lit, your budget and what matters most. You only need to be there at the start.
- Your complete design and proposal. Back at the office, we finish the drawings and photo renderings, shaped by your feedback, with a detailed proposal.
- Working documents. A wire diagram, a control schedule and an exact fixture schedule.
- Installation. Our crews install fixtures from Sterling Lighting and aim every light.
- Check-up visit. Within six months, we come back for a free inspection.
