BEHIND THE SCENES

Back in 2016, festoon light bulb options were limited. With the bare filament look becoming so popular in the last 2 years there are many more options now… yet we still believe our dimmable, shatter-proof LED Festoon Bulb is one of the best you can buy!

Here, we look back at why and how we tested festoon light bulbs to bring you our timeless essential.

A FRUSTRATING START

We started with two bulb options.

Plastic festoon light bulbs that looked cheap, so didn’t match our clientele. Or beautiful, traditional glass filament bulbs… that were too fragile for regular transport and installation.

Neither would do for the expectations and rigours of the Event and Rental Industry! So in true Event Shed style, we sought a better solution through innovation.

OUR FESTOON LIGHT BULB WISH LIST

Out initial wish list was small.

  • An LED rather than incandescent bulb.
    • With power in such demand at temporary and outdoor events, we wanted to reduce our power draw.
  • The ability to dim the bulb.
    • Event atmosphere relies heavily on lighting so a dimmable bulb was essential for memorable and versatile celebrations.
  • A shatter-proof bulb.
    • For improved safety and to reduce costs in bulb replacements and build time.
  • Must look like a traditional filament bulb.
    • Otherwise clients wouldn’t want it!
TESTING OUR WISH LIST

Evaluating 35 festoon light bulbs to source the best, we soon learned that those wishes had knock-on effects…

LEDs

Traditionally LEDs give off a very cold light. Finding one that gave a warm glow was really important to us for creating atmosphere at temporary events. Colour temperature is measured in Kelvin, the lower the number, the warmer the light. A warm light is considered 2700K, where our LED Festoon Bulb is 2200K… very warm!

The Ability to Dim

Dimmer functionality is not all equal! Some end very abruptly or jump in increments. We chose a festoon light bulb that dims very smoothly and discretely.

Shatter-Proof Plastic

We had fun throwing the bulbs off our mezzanine floor to check they were shatter-proof and still worked afterwards – they did! The shatterproof plastic also had to have great clarity.

We compared sizes, shapes and how close each LED bulb came to mimicking a filament bulb.

TRIED AND TESTED VERSATILE BENEFITS OF AN EVENT SHED FESTOON LIGHT BULB
  • Energy efficiency – LED 2 Watt, equivalent to 20W filament bulb (energy rating A+)
  • G45 (globe shape, 45mm diameter)
  • E27 base (screw fitting, 27mm diameter)
  • Very warm light (2200 Kelvin)
  • Dimmable
  • Shatter-proof, with a long life
  • Suitable for indoor and outdoor use
  • Lightweight, putting minimal strain on electrical connections
  • 27% ROI excluding transport and storage
  • CE marked
  • A year’s warranty on manufacturers defects
Festoon Lighting Strands at an Outdoor Celebration
Festoon Lighting Strands at an Outdoor Celebration
Festoon Lighting Strands within Sperry Tent
Festoon Lighting Strands within a Sperry Tent
BUYING OPTIONS

Our LED Festoon Bulbs are available to buy online and we now sell Festoon Strands and Festoon Starter Cables too. They have been through the same rigorous Event Shed analysis as our bulbs, the perfect combination!

CREATING AN OUTDOOR EVENTS TERRACE

THE APPEAL OF OUTSIDE EVENT TERRACES

Outside event terraces have become very popular here in the UK in recent years. And what’s not to love?

Firstly, there’s the additional celebration space they create.

Secondly, they offer a unique creative outlet at events.

They hint at outdoor activities and encourage guests to move around.

Not forgetting it gives the hope or certainty (depending on location!) of relaxing with friends in the sun!

BUT WHY A TERRACE RATHER THAN JUST A NATURAL OUTDOOR AREA?

Outdoor living is understandably popular in reliably sunny places like California and the Algarve.

Yet despite our well-known weather in the UK, the concept has become very popular here in recent years.  Exterior design is the key, bringing the character of the inside space into a defined area outside. It’s no longer enough to just go out on an expansive lawn!

Bars, restaurants and hotels – permanent venues – often start with the advantage of a structure. Relaxed seating on decking, quirky roof beer gardens and intimate balconies for dining all flourish.

But the events industry has to be a bit more creative in defining an area and designing it’s character…

EVENT SHED’S OUTSIDE EVENTS TERRACE

Event Shed’s outside events terrace is beautiful in all its simplicity, or dressed up to the nines. It complements marquess, teepees, stretch tents and sailcloth tents perfectly. It is also a practical temporary addition to venues with grass areas.

Basic outside events terrace
Simple Outside Events Terrace (Lucy Davenport Photography)

Here’s what we used to build the basic outside events terrace shown:

  • 3 polypropylene PapaFlex mats, 10.5x2m (colourfast, waterproof and durable!)
  • A roll of PapaShop Plastic Underlay (damp proof membrane)
  • 10 of PapaShop’s Giant Shepherd Crooks

We sell all these items online.

CUSTOMISATION

If you want to personalise your outside events terrace, the sky’s the limit! As a starter…

Festoon lights are really effective strung between the Giant Shepherd Crooks to border the space. Lanterns, paper globes, bunting, etc, all enclose the space brilliantly too.

Chill out Furniture with throws, rugs, cushions and coffee tables offer unlimited scope to bring in some colour… as do foliage and flowers!

More formal furniture can be added for dining, such as tables and benches or our Oak Crossback Chairs.

And finally, our Outdoor Firepits can be positioned close by, a guaranteed way to draw people towards the outside events terrace!

INSPIRATION

Pinterest is a great place for further daecorating ideas, but we we’ll leave you with a photo of one of our all-time favourite outside event terraces…

Outside Events Terrace
Beautifully enhanced outisde events terrace (Alister Freeman Photography)