Conservatory lighting? Don’t conservatories get plenty of light anyway?
While conservatories are bathed in natural sunlight during the day, you won’t be able to use them if you don’t have a lighting solution in the evening.
During the winter, darkness can fall as early as 3-4:00 pm and sometimes we only get 7-8 hours of sunlight per day!
If you have or are considering a conservatory roof, you’ll reduce the amount of glass, and therefore, light coming into the room.
In the blog, we will run through the things you should consider before getting your new lighting and what options are available to you.
What to Consider Before You Buy Your Lighting
Conservatory Roof
If you’re thinking of transforming your glass conservatory roof into a solid, tiled roof so you can use the room all year round, you’ll want to consider how you’re going to bring light into the room as you’ll be losing the natural light that passes through a glass roof.
You can take the same approach as you would with a typical room in a house as you’ll have a ceiling to hang a light fixture from; you’ll just need to get your lights wired into your electrical circuit.
If you haven’t got a conservatory roof, but you’re thinking about installing one, you can still welcome natural light into your conservatory with a roof lantern.
Garden Lighting
If you still want your conservatory to connect to the garden, you could add some garden lighting. It’ll create a tranquil, relaxing environment and will add another dimension to your home.
You could also add lights to the exterior of your conservatory to give it some added personality. It’s also practical if you go out into the garden when it’s dark!
The Type of Room
The type of lighting you require will depend on the type of room you want your conservatory to be. If you’re creating a relaxing reading room, you won’t want bright, intrusive lighting, whereas if you’re converting it into a kitchen-cum-dining area, you’ll want plenty of light to elevate the mood.
Conservatory Positioning
While a glass conservatory will tend to get more sunlight than a conservatory with a roof, it all depends on whether the sun is shining! It also depends on the direction the sun shines in. South-facing conservatories will get more natural sunlight as the sun will flow in that direction. A north-facing conservatory will usually be more shaded, so you might need additional lighting during the daytime.
Lighting Style
You’ll want to ensure you get the lighting that matches the style of your room; there’s no point in getting contemporary lighting if your room has a retro feel to it.
Here are some of our favourite conservatory lighting styles:
- Country and rustic – natural, earthy lighting and decor helps bring the outside in and has a quirky, charming feel to it.
- Classical – if you want something a little more luxurious you could go for a chandelier, which adds a touch of class to a conservatory dining area.
- Scandinavian – again, Scandinavian lighting and design is all about blending outside and inside, but in a more subtle, balanced way.
- Nautical – if you have an adventurous side you could use nautical style lighting, which uses a lot of strong brass and rope.
- Minimalist – if you like clean, uncluttered and modern spaces, try using minimalist lighting, which uses basic shapes to blend into the surroundings.
Read our article about the best interior design styles for your conservatory.
Conservatory Lighting Ideas
Low-Level Lighting
If you’re going to use your space to relax or read in, you’ll probably want to consider low-level lighting such as reading lamps – you can choose how many lamps you need and turn them on and off based on how much light you need.
You’ll still be able to see, but the light won’t be too intense; ideal for reading, yoga or meditation. You can use low-level lighting as an additional lighting source and have a primary light source, too.
Floor Lamps
Floor lamps offer a little more coverage as they’re a little higher than table lamps and are usually a little bigger. They benefit from distributing a lot of light through the room while providing a focused light source for any activities you do. Floor lamps would provide coverage for reading but also any arts and crafts activities as well.
Wall Lights
A conservatory will usually have at least one solid wall, so you should be able to install wall lights to add a stylish light source to your room. Unlike reading and floor lamps, they don’t take up any space, so they’re ideal for smaller spaces.
Picture Lighting
If you like art, you could get picture lighting for your walls (if you have them in your conservatory). They won’t provide much use in the practical element of lighting, but they will help add a little ambient lighting and decoration to your room.
Wire Lighting
A modern and exceptionally stylish way to light your conservatory. Wire lights fuse contemporary design with innovative versatility, giving your conservatory an attractive unique look.
LED Strips or Spotlights
LED lighting is extremely cost-effective, so it’s helpful if you’re on a budget, although it can look tacky if you don’t get it right. LEDs are versatile as well, so you can use them on cabinets, roofs and skirting boards.
Spotlights are a little more expensive and may require electrical wiring, but they look stylish and blend into the room. You should be able to pick up dimmable spotlights, which allow you to set the tone in your conservatory.
Fan Lighting
Conservatories are known for being hot in the summer, so you could get two results in one action if you buy a ceiling light that doubles as a fan. You can pick some up for under £100, and they usually come with a remote for easy operation.
Roof Lantern
If you want a stylish, natural light source for your conservatory, you should consider a roof lantern (with a conservatory roof). Roof lanterns look stunning and give conservatories a unique look by combining a roof and a glass window.
How Should You Use a Converted Conservatory?
If you’re planning to convert your conservatory or you have no idea what to do with it, we’ve got a guide that can help you. We run through various conservatory room uses to give you some inspiration!
