Conservatory Lighting: Full Review [2023]

During the day and in the brightest parts of the year the last thing you probably think about with regards to your conservatory is the lighting. As conservatories have roofs that are comprised of windows made from glass of another material, along with several other windows around the structure, they benefit from an abundance of natural sunlight. As long as they’re well kept and looked after with a robust conservatory roof cleaner.

However, just as you benefit from all that natural light beaming in while the sun is up, it does mean that your conservatory, without the addition of suitable lighting fixtures, will be bathed in darkness. 

If you are trying to make some decisions about which lighting is best to invest in for your extension, you’ve come to the right place as that’s exactly what we are going to discuss in this post.

Conservatory Lighting Ideas and Different Types of Conservatory Lighting

When it comes to choosing lighting for your conservatory you should see it as something of a blank canvas. There are a wide variety of different options that will all work in an extension. Most are essentially the same kinds of lighting fixtures and solutions you’d have setup in the main parts of your home. Let’s look at some of the best choices:

Floor Lamps

If you are wishing to avoid complicated lighting setups in your conservatory, you could opt for some well-placed floor lamps. They are an especially practical way to get the necessary lighting into your conservatory if you intend on using it predominately for reading. The additional benefit is the little need for a conservatory ladder to put the up as well!

That doesn’t mean they won’t provide enough light for the whole room. Although most offer a focused spotlight as overhead lighting for conservatory chairs so you can read, the light generated is usually strong enough to cover the whole room. However, you may need to invest in more than one to be sure, unless you combine a floor lamp with another fixture outlined below. Check out this favourite from Amazon:

Wire Lighting 

Do you want to have a conservatory that has a very minimalist and contemporary feel? A great way to achieve that kind of ambiance could be the use of wire lighting. Depending on the product you choose, it’s the actual bulb and the candle holding it that are the main feature. With wire lighting, there is usually multiple bulbs connected in a circuit meaning it can produce a greater amount of light, spread out across a greater distance. 

As the lighting is affixed to wiring, there is also a considerable amount of flexibility where you place them and in the pattern you choose to do so. This set from Amazon can bring your place to life:

Pendant Lighting

Are you looking to add a focal point to your conservatory using lighting? Pendant lights are a great way to achieve this. Once you have decided where on the ceiling you want to hang one or multiple numbers of pendant lights, you will have a wide variety of options for shades to choose from. It is quite easy to find one that matches your own unique style and taste, as well as one that fits in with the rest of the furnishings and décor of the conservatory. 

Pendant lights also come in various shapes and sizes, so if you are looking for something more minimalist you can find industrial décor style pendants. Whereas, if you want something very sophisticated that is going to turn heads and give people lasting memories, you could choose a multi-bulb pendant light.

Table Lamps and Other Low-Level Lighting Options

Perhaps you are not interested in having a main source of light for your conservatory. If that is the case, table lamps and other forms of low-level lighting may be just what you need. The more lighting fixtures you have of this kind, the more control you will have over how bright or dull your conservatory is at any given time. 

Smart Lights

Are you a tech-savvy person? You could use some smart lighting for your conservatory, giving you full control over how bright or dull it is in your fingertips. As the technology continues to improve and evolve, there is a greater variety of smart lighting fixtures to choose from. Smart lights can be also be an inexpensive solution, and we’ve heard from friends that have had great success with these set from Phillips:

Spotlights

Spotlights are perfect for conservatories, particularly if you opt for the recessed variety. They can be used to create a warm and inviting atmosphere, with the addition of directional spotlights in key places to provide additional, more focused and practical lighting where it’s needed. 

You could even use these directional lights to highlight key features, such as stonework, a piece of artwork or even your prized conservatory plants. An inexpensive and practical solution, though you can usually pick these up at your local Wickes.

Wall Lighting

If floor space is at a premium in your conservatory and you want to keep as much of it as free as possible, but don’t want to put too much pressure on the ceiling, wall mounted lights are another great option. 

The best position for wall lights is at a medium height so they are not too blindingly bright but can show off the textured wall details of different ornaments, hangings or details on your conservatory walls.

Chandeliers

Really looking to make a statement with your conservatory lighting and want the extension to really feel like an elegant and sophisticate room? Consider a chandelier or two to hang above your conservatory dining furniture. If you find you entertain guests a lot in your conservatory, and want to impress your dinner guests, this is a great way to do it. 

It may be best investing in an alternative to your chandeliers, so you have everyday options as they will not be the most practical lighting fixture for normal activities.

Picture Lighting 

Do you have a lot of space on the walls in your conservatory and lots of artwork to display? You could use the frames of your pieces of art as a place to install picture lighting. While their main purpose is to provide illumination for the pictures, they will also help to light the room. 

Simple styles usually work best, but ensure it goes with the colour scheme of the conservatory:

LED Strip Lights

A more simplistic approach to lighting your conservatory would be to choose something like LED strip lights. These offer you a lot of versatility. You can place them just about anywhere. When we say anywhere, we mean anywhere. What’s more, they are generally very easy to install as they can be affixed anywhere using either 3M adhesive or simple screws. 

We’ve seen a huge jump in smart LED strip lights and at under £20, it’s hard to go wrong:

The downside is that if you were to just use strip lights for illuminating your whole conservatory, it would take a lot. It makes more sense to use them along with one of the other great options we have mentioned above. 

Things To Consider When Choosing Conservatory Lights

Now we’ve looked at the different conservatory lighting options open to you, you probably have a clearer idea of what you want to invest in. To help you further with making the right choice for your extension, we will look at some of the important things you need to consider.

Position of Conservatory 

The amount of natural light your conservatory benefits from will depend on the direction your home and conservatory are facing. If it is south facing, for instance, it will not need as many light fixtures as there will be a sufficient amount of natural light flowing through the windows and roof during the day. If the lighting got too much, then it’s worth investing in a set of best conservatory curtains to help keep it out.

However, if it is north facing, you will have a lot of shaded areas and will undoubtedly need more lighting fixtures. 

Shape of Conservatory Roof

Right at the very point (if indeed you are still in the planning stages of your conservatory) of deciding on the design of your conservatory, the choice you make on the style and shape of the roof will have a bearing on your lighting options. For instance, some ceiling designs are not suitable for having ceiling lighting installed.

The Glazing in Your Conservatory

The type of glass or glazing you choose for your conservatory can also have an impact on how much natural light that is allowed to enter. Rather than just being a purely decision on the aesthetics of your conservatory, then, the choice of the glazing could be crucial to how easy or difficult it is to illuminate your extension. 

Purpose of Your Conservatory

Finally, you also need to think of the purpose of your conservatory when choosing the type of lighting. If, as previously suggested, you are only going to be using it at certain times of the day for certain activities, like reading, you will not need as much lighting than if you are planning on using it for entertaining. 

Hopefully we have helped to make the process of finding the right lighting for your conservatory. You now have an idea of the different options open to you and some of the factors that can affect your decision.