Conservatory Lighting

Ceiling Fans  |  Plants    |  Lighting  |  

For many people who add a conservatory onto an existing house or incorporate one into a new build, lighting sometimes can be an afterthought. Their first priority is to maximize the natural light coming into the room from windows and possibly the ceiling roof lights.

Of course, the sun will not shine for the twenty-four hours of the day and provision must be made for nighttime and winter use of the room. Again, it all reverts to your intended use of the conservatory/sunroom. If it is a multi-purpose room then some thought should go into the lighting aspect of the design. For example, the room may double as a second casual dining room. In this case, you will need a central ceiling semi-chandelier type light to flood the table area. If however the room is to be used as a TV room then casual table lamps may be all that you require.

Ceiling height is important in calculating your needs in this respect. All conservatories, and many sunrooms, will have a pitched ceiling, which increases the volume of space that needs to have artificial lighting. It is important to make sure that your room of relaxation has sufficient light to make it ambient and pleasant to be in after dark and in the winter months. In the sunroom situation where the room/ceiling is not transparent, many people choose to use down lighters from the pitched ceiling. These are very effective and discreet and add a modern and chintzy touch to a room that, irrespective of the décor in the rest of the home, will add a flourish to the finish.

A growing trend in Ireland is the addition of ceiling fans, which incorporate lights. These serve a two-fold purpose in ventilating the room and lighting it when required. Most ceiling fans have separate function switches, which allow you have light without a breeze and vice a versa.