The Importance of Lighting Effects in Your Conservatory - And Their Impact on You

There are plenty of options open to you when deciding how to light lean-to conservatories. You have to think about how you intend to use it, whether it is to catch the sun during summer or for a more all-year-round approach. Those conservatories which are designed to maximize the better weather but aren’t great in the winter are known as three season conservatories. With this type of conservatory more glass is used to maximize the light. Often the glass goes from floor to ceiling. When the temperature drops in late autumn, though, you will find that you feel it in the conservatory unless it is well heated. By using more durable materials and better insulation you can opt for a 4 season conservatory, although of course this will cost a little more. If you intend to use the conservatory all year round you will probably want to run the heating system you use throughout the house into the conservatory. Effectively this is more like an additional room in your home than an ‘add on’. The difference in temperature when a structure is built with a mix of brick and glass is notable although of course the trade off is that the room will not be as light during the brighter months. They may also have solid roofs, which do drastically reduce natural light filling the room from the ceiling; however skylights are an option to get the most out of the summer months. The use of the room will always dictate the best side to err on when looking between light and warmth. An office space will require a different type of light to, say, a TV room because they involve different tasks and require us to use our eyes in different ways. Whichever type of lean-to conservatory you have, there are still options available to you and ways of altering light in your structure. Lighting is intrinsic to the life of the room though. Using combinations of natural light, direct lighting and smaller light sources to highlight decorations or artwork on the wall can create a pleasant ambience and make focal points within the room. Choose the right type of bulbs to create the atmosphere you want. While tungsten lights can feel quite rustic and warm, you will get a more clinical and bright lighting by using either fluorescent or halogen lighting. You need to strike a balance with the amount of electric lighting too. A general calculation is usually: multiply the square metre area of your space by 25 for Tungsten lighting, 15 for halogen or 19 for fluorescent lighting.