A conservatory doesnt need to just be a room that sits on the back of your house and is only used for a few months of the years. However if you invest in a good quality and well designed conservatory or orangery you can have an extension which is suitable for use all day, every day of the year. A conservatory can be a separate room from the rest of the house or it could be used as an extension of your kitchen, living room, or even dining room.
What you plan to use the room for will have some influence over what conservatory furniture you decide to buy to put in the room. It makes sense that if you want to use the conservatory as a chill out room that you buy a comfy sofa or alternatively some traditional conservatory furniture, however if you want to use it as a dining room you will obviously need a table and chair set.
It is not only the furniture which you put into your conservatory that will effect the atmosphere. The conservatory lighting will totally alter the mood and atmosphere within the space.
The most obvious method for controlloing the lighting within the conservatory is to use blinds throughout the day. You can add blinds to the side or the roof of the conservatory, or if you want to, both. Spending a little extra money on some good quality blinds you can not only control the light during the brighter days, but also for controlling the heat when the sun is shining.
Now we have covered how to control the light during the bright days of summer, we will look at lighting options for the evening and during the darker days.
Chandelier - Something that only the larger conservatories can pull off, but something which also creates an amazing focal point in your conservatory that will be sure to wow your guests and make a great talking point. While chandelier's will provide a great conservatory lighting option, most people choose to also use wall lighting with them so that they have a choice of conservatory lighting.
Wall Lighting - The most common form of conservatory lighting that is used. If you have an average sized room, you may need to have around 4 lights installed across the room, which you can run off individual switches or all off the same.
Floor Lighting - Depending on the style of the conservatory it may not be suitable to have wall lights put in, in this case you may opt for a floor standing light which you can use when needed. Any floor standing lights will be ok, just ensure that you buy some which fit the design of your conservatory.
Table Lighting - Not really ideal when used on its own, but a very nice lighting option when combined with a different form of lighting, especially if you are using the conservatory as a dining room for romantic candle lit meals.
Do not ignore the conservatory lighting options if you are planning on adding a conservatory extension to your house at any time in the near furniture, this could totally transform your conservatory. Most people think of a conservatory as being a light room, however if you want to use it during the winter or afternoons you will need to plan the lighting.
