How to light a conservatory or garden room
Quick answer
In a conservatory, put wall lights on the solid house wall, where they wash brick or plaster with warm light and make the room feel cosy at night; avoid bright lights that turn the glass into a mirror. In a garden room, plan wall lights before the walls are boarded, choose fittings suited to damp or cold, and have the supply installed by a registered electrician.
Conservatories and garden rooms are glorious by day and often disappointing by night. Glass walls give you nowhere to fix a light, the roof is too thin or sloping for a pendant, and after dark the glass reflects every bright bulb back at you. With a little planning, wall lights can make these rooms as good in the evening as they are in the morning.
Where should lights go in a conservatory?
On the solid wall of the house. It is usually the only full-height solid wall, and lighting it gives the room a warm, enclosed feel at night. A pair of wall lights either side of the door into the house is a classic arrangement. Professional guidance such as the SLL Lighting Handbook explains how lit walls change how a space is perceived [5].
How do you stop reflections in the glass at night?
- Keep lights low and soft; dim them in the evening.
- Choose shades that hide the bulb, so the glass reflects a soft glow rather than bright points.
- Light the solid wall rather than pointing light at the glass.
- Add blinds if you want privacy as well as fewer reflections.
Do conservatory lights need Building Regulations approval?
The Welsh Government explains that conservatories are normally exempt from Building Regulations if they are at ground level, under 30 square metres, thermally separated from the house, and have no fixed heating, but the exemption still requires that glazing and any fixed electrical installations comply with the regulations [1]. In England, electrical safety in homes is covered by Part P [2]. Use a registered electrician.
- 1Wall lights either side of the doors, outside the glass, light the approach and the room.
- 2Big glazed doors: at night, low light reduces reflections.
- 3Choose fittings rated for the conditions if the room gets damp or cold.
- 4A garden room supply is usually a new circuit, which is notifiable electrical work.
- 5A path or deck lit by the spill from the wall lights.
How do you light a garden room or garden office?
Plan the lighting while the walls are open, before they are boarded, so cables can be run neatly. Put wall lights on the solid walls either side of the doors or above a desk; for a home office, see our home office lighting guide. A garden room usually needs its own supply from the house, which is a job for a registered electrician. If a room is unheated or damp, choose fittings rated for the conditions; our guide to IP ratings explains what the numbers mean.
A builder's view of wiring and lighting a garden room before the plasterboard goes on, which is the best time to plan where wall lights will go [4].
Video: The Garden Room Guru, “The ultimate how to build a garden room series part 6, halo lighting and plaster boarding”, via YouTube.
Which wall lights suit a conservatory or garden room?
Natural, botanical and coastal shapes echo the garden outside, and soft plaster glows warmly against brick or timber. For a damp or unheated room, check that any fitting is suitable for the conditions.
These designs from our Shrewsbury studio bring the garden indoors. Each comes as shade only, battery LED with a remote, or UK mains hardwired.
Which bulbs suit a conservatory?
Warm white LED, about 2700K, for evening use. LED bulbs are far more efficient than old bulbs, as the Energy Saving Trust explains, and choosing by lumens helps you avoid lights that are too bright for a glass room [3]. Battery wall lights are useful on a wall with no wiring; see battery wall lights that look hardwired.
Exempt?
Many small conservatories are exempt from Building Regulations, but fixed electrics must still comply [1].
Find
Use the solid house wall, or the solid walls of a garden room.
IP
In damp or unheated rooms, choose fittings rated for the conditions.
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Conservatory | A mostly glazed room attached to a house. |
| Thermal separation | Walls, doors or windows of external quality between conservatory and house [1]. |
| Garden room | A separate building in the garden, often used as an office or studio. |
| IP rating | A code showing how well a fitting resists dust and water. |
| Reflection | At night, glass reflects interior lights like a mirror. |
Good to know
Common questions
Where do you put lights in a conservatory?
On the solid house wall, often a pair either side of the door into the house.
How do I stop my conservatory glass reflecting at night?
Use low, soft, shaded lights on dimmers, light the walls rather than the glass, and add blinds.
Do I need building regs for conservatory lighting?
Even if the conservatory is exempt, fixed electrical installations must still comply. Use a registered electrician.
Can I use plaster wall lights in a conservatory?
Yes in a heated, dry room. In a damp or unheated room, choose a fitting suitable for those conditions.
Sources
References and further reading
Harvard style. Web pages were checked on the access date shown.
- Welsh Government (n.d.) Building regulations: conservatories. Available at: www.gov.wales/building-regulations-conservatories (Accessed: 10 November 2026).
- Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (2013) Electrical safety: Approved Document P. Available at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/electrical-safety-appr... (Accessed: 8 October 2026).
- Energy Saving Trust (n.d.) Energy saving light bulbs and lighting. Available at: energysavingtrust.org.uk/advice/lighting/ (Accessed: 8 October 2026).
- The Garden Room Guru (n.d.) The ultimate how to build a garden room series part 6, halo lighting and plaster boarding [Video]. YouTube. Available at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZ5FQBfec1I (Accessed: 10 November 2026).
- Society of Light and Lighting (2018) SLL Lighting Handbook. London: CIBSE.
How to cite this article
van Locke, J. (2026) ‘How to light a conservatory or garden room’, The Flare Journal. Flare Studio UK. Available at: https://flarestudio.uk/blogs/journal/conservatory-and-garden-room-lighting (Accessed: 12 November 2026).
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