Conservatory colours

A largely glazed room where daylight arrives from several directions at once and changes more dramatically across the day and the year than in any other part of the house.

Lighting note: A conservatory receives direct, unfiltered daylight through glass on multiple sides and often overhead, so colours are seen at their brightest and most saturated — and then change completely once the sun moves or the light fades.

What to expect from this room

Far more glazing than wall, so there is often very little painted surface to work with
Strong, direct and highly variable light, including from above, which no other room in the house receives
A visual connection to the garden, which supplies a large and seasonally changing block of colour

Fixed materials: Frame colour — white uPVC, powder-coated aluminium or timber — is usually the single largest colour decision and the hardest to change.

Directions that tend to work: Muted greens and warm neutrals tend to work well because they sit comfortably alongside the garden without competing with it, and hold up under bright direct light that washes out paler colours.

Colours that can be difficult: High-saturation colours can be overwhelming under this much direct light, and very pale colours can bleach out entirely at midday. Colours that clash with foliage green are a particular risk here, because the garden is effectively part of the scheme.

Natural colours Calming colours Cheerful colours

#9caf88

Sage Green

green · medium

#808000

Olive Green

green · deep

#e2725b

Terracotta

orange · medium

#228b22

Forest Green

green · deep

#d2b48c

Tan

neutral · light

#635147

Umber

orange · deep

#b0e0e6

Powder Blue

blue · light

#c4e4e7

Duck Egg Blue

blue · light

#e6e6fa

Lavender

purple · pale

#87ceeb

Sky Blue

blue · light

#98ff98

Mint Green

green · light

#ffff00

Yellow

yellow · medium

Common mistakes

Choosing the colour on an overcast day, when the room is at its least representative
Ignoring the garden, which supplies more colour to the room than the walls do
Forgetting the frames, which are usually the dominant colour and rarely repaintable

Next steps

Judge samples on a bright day as well as a dull one — the difference here is larger than in any other room
Hold the sample against the frame colour and against the view of the garden

Related materials

Glass White Trim

What to expect from this room

Far more glazing than wall, so there is often very little painted surface to work with
Strong, direct and highly variable light, including from above, which no other room in the house receives
A visual connection to the garden, which supplies a large and seasonally changing block of colour

Fixed materials: Frame colour — white uPVC, powder-coated aluminium or timber — is usually the single largest colour decision and the hardest to change.

Common mistakes

Choosing the colour on an overcast day, when the room is at its least representative
Ignoring the garden, which supplies more colour to the room than the walls do
Forgetting the frames, which are usually the dominant colour and rarely repaintable

Next steps

Judge samples on a bright day as well as a dull one — the difference here is larger than in any other room
Hold the sample against the frame colour and against the view of the garden