Fall is a great time to spend in your sunroom, and with the days becoming shorter, a great time to have fun with lighting. Embracing the essence of the fall season, there are fun and creative ways to enhance the mood lighting in your sunroom. Higher levels of lighting generally produce a more stimulating environment with more activity, whereas lower levels tend to create an atmosphere of relaxation, intimacy, and restfulness. Here are three unique lighting ideas to create the perfect mood in your sunroom.
Up Lights/Fairy Lights
Up lights can be used for a variety of effects and on different surfaces, not just on the floor. One of the most popular uses is under a tree or a large plant. It draws attention to the plant while casting fun and intriguing shadows on the ceiling. Another use is to place small “up” lights on top of a high shelf to draw your eye up towards the ceiling. This helps give height to your room and is especially effective with a cathedral ceiling.
Fairy lights are another simple way to turn your sunroom into a cozy fall retreat. Because they give off a soft, twinkling glow instead of a harsh beam, they’re perfect for layering with your up lights—drape them along the window frame, weave them through a fall garland, or tuck them around your vases and pumpkins on the sill. Battery-operated strands are beneficial in a sunroom where outlets may be limited, and many models offer timers that allow you to set them to come on automatically as the sun sets. Together with your up lighting, fairy lights help create that warm, “stay a little longer” ambiance that makes your sunroom a favorite spot on crisp fall evenings.
Don’t have a large plant or high shelves; create your own interesting fall-up light display from items you may already have. If you love this glowing fall window look, here’s exactly how to recreate it step-by-step.
Fall Amber Vase Materials
- 3–5 amber glass bottles or vases (similar shapes, varying heights look best)
- Faux fall branches with:
- Orange/yellow leaves
- Small orange berries
- Loose faux fall leaves (or preserved real leaves)
- Mini pumpkins (real or artificial)
- Several pinecones
- Optional: small fairy lights or tea lights to tuck around the base for extra glow
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Prep the Surface
- Clear and wipe down your window ledge or sunroom shelf.
- Make sure you have enough length to space bottles evenly (about 8–12" apart).
- Place the Amber Bottles
- Line up 3–5 amber bottles in a straight row along the window.
- Stagger them slightly front-to-back if your ledge is deep enough this adds dimension.
- Add the Branches
- Insert one or two fall branches into each bottle.
- Vary the height and angle: let some branches lean slightly toward the glass and others stand straighter for a natural, “just gathered” look.
- Fluff and bend the wired stems so the leaves and berries spread out nicely.
- Create the Leaf Bed
- Around the base of the bottles, tuck loose fall leaves to cover the ledge.
- Overlap them so no bare surface shows; this creates a lush, full “carpet” of color.
- Layer in Pinecones and Pumpkins
- Nestle pinecones into the leaves, especially near the front edge, so they’re easy to see.
- Add one or two small pumpkins (real or faux) near the ends and in between bottles for balance.
- Adjust until the display looks full but not crowded.
- Add Glow for Evening
- Weave a strand of battery-operated fairy lights through the leaves and around the bottle bases.
- Hide the battery pack behind one of the bottles or off to the side.
- When the sun goes down, switch them on for an extra warm, golden glow.
- Place small up lights behind each amber vase for a more dramatic effect.
- Final Styling Check
- Step back and look from different angles (inside the room and from outside, if visible).
- Gently adjust branches so they’re not blocking too much light but still frame the window.
- Make sure colors are balanced. If one side feels heavier, move a pumpkin or pinecone to the opposite side.
Now you’ve got a simple, high-impact fall display that catches the natural daylight by afternoon and feels cozy and warm once your sunroom lights come on at night.
Candles Create Warmth in Your Sunroom
With the availability of battery-operated candles, the options of creating beautiful, safe displays are endless. Now, if you are a traditionalist and won’t have anything to do with battery-operated candles, please never leave your candles unattended; consider using candles that are self-contained in a jar instead. Pairing candles along with leaves, apples, pumpkins, and pinecones on platters, trays, or bowls is fun and simple. Along with the beautiful soft glow of the candles, you can opt for an autumn-inspired scent. From the scent of leaves to the baking of an apple pie, choices are plentiful.
For a quick and easy fall-inspired candle display, take a large clear container, place a candle in the middle, and surround it with your favorite small autumn filler. Think about dried corn, candy corn, acorns, tiny pinecones, pumpkin seeds, cinnamon sticks, etc. Need further inspiration? Check out some of our favorite fall candle displays via our Joyce Pinterest board.
Lamps and Functional Lighting
With the night falling more quickly in the fall, the need for lighting in the evening is greater in your sunroom. Consider the types of activities you enjoy participating in to determine the appropriate amount of lighting needed. If reading a book is a nighttime favorite, a good amount of light is required so that you don’t have to strain your eyes to read. Adding a lamp by your favorite reading spots should solve the problem. The use of a three-level light bulb is helpful as you can then select the level of light accordingly.
Need overhead light for the weekly night of cards, but don’t want to look like a runway strip? Placing a dimmer switch on your overhead light will allow you to adjust the light to the perfect level that is both functional and soothing. The key here is to create accessibility to various levels of lights, suitable for most, if not all, activities.
Don’t Forget About Privacy at Night
One thing many sunroom owners don’t realize until the first dark evening is this:
When you turn the lights on in your sunroom at night, it’s much easier to see into your home from outside.
If privacy is a concern for you, consider:
- Installing shades or blinds designed for sunrooms
- Adding a tall privacy fence outside
- Planting larger hedges or landscaping to act as a natural screen
That way, you can enjoy your cozy, well-lit sunroom in the fall without feeling like you’re on display.
Like the Sounds of a Cozy Lit Sunroom?
If ideas like this have you picturing a sunroom dressed in fall colors all season long, but you’re still wondering, “Could a sunroom work on my home?” or “What would something like this cost?” that’s exactly what we help homeowners figure out every day. The sunroom experts at Joyce can walk you through your options, answer all your “what about…?” questions, and help you decide if a sunroom is the right move for your home and budget—no pressure, just honest answers. When you’re ready to explore what a Joyce sunroom could look like for you, we’d be happy to talk.
