Conservatories have glass walls and ceilings and allow, even in the colder winter months, you to feel as though you’re outdoors with all the comforts of being inside.
A conservatory can thus be seen as a halfway point between your home and your garden, and it’s quite important that it blends aesthetically with both. It can be really rewarding to explore design ideas and options in order to end up with the conservatory that both fits your family’s needs and expresses your personality.
Where to Start Like with any design, it is helpful to start within the parameters that are available to you. Your options for building materials include PVC, aluminium and timber. When deciding on glazing, you could use either polycarbonate or glass, but glass will likely remain cleaner and clearer than the polycarbonate.
You should also consider the amount of space you have to build the conservatory in and how the way you position it will interact with the positioning of the sun. In the Northern Hemisphere, for example, south facing buildings will get the best sun, while positioning that is east facing would get morning sun and south facing rooms could get quite cold in winter and require you to consider other forms of heating.
Conservatory Types
Important in the process is considering the purpose of your conservatory. Adding a conservatory onto your home can provide you with a beautiful exterior space to use as a sun room, a family room or a lounge. Knowing what function the space will fulfil for you is a good way to make design decisions. Also consider that it should function as an extension of your home, and not dominate the original architecture.
There are a number of conservatory types that can inspire you to think about what will best suit your home. Traditional Victorian, Georgian, Edwardian and Orangery designs are types that all have unique characteristics and can be tied to specific historical periods. Victorian designs are known for their rounded shapes, while Georgian designs focus on symmetry and proportions. Edwardian conservatories, on the other hand, often incorporate brickwork and gables, while Orangerys often have a lantern styled roof. There are a number of other shapes and sizes to consider: P-shaped, Domed, Lean, Lantern and Gable are all options to investigate when considering conservatory design.
Interior Design The interior can be furnished to your personal taste – but there are one or two guidelines to keep in mind. Carpets are generally considered to be a bad idea in a conservatory, as the glass walls and ceiling offer little protection from the sun. Similarly, light furniture is a better idea as the sunlight won’t as easily lead to the fading of the fabric’s material. If the sun is less harsh in winter months, you could consider swapping the furniture for darker colours or dressing the furniture with a warmer look for the winter months, by using cushions and throws to bring a different accent colour into the room.
The evolution of your home is a process that you control and oversee, and creating the benefits of a conservatory for you or your family can be a very rewarding process. All that’s left for you to do is get stuck in!
About The Author
Pilkington Glass have manufactured a revolutionary glass – Pilkington Activ™ Neutral and Blue - which displays both solar control and self-cleaning properties and is an excellent choice when considering the materials you will be using for your conservatory.
