Conservatories For All

You had a dream of adding a conservatory on to your home.  You chose a conservatory style, discussed design at length, put up with quite a bit of domestic disruption and finally you have it – the beautiful conservatory you have been waiting for.  All you need to do now is to get the decor right and you will have an addition to your home that you will be proud of and which will become a very comfortable focal point of your home.

There are quite a few strands involved in decorating a conservatory and they all should be given some consideration.  Wall colour (of the non-glazed walls), floor type, blinds, furniture, lighting and plants will all play a part in getting the atmosphere right in your conservatory.  Thought also has to be given to the function that you see your conservatory serving, be it as a leisure or relaxing room, a dining area, an office area, or perhaps a mixture of quite a few activities.

Furniture For Conservatories:
Your conservatory, due to the nature of it’s construction, may be subjected to greater variations in temperature change, sunlight and condensation levels than the rest of your home and your selection of furniture should reflect this.

There are many types of furniture such as rattan, cane and metal furniture that can withstand a lot of sunlight, temperature changes and possible condensation without becoming damaged.  Furniture such as all weather resin wicker patio furniture has an advantage over metal in that their use in the making of furniture means that the furniture is light and easily moved.  However metal conservatory furniture such as cast aluminium patio furniture can be softened with cushions and throws and is very attractive and solid looking in a conservatory.  Soft and hardwood timber are other furniture options.

Not only should your interior furniture compliment your conservatory, but attractive outdoor patio furniture, such as tables and chairs and patio umbrellas should help to give your conservatory an attractive, lived in appearance.

Choose furniture that compliments the style of conservatory that you have built and also the use that you intend the conservatory to be for.

Floors For Conservatories:
There are many different floor types that can be chosen for a conservatory and they range from hard wearing tiled floors to carpeted areas that can be very plush.  The main consideration when choosing a floor is the intended use you have for your conservatory.  If you intend the conservatory to be an extension to the garden, with kids coming in from the pool, pets wandering in and out and general mayhem and fun being had by all, then go for a hard wearing floor that is easy to clean.  You don’t want to be the spoilsport at the party, telling everyone to take off their shoes or they will spoil the beautiful pine flooring, now do you?

On the other hand if you have a quality, double glazed, uPVC conservatory that will have little or no condensation and good quality blinds to keep out the strong sunlight, then feel free to put down that luscious walnut floor or the deep pile carpet that will wow your dinner guests as they sit around your beautiful dining table with fantastic views of your garden.

You see, the options are myriad.  Just keep in mind what will be the most comfortable and suitable floor for you and your family.

Blinds For Conservatories:
Your wall will mainly consist of glazing and perhaps your roof also, so it is safe to say that you really should fit conservatory blinds in your conservatory.  My parents have a conservatory and they never had blinds fitted.  But their conservatory faces north, so sunlight is not so much of an issue and they also look out onto a walled in and very secluded garden, so privacy is not an issue either.

During daylight hours, you may not mind your conservatory being open for all to see, but at night time, when your conservatory is lit up from within, you may rather be able to let your blinds down in order to give you extra seclusion.

Conservatory blinds for windows and conservatory roof blinds come in a wide range of colours and styles.  They can be operated manually or remotely. They can be made of material, be pleated, or can be wooden blinds and can be treated to help repel the sun’s heat.  Bottom up blinds are also becoming very popular for use in caonservatories.  The choice is huge and can be difficult to make, as the blinds you select will impact greatly on the ambiance you create.

Lighting For Conservatories:
Lighting again will help create a mood in your conservatory and you may wish that mood to be relaxing and subdued, vibrant and lively, or something in between .

Conservatory lighting is available in the same huge range as interior domestic lighting is available – anything is possible and the one fact to consider is that you will most likely not need any lighting during the daytime, even on the dullest days, due to the amount of glazing in the walls and possibly also the ceiling.

Plants For Conservatories:
Plants in a conservatory are exquisite and in many ways are the reason conservatories came to be.  You can brighten up any room with a nice array of bright flowers and healthy green plants and conservatories are no different.

There are some factors to be taken into consideration when choosing plants for your conservatory.  The  amount of space you have should be an important consideration.  Tropical rubber plants look lovely in a large conservatory for example, but could make a smaller conservatory appear cramped.

When decorating a conservatory the type of flooring in your conservatory has to be considered.  Ideally if you want to have a lot of plants in your conservatory, a tiled floor would be the most sensible option as plants do like a lot of water, especially in warm weather.

Finally in considering the fact that a lot of plants do like water, a thought should go as to whether you will be there to give them a regular watering.  If you are away from home quite a bit, perhaps you should confine the plants in your conservatory to hardy types that do not need a lot of care and attention.

Selecting a conservatory for your home should be all about you.  There is a variety of different types and styles of timber and uPVC conservatories on the market, some of which we described in ‘Selecting A Conservatory Style – Part 1‘.

Here are more of the most popular types and styles of conservatories people favour today, whether they select to build a bespoke sunroom or a sunroom that they select in a conservatories sale.

Pavilion Conservatories
The pavilion conservatory has three sides and a square or rectangular footprint.  It can also be called a gable or gable fronted conservatory. It is a simply designed structure, which most normally projects from the house at right angles.  The roof slopes at each side to a central ridge point which, when it comes to the outer side of the conservatory, it leaves a side that is similar in appearance to the gable of a house, with a vertical instead of a sloping conservatory roof.

Good use of floor space, generous ceiling height and excellent light capacity due to the large glass area to the front are features of a pavilion conservatory.  These conservatories can give a great sense of presence to a home.

Orangeries - The Ultimate In Conservatory Luxury. Image courtesy of www.marston-and-langinger.com

Gull Wing Conservatories
The gull wing style of conservatory has 3 sections normally to the front, (a centre flat section and an angled section on each side).  The centre section can be stretched to suit the size of conservatory you require.

This type is also known as a stretched front Victorian conservatory and the fact that the Victorian style is often evident in these conservatories gives them an attraction.  Also the angled corners can give a softer look to gull wing conservatories as opposed to lean-to conservatories.

P-Shaped, T-Shaped, B-Shaped and L-Shaped Conservatories
With some conservatory manufacturers you would be forgiven for thinking that there was a spelling competition in progress at times.  Simply put, the letter used to denote the type of conservatory, indicates the shape of the floor area, hence a P-shaped conservatory has a floor area shaped like the letter P, etc.

You can have a Victorian P-shaped conservatory or an Edwardian T-Shaped conservatory and so on. Other names to describe these types of conservatories would be ‘link’ or ‘combination’ conservatories.

The advantage of these types of conservatories is that they can be combined to suit your individual needs.  For example a P-shaped conservatory could consist of a lean-to conservatory with a Victorian conservatory appendage which gives you the utilitarian advantages of the lean-to section coupled with the decorative look and ornate features that the Victorian portion would bring.

Lantern Roof Conservatories.
A lantern roof conservatory adds a finish to a large conservatory.  It comprises a second roof as such, set up into the first roof, with the two roofs being separated by a row of windows.

The advantage of such a feature is that it gives height to a conservatory and allows in extra light and can let in extra ventilation also if this is incorporated into the design.

Orangeries
Orangeries are not conservatories as such, but in the present day, the name is used to evoke a type of traditional conservatory that would be from the lean-to family of design.

Bespoke Conservatories
Do not get confused. When a conservatory manufacturer tells you that you can have a bespoke conservatory, it really means that you can have whatever design you would like for your own conservatory, but if it is outside of the conservatory templates that they have in stock, then you will pay, possibly quite a lot more, for the pleasure.

This is a nice alternative to be able to have designed for your home.  Your individual tastes will be accommodated with regard to all of the design features you would like to see incorporated into your conservatory.

Hopefully these short description of the different types and styles of conservatories are of help to you in choosing the type of conservatory you might like.  You might find some more useful ideas regarding conservatories at ‘A Dozen Conservatory Tips – Part 1‘ and ‘A Dozen Conservatory Tips – Part 2‘.

Once your conservatory is built, you will have the very enjoyable task of selecting furniture and conservatory blinds to put in it as part of the overall plan of decorating your conservatory.  The type of furniture you select will depend on several factors.  Your conservatory style will greatly affect the type and style of furniture that you would like to place in it.  If you are trying to extend a theme throughout your Victorian conservatory for instance, then you will want period furniture or Victorian style furniture in evidence. Traditional conservatories will require furniture that is not contemporary in order to look in place.  We have seen conservatories furnished with every piece of conceivable furniture from period Queen Anne pieces to retro chairs.  It depends on your taste and the ambiance you wish to achieve

The use you want to make of your conservatory will obviously have to be considered.  Whether you plan on using your conservatory as an office space or as a dining area for example, will alter the choices of pieces you will want to have on display.

Last but not least, you may have to keep in mind the amount of money that you can spend on furniture when decorating conservatories.  There are many different types of furniture and prices vary enormously.  Be sure to shop around and take into account the fact that whichever furniture you select will be exposed to sunlight and temperature variations.  Temperature variations can, with the use of modern portable electric heaters and conservatory blinds be  properly controlled which does give you more choices.  The following are some of the more popular types of furniture for conservatories.

Dining Furniture for Conservatories. Image courtesy of www.alfresia.co.uk

Metal Furniture For Conservatories
Metal is a very popular material for conservatory furniture as it is very strong, capable of withstanding all weather and temperature extremes and can be made into any shape or type of furniture. Other advantages of metal furniture are that is can be brought outside and left there when required without fear of damage, can easily be re-painted and needs very little maintenance.

Disadvantages with regard to metal furniture would be the fact that it is so hard, needing cushions or throws to be comfortable and also that it can be very cold or hot depending on the weather.

Cane Furniture For Conservatories
Cane is a natural material that is very suited to conservatory furniture, as it is very strong and yet is not a heavy dense timber.  This makes for furniture that is easy to move around and yet will last a long time.  There are also many types and designs of cane furniture available on the market.

People find that they move furniture around more in their conservatory, to get closer to the garden in the summer or to make the living space cosy in the winter months.  Cane furniture is ideal for ease of movement and can be brightened up with colourful cushions and throws. Cane most often only needs a wipe down with a damp cloth to stay looking good for many years.

Mango Chair suitable for Conservatories. Image courtesy of www.netfurniture.co.uk

Wooden Furniture For Conservatories
One of the most appealing features of wooden furniture is that individual pieces have an appeal that metal and plastic furniture cannot compete with. Wooden furniture has natural colours that blend in with the natural colours of your garden. Wood furniture does give a character to a conservatory that can be much harder to achieve with other types of furniture.

However wooden furniture will need more care, attention and maintenance than other types of conservatory furniture.  Teak is the most popular hardwood for conservatory furniture as it is resistant to rot, mould and other damage. Softwood furniture in particular is susceptible to the extremes of weather and can crack and warp due to temperature changes or humidity.  Hardwood furniture is a better bet but will be more expensive and heavier.

Rattan Furniture For Conservatories
Rattan is similar to cane and bamboo or and is a palm plant, which is mostly grown in Asia and Africa.  Quality rattan furniture is again lightweight and strong and will last a long time.  Similar to cane it is easy to move around and is tolerant of temperature changes.

Rattan is resistant to humid conditions and strong sunlight.  It is comfortable to use and is available in many colour choices. One of the best features about rattan furniture is that you can give it a wash with soapy water, leave it outside to dry and it is ready to go again.

Indoor And Outdoor Furniture for Conservatories. Image courtesy of www.lauraashley.com

Wicker Furniture For Conservatories
Wicker is not a certain type of plant, like cane or rattan, but a process of making furniture from some sort of plant based material.  Rattan can be used in wicker furniture and Willow is also a popular choice of material for wicker furniture.  Wicker furniture is made in a finer style than cane or rattan, and so it can look better, but may not be as strong, or as capable at with standing extreme sunlight and humidity.

Resin Furniture for Conservatories
Resin Furniture looks like wicker furniture, but in fact is a man-made product, which is much stronger than wicker.

Lloyd Loom Furniture For Conservatories
This furniture comprises wire wrapped around by a strong paper material, which is then shaped into furniture.  It may not sound like much, but is in fact very strong and long lasting.

The advantages of Lloyd Loom furniture is that is can be made in a large variety of colours and shapes. It is however a heavier type of furniture conservatories than some of the other types mentioned here.

Plastic Furniture for Conservatories
The main advantage of plastic furniture is that it is relatively cheap compared to most other types of furniture.  It can come in many colors and styles such as faux bamboo furniture for example, and is lightweight and easily moved.It is pretty durable and can be left outside if you wish.

However the disadvantages are probably fairly obvious also.  As it is light it is not very strong and can buckle or break quite easily.  Colour can fade also with prolonged exposure to sunlight. There are different qualities of plastic furniture available and it does depend on how much you are willing to spend, as to how much the disadvantages stated will become evident over time.

These are just some of the types of furniture that you can put in a conservatory.  Many people mix and match their furniture, perhaps putting something like a pine kitchen table or even a  pine dresser into their conservatory as a centrepiece and working from there.  At the end of the day, it is all a matter of personal choice.

Edwardian Conservatories. Image courtesy of www.suffolkconservatories.co.uk

Old Victorian Conservatories. Image courtesy of www.oakconservatories.co.uk

Victorian Style Conservatories - Interior. Image courtesy of www.pshomeimprovements.co.uk

Edwardian Conservatories. Image courtesy of www.conservatorydesign.co.uk

There are many different types of conservatories on the market today.  For a description of Victorian conservatories , Edwardian conservatories and other popular styles of conservatories, have a look at ‘Selecting A Conservatory Style‘.

There are many ways to approach the selecting and building of a conservatory for your home.  We have already listed some tips that may be of help to you in ‘A Dozen Conservatory Tips – Part 1‘.  Here are a few more.

Tip 7: Make the effort to match the materials of your conservatory to your existing residence.  This will help bond the two and make the new conservatory blend in to the property, be it a gull wing conservatory, a gable conservatory or whatever style you favour.  That is not to say that if your existing residence has rattling timber windows, that you should follow suit in your conservatory, there are many beautiful uPVC conservatories on the market, but such things as old brickwork, with a bit of search in your local salvage yard, could be matched and it would be well worth the effort.  If you see en excellent offer in a conservatories sale for a sunroom, be sure that it will fit in with your residence before you purchase on a whim.

Tip 8: Consider very carefully what you envisage the end product to be used for. In your finished conservatory, do you hope to be relaxing in your armchair everyday, reading your newspaper?  Perhaps you see the conservatory as studio or office, or some other place that you can work.  Maybe it is going to be that room that you can cordon off the kids into, so that you can keep a safe eye on them.  The choice is yours, but if you have a very good idea now what you expect from your conservatory, there is less chance that you will make an error with regard to size, style, position of doorways, type of lighting, etc.

The Beautiful Character Of Old Wooden Conservatories. Image courtesy of www.leantoconservatories.com

Tip 9: As well as marking out on the ground the area of the proposed conservatory, try to imaging what it will be like in the conservatory when you are sitting down, and standing up.  Better still get a chair and sit down in the area you have marked out and be sure you will be still able to see all you want to see if for instance there are dwarf walls around the lower portion of your proposed conservatory.  Why not get a few sheets of cardboard and build some imaginary sections of walls if you really want to be sure. Now is the time to get it right.

Tip 10: When your conservatory is completed, you hope to make a lot of use of it and it will be part of your residence for many years to come. Following on from our point above that now is the time to get it right we might say, ‘Spend what you can on building your conservatory’.  There are obviously different qualities of materials out there with regard to uPVC, timber and perhaps most importantly, glazing. uPVC conservatories with quality glazing will protect you and your family from the sun’s harmful rays and also help insulate your conservatory.   Spend the money on insulation now and you will save money on cooling and heating equipment later.

Tip 11: Don’t’ forget that people should insure conservatories adequately whether they are custom built or self build conservatories, in the same way that they insure the rest of their residence.

Tip 12: Ventilation is vitally important to conservatories, both for your comfort and to ensure that there is not a build up of condensation.  There are various methods of ensuring that your conservatory is adequately ranging from the humble vents to luxurious air conditioning.

There are many other suggestions out there that you could consider when selecting and building a conservatory.  A bit of research on different types of conservatories will yield a wealth of information that you will be able to put to good use as you start working on creating your beautiful living space.

There are many ways to approach the selecting and building of a conservatory for your home.  Below are listed 12 of our favourite tips that you could consider before and while you are building a conservatory.  Choosing to build a conservatories, whether it be a Victorian conservatories or a lantern roof conservatories, is a major decision because undoubtedly it is your hope to have many years of enjoyment from your investment.

Tip 1: When you are listening to the supplier telling you what the size of your conservatory will be, be sure to check whether he is talking about internal or external measurements.  I know that suppliers love to talk in terms of external measurements, and why wouldn’t they?  But it is the floor area that you are interested in, and there is quite a difference between the two.

Tip 2: In your enthusiasm for the project, do not forget that you may have planning issues with regard to building your conservatory.  Not necessarily, but maybe.  For your own sake find out whether or not you need planning permission before commencing to erect your Edwardian, double hipped, B-shaped conservatory!  Do not take the word of your installer on this.

Attractive T-shaped Conservatories. Image courtesy of www.taylormadeconservatories.com

A look around at what your neighbours have erected in terms of extensions and conservatories will give you an idea of what is acceptable in your area.  However the best way to find out about this issue is to ask.  Call in to your local planning authority or write to them, letting them know what you are planning and ask them if you need planning permission for a conservatory.  If you get a positive answer, ask for it to be put in writing and keep a copy of the reply – this avoids any problems later.

Tip 3: This is relevant when you are building anything, a residence, an extension, or in this case, a conservatory.  Mark out on the ground with pegs and a string, or a shake of lime, the internal walls of the conservatory.  This will give you a good on the ground idea of what you are going to have and the amount of space there will be for furniture, etc.

Tip 4: A tricky one this.  It is easy to make such wise statements as– ‘Do not necessarily go for the cheapest option’ and ‘One gets what one pays for’.  It is highly tempting for anyone to go for the cheapest quote or to go for the least expensive sunroom on offer in a conservatories sale, and they probably should not, unless they have a bit of knowledge in building matters, or unless they spotted the builder taking off his balaclava before he came to their front door. Just kidding!

There is no doubt that the cheapest quote you receive may contain some (or quite a few) hidden tripwires. If you are unsure about the differences between various quotes, you could consider getting someone, perhaps now retired, that you know who has some experience in building matters to look over the quotes for you for a small fee.

Know what you absolutely want in your conservatory, make a list of those items and make these the non-negotiable issues.  When you want the conservatory finished by, may well be one of these issues – ‘I know I said I would be finished for the summer – but I didn’t say which summer’ is not something you want to hear from your installer.

Tip 5: This is a bit technical, but we are told it is a very good point.  Insert a ‘cavity tray’ into the wall above the level of where your conservatory roof is going to be.  This will prevent rain driven moisture from getting down the inside of your cavity walls and then re-appearing in your conservatory.

Tip 6: When you are planning a conservatory try to place doors so that your conservatory does not take on the appearance of a hallway. We have seen what should be beautiful living areas ruined, because the all of the furniture is shoved back against the sides so as to allow traffic pass through. Above all, your conservatory is a room.  If you are building a beautiful pavilion conservatory simply to have four doors to different places, then just building a corridor might be a cheaper option.

If you would like to continue reading our tips, please follow on to ‘A Dozen Conservatory Tips – Part 2‘.

Selecting a conservatory for your home should be all about you.  There is a variety of different types and styles of conservatories on the market, and by the time you add in the various construction materials that can be used, the myriad of colours that can be incorporated into the conservatory blinds, fabrics and furniture and all of the other variables involved, the conservatory you end up with on your property can be as individual as you would like it to be.

So what type of conservatory do you think that you would like.  What type of home do you live in? – is it a period or period-style property? What is your homes’ topographical aspect?  If you want your conservatory to be on the sunny facing side of the residence, then depending on whether that is the front, rear or side of the house, this may dictate a certain style of conservatory to you.   Is your home single story or a bungalow type dwelling? – there are conservatories to suit all types and it will often come down to a personal preference.  Whether you decide to build a bespoke conservatory or to purchase a sunroom at a knock down price in a conservatories sale these are all questions you will want to answer.

Below we have compiled a list of the most common types of conservatories as a launching pad for you to start considering which type of conservatory may suit you.

The Pleasure Of Eating In Conservatories - image courtesy of www.tanglewoodconseratories.com

Victorian Conservatories
These are probably one of the most popular and most versatile types of conservatories. It normally has three, or maybe, but less common, five facets (sides) at the front, a bit like a curved bay window and it has a steeply pitched roof and ornate ridge details.

One advantage of a Victorian conservatory (see image) is that the front facets give it a rounded, softer appearance and it can work equally well in a large garden or in a smaller garden or patio where space may be an issue. This attribute is what makes it one of the most frequently seen conservatories. It can also work well in a corner position of a residence, again because the rounded front helps diffuse sharp angles.

Edwardian Conservatories
Edwardian conservatories, (a.k.a. Regency and Georgian conservatories), are similar in style and ornate design to Victorian conservatories, except that they are rectangular in shape, which gives them a strong clean shape, as was preferred in the Edwardian era. The rectangular shape gives Edwardian conservatories (see image) an advantage over Victorian conservatories, with regard to better use of floor space. Confusion can arise when one removes the corner of an Edwardian conservatory to give it a Victorian look.

Victorian & Edwardian Double Hipped Conservatories are similar in style and have the same features and advantages as normal Victorian or Edwardian conservatories. The difference is to be found in the roof design of a double hippd conservatory, where in addition to being sloped at the sides, it  is also sloped at the rear.  This allows it to be incorporated into a building where a standard conservatory would have height restrictions.

Lean-to Conservatories
A Lean-to conservatory is a very uninspiring name and one  that for me evokes visions of a cattle shed rather than a conservatory style, but thankfully when your friends do ask, you can describe it as a Mediterranean style or a garden room conservatory instead.  Sunroom conservatories and sun lounges also come under the  heading lean to conservatory.

The style  of the lean to conservatory is timeless and unfussy, rectangular or square in shape and with a single roof pitch. It has been a popular style since conservatories started being used and is very used still to the present day. Decorative detail can be added to give a more substantial appearance. The lean to conservatory, due to its simple nature, is very flexible and has a modern feel. It can be used in most any situation and makes very good use of ground space.  One additional feature of this type of conservatory is that it is cost effective to build.

For more conservatory styles and types, have a look at our follow on article, ‘Selecting A Conservatory – Part 2‘.