Is Building a Conservatory on Your Property one of Your New Year’s Resolutions?

There seems to be nothing quite like the Christmas holidays to highlight problem areas in the home. Although realising that inviting the in-laws was a mistake might be high on the list of discoveries, more practical things, like the need for an extra settee or the need for a whole new room are often highlighted at this time of year.

Most of us end up with more guests over the Christmas and New Year period then we ever expected, or invited for that matter and the small dining room, which feels fairly compact with the normal, everyday allocation of numbers, seems full to bursting and nigh on impossible to manage when family and friends descend on you for the festive season. A few extra feet of space would be very welcome and the realisation dawns that the extension or conservatory that you have always coveted might be the best way forward in the New Year.

You start to dream about what you could do with all of that extra space – a dining area, an extended living space, or kitchen or even an office so that you can comfortably work from home without the need to cram your computer and paperwork into a corner of one of the bedrooms! It’s all coming together –having a conservatory built at the back of your property is now officially your new year’s resolution.

So, what’s hot and what’s not when it comes to conservatories in 2015? All pun’s aside, the temperature of your new conservatory is no longer the issue it might have been in the past. They are so well designed and constructed these days, that it really is a case of being just an extension to your existing space, which can be heated just as well in the winter and air conditioned in the summer months, so it is never too hot and never too cold! The specialist glass, blinds and underfloor heating all play their part well.

What to consider when designing a new conservatory or orangery

1.       The size of the building and its intended purpose – When planning your conservatory, it’s important to decide how big you want it to be and what you want to use it for. For instance, do you want it as an add on to your kitchen, which might enable you to have a kitchen/diner of decent size, or would you prefer it to be the full length of the rear of the property so that it can be turned into a dual purpose area that could be used for dining, sitting, office space or even a play area for the kids. Of course, the size of your plot will have the most bearing on what you can sensibly achieve.

2.       Materials – Next you need to decide how much brickwork you want and how much glass you would like in your conservatory. Most people opt for as much glass as possible as it can deliver not only style but masses of light to your existing building, but ultimately the choice is yours.

Do you opt to continue the style of your existing property or try something more daring?

You probably already have in mind, what your new conservatory extension will look like but it’s important to consider not only the existing style and period of your property but perhaps also those of your neighbours’ houses. Again the choice is yours.

The interior also needs to have the same consideration given to it. Will you match the rest of your home or try something dramatic and new? If you want it to match the rest of your downstairs space in terms of décor, then you can use the same paint colours, curtains and even use similar soft furnishings. If you have light coloured laminate flooring in some of your existing rooms, you need to ensure that you not only match the colour but also the direction of the floor panels.

What can you do with the layout?

Much of this will depend on whatever you've chosen to use your conservatory or orangery for. Will it be used just for sitting and relaxing, dining or used as an office?
Maybe you even plan to have it multifunctional, so that you can achieve all of those things in your new space. You can section off different areas with the use of sofas, rugs and items of furniture to achieve your goals.

Dual purpose furniture

The chances are, that as mentioned above, this new and exciting space will still have to be used for various purposes, so clever and careful furniture purchases can save you lots of money! Here are a few examples:

A console table could also be used as a desk or dressing table. A day bed or sofa bed can be used for comfy seating areas but also double up as guest beds when you are hosting friends and relatives. Daybeds often feature storage space, which can also prove useful. Footstools are another great investment that can deliver extra seating and storage space and coffee tables with lamps can double up as bedside tables. The key is to be creative and forward thinking when you are shopping for furniture.

So, plenty of food for thought there if you are determined that 2015 will deliver a new conservatory to your home. Please feel free to browse Foxfurd’s main website for lots more inspiration and ideas.