Conservatories
Are you looking for technologically advanced yet at the same time cost-effective conservatories? Then this is your ultimate destination. We have partnered with some of the most respected all-purpose, custom-built conservatories companies in the UK. A conservatory is an extra room for your house adding value when you eventually sell and will add space and light for your family to spend time in there.

The history of the conservatory

In the 18th century they were used as a storage place for potted place. They were called orangeries as they were used by many to place their potted orange plants. They were referred to as heated outhouses. In general they were built at the end of the garden or at the back of a terrace and were made up of stone, solid roofs and big glazed windows to allow maximum sunlight to come in. 

As the time passed, more and more new breeds of plants were introduced that needed protected yet natural nurturing. Hence the concept of orangeries turned to be a place for plants and trees with extra care requirements. The restricted sunlight need was the main reason for such places to become even more popular.

Later on, apart from winter storage for plants, orangeries were also used as a rest place and developed later into an entertaining area in the garden. As a result of this the conservatories moved closer to the house. To make the transition easier between the house and the conservatory, a corridor was often built to connect the two.

However orangeries only had glass in the wall structures, but due to developments in building techniques in Victorian times the roofs were also made of glass. Exotic plants and palm trees were the backdrop for entertaining and heating became more and more important to ensure a comfortable setting for both plants and people. These were the times when conservatories were considered more to be an extension to the house as an extra living space than a roofed space in the garden. 

This use of the conservatory continued in Edwardian times, but in the early Twenties the conservatory became more and more popular as an extension of the houses owned by the middle class families and its fashionable image gradually declined. Due to the two World Wars and the crisis in between, conservatories became less and less popular. The heating costs of conservatories in winter further added to their lowered popularity. 

The construction materials for conservatories changed quite a lot through the centuries. Bricks and timber were the materials used for the first orangeries, whereas the production of cast iron in Victorian times made all sorts of elaborate designs possible, with timber as a basic construction material. In the most recent times complete timber conservatories and new materials like PVC and aluminium have made their say on the conservatory designs with double-glazing methods making insulation problems a thing of the past. 

Which style of conservatory is right for your house?

Whether you place a conservatory attached or near by to your house but it should always enhance your home as much as possible. Therefore give more importance to the location and size of the conservatory. A conservatory should fit in with your room plan. For example, if the kitchen is at the back of the house, a conservatory that doubles up as a dining room or a breakfast room is ideal to be positioned off the kitchen area. If your living room faces the garden, a sun lounge could easily be added to enhance the use of the garden and get more light into your living area. 

One of the most important things to consider is the size of the conservatory. Many people to save costs, opt for a smaller conservatory. However we would prefer that you should lay out the area you want to use for the conservatory with twigs, rope or tape measure, and fill it with the things you want in your conservatory, like a dining table, a sofa and plants. Cutting down on the space will take away a lot comfort that a conservatory can offer. 

Another major decision in the beginning of your conservatory building process to decide what sort of design would go best with the shape of your house. It is also important to consider whether the conservatory would be visible from the main road. If it is, it is of the utmost importance not to let the conservatory disturb the symmetry of the house (Edwardian houses especially are very symmetrical). Round the back of the house conservatory design can be a bit more extravagant, as within a private space personal taste can have a bigger influence. 

Taking shape and size into consideration, farmhouses and cottages usually have a very low roof. Conservatories therefore cannot be connected in a straightforward way, as the overall roof would be too low. A solution here is to use a box gutter to ensure a higher roof pitch in the conservatory, or to place the conservatory at the side of the house. 
Large detached houses have the most scope for conservatory design. Conservatories can either be completely connected to the house or made to look separate from the house by using a little corridor or lobby to connect conservatory and house. 

Victorian houses are quite different in design. The front shines in bay windows and elaborate cornices and porches. Around the back the walls are quite straightforward and simple, making it an ideal backdrop for great conservatory design. As the ground floor of Victorian houses usually contains high ceilings and big windows, a conservatory will have no problem with blending in. In this type of houses, kitchens are usually in the back, overlooking the garden, so a kitchen-dining conservatory is a great possibility. 

Not only the shape of the conservatory is important, also the colour and the materials the conservatory is made up of can either enhance or spoil the look of the end result. In both wood and PVC, a lot of colours are available these days with an option where PVC can even be made to look as a wood grain so there is really no reason to choose the wrong colour for your conservatory. You can match the colour with your existing window colour or the colour of your house. In case you have a white plastered house, a white conservatory will add to the elegance of your home. What is also important is to have a look at your home and detect any architectural features that, when copied in your conservatory design, would enhance the look of your property. Examples are unusually shaped or leaded windows, carved bargeboards or finials. All these little architectural modifications will improve the overall finish of your conservatory, so take the time to establish which details you want to incorporate. 

Top tips to ensure the conservatory and your home are a good match:

  • Lead your conservatory off a room that you use much
  • If possible do not compromise on the size of your conservatory
  • Do not let the shape of your house be disturbed by your conservatory
  • Choose a conservatory shape that will enhance the outlook of your home
  • To enhance similarity try to match the construction materials of your conservatory with the ones used for your home
  • Same rule goes for the colour of the conservatory
  • To add a fresh look keep you options open for interesting details like bargeboards and unusually shaped windows into the design of your conservatory

Now comes the planning permission part. We feel it's our duty to make aware of the planning permission for a conservatory in UK so that you don't get into a legal tangle. Apart from the Isle of Man and Scotland in most cases you won't need planning permission. However we suggest our visitors to check with their local planning office. There are some instances when you definitely need planning permission in the following cases. If the conservatory is on the front of the property no part of the conservatory should project further forward than the existing wall of the house facing onto the highway. Even if any part of the conservatory comes within 2 meters of your property boundary and is more than 4 meters above ground. Also if you live near a conservation area or if your house has already been significantly extended and by adding this conservatory the total added area exceeds 30sq meters. Along with if your house is a listed building etc. Thus to avoid legal hazards while setting up conservatories, you should update yourself with the laws and rules in effect.