by Chris Rodney
Conservatories have become a very popular choice as a way of extending your home without losing any natural light. Many of us want to move up to a larger home, but without the actual moving. Now, there is a growing trend for more bespoke designs. Instead of looking to buy a new property, many of us want to build onto our current home to create a new space that fits specifically to our lifestyle. Orangeries provide a natural solution to both the need for more space as well as the desire for a more bespoke build that will tie in to the existing property, both in terms of outlook and function.
Orangeries, as the name suggests, were first designed to grow citrus fruit-trees and add interest, prestige and the enjoyment of nature to properties dating back several hundred years. The current renaissance of the orangery follows a similar trend: the desire for a unique home that has more value both in financial terms and, perhaps more importantly, in quality of life.
Extending your Home
The easiest way to understand the difference between a conservatory and an orangery is to picture a conservatory with a more substantial structure: instead of plain glass providing the 'meat' of the building - like a greenhouse - an orangery has the feeling of narrow sections of walls with large windows and glass doors. Instead of plain glass dominating the structure there are stone or hardwood elevations, and a roof that appears flat at the sides with a glass pitch section rising from it - this is called a 'lantern' roof. It is this lantern that gives the natural light, lost in standard extensions.
The easiest way to understand the difference between a conservatory and an orangery is to picture a conservatory with a more substantial structure: instead of plain glass providing the 'meat' of the building - like a greenhouse - an orangery has the feeling of narrow sections of walls with large windows and glass doors. Instead of plain glass dominating the structure there are stone or hardwood elevations, and a roof that appears flat at the sides with a glass pitch section rising from it - this is called a 'lantern' roof. It is this lantern that gives the natural light, lost in standard extensions.
Orangeries give the appearance of permanence. Unlike conservatories which can reveal their true origins as an afterthought, an orangery looks like it was always supposed to be there - solid and substantial, but with no loss of light. This feel extends to the interior, with the walls and ceiling continuing through from the old build to the new.
Extending your Lifestyle
Whilst conservatories offer more space they often remain a separate part of the home, straddling the everyday living space with that of the garden. Many people invest in a conservatory only to look at it and enjoy the view it allows on to the garden. An orangery is a more substantial build that ties into the existing home much more than a conservatory, sometimes using the same materials to those of the existing build. Rather than creating a separate space it extends your home to create a larger living environment - but crucially without losing natural light. Where a standard extension also extends the everyday living environment it darkens the room to which it joins, yet an orangery brings in sunshine through its roof. An orangery can become a dining area, pool enclosure or in short an extension of your lifestyle as well as your home. For those who already enjoy their conservatory and want a larger space an orangery is the natural answer. For those who are considering a conservatory and imagine using it everyday an orangery might be a better investment.
Whilst conservatories offer more space they often remain a separate part of the home, straddling the everyday living space with that of the garden. Many people invest in a conservatory only to look at it and enjoy the view it allows on to the garden. An orangery is a more substantial build that ties into the existing home much more than a conservatory, sometimes using the same materials to those of the existing build. Rather than creating a separate space it extends your home to create a larger living environment - but crucially without losing natural light. Where a standard extension also extends the everyday living environment it darkens the room to which it joins, yet an orangery brings in sunshine through its roof. An orangery can become a dining area, pool enclosure or in short an extension of your lifestyle as well as your home. For those who already enjoy their conservatory and want a larger space an orangery is the natural answer. For those who are considering a conservatory and imagine using it everyday an orangery might be a better investment.
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