7 Beautiful Rooms to Inspire Your Conservatory Plans
There are so many ways to design a glazed addition. Would any of these work for your home?
Julie Butterworth
22 September 2018
Houzz Contributor and homes, architecture and property journalist. I work on a range of homes websites and edit commercial and editorial digital content at the Royal Institute of British Architects Journal. I have managed subbing departments at magazines Country Homes & Interiors and Ideal Home and web content teams for Time Inc UK’s Homes Network.
Houzz Contributor and homes, architecture and property journalist. I work on a range... More
Modern glass box, garden room or glazed extension – there are numerous ways to create a light-filled haven with outdoor views. Take a look at these spaces to inspire your plans for a room that connects you to the garden, even when it’s a little chilly outside.
Divide and conquer
An extension doesn’t have to be open-plan to an existing room; the beauty of this part-glazed, steel-framed cube lies in its separation from the rest of the house. The result is a garden-focused room by day and a cosy, intimate reading and entertaining space by night.
Clever, lantern-effect glazing under the roof provides additional height and ups the light levels. Bifold doors draw back on two sides to create an open corner for uninterrupted views of the garden.
An extension doesn’t have to be open-plan to an existing room; the beauty of this part-glazed, steel-framed cube lies in its separation from the rest of the house. The result is a garden-focused room by day and a cosy, intimate reading and entertaining space by night.
Clever, lantern-effect glazing under the roof provides additional height and ups the light levels. Bifold doors draw back on two sides to create an open corner for uninterrupted views of the garden.
Let the structure shine
Steel-framed windows are more contemporary-looking than traditional wood and give a glazed extension an urban, industrial feel. Here, two sets of floor-to-ceiling steel windows (one interior – just seen – and one exterior) define the conservatory area and frame the view to the garden.
If your conservatory is of an especially eye-catching design like this one, don’t crowd out its beauty with lots of distracting furniture and clutter. Pare things back a little so the stars of the show are the geometric lines and the greenery beyond.
Do you need help planning a garden room in your home? Find conservatory specialists in your area
Steel-framed windows are more contemporary-looking than traditional wood and give a glazed extension an urban, industrial feel. Here, two sets of floor-to-ceiling steel windows (one interior – just seen – and one exterior) define the conservatory area and frame the view to the garden.
If your conservatory is of an especially eye-catching design like this one, don’t crowd out its beauty with lots of distracting furniture and clutter. Pare things back a little so the stars of the show are the geometric lines and the greenery beyond.
Do you need help planning a garden room in your home? Find conservatory specialists in your area
Use plants to link to the garden
A period-style conservatory will provide a structure, with plenty of beams and struts, that climbing or trailing plants will love. And filling the space with greenery will make a wonderful connection to the garden beyond.
Get advice from your conservatory supplier about the best way to support climbers.
Look for plants that will add visual interest and fragrance, such as jasmine, passion flower, stephanotis and plumbago. Check that any individual variety’s preferred conditions, hardiness, size and growth rate will work with your conservatory and the time you have available for plant maintenance.
A period-style conservatory will provide a structure, with plenty of beams and struts, that climbing or trailing plants will love. And filling the space with greenery will make a wonderful connection to the garden beyond.
Get advice from your conservatory supplier about the best way to support climbers.
Look for plants that will add visual interest and fragrance, such as jasmine, passion flower, stephanotis and plumbago. Check that any individual variety’s preferred conditions, hardiness, size and growth rate will work with your conservatory and the time you have available for plant maintenance.
Remove the inside-outside boundaries
Modern engineering and design offers some new ways to create a conservatory, including glazed ceilings, all-glass corners and structureless vistas when the doors are open.
This glass box seating area provides maximum light levels and slim-profile glazing that slides back and disappears into the walls. As a result, no frames or structural elements get in the way of a panoramic view, and the threshold between inside and outside dissolves.
Modern engineering and design offers some new ways to create a conservatory, including glazed ceilings, all-glass corners and structureless vistas when the doors are open.
This glass box seating area provides maximum light levels and slim-profile glazing that slides back and disappears into the walls. As a result, no frames or structural elements get in the way of a panoramic view, and the threshold between inside and outside dissolves.
Slot in a lean-to
A lean-to extension can be a great choice if you want your addition to be relatively slim and not cut too much into the garden. This one is a decent size, but smaller versions can work just as well. Lean-to structures also don’t compromise the view from upper rooms.
The designers of this cottage extension have slotted in a roomy dining area thanks to a couple of space-smart tricks. The fitted banquette was designed especially to accommodate numerous people in a relatively narrow space.
Mirrored shelving was then fitted above to reflect the garden and replicate windows that appear to open onto a separate room behind the sofa.
A lean-to extension can be a great choice if you want your addition to be relatively slim and not cut too much into the garden. This one is a decent size, but smaller versions can work just as well. Lean-to structures also don’t compromise the view from upper rooms.
The designers of this cottage extension have slotted in a roomy dining area thanks to a couple of space-smart tricks. The fitted banquette was designed especially to accommodate numerous people in a relatively narrow space.
Mirrored shelving was then fitted above to reflect the garden and replicate windows that appear to open onto a separate room behind the sofa.
Make the tiniest space functional
A small sunroom can give as much pleasure as an ornate orangery if it’s useful as well as beautiful. However limited its size, make sure you use it to the full.
This little room with wraparound glazing and gorgeous views of the garden shows how even a small conservatory or addition can provide a spirit-lifting spot in a home. The café-style round table and chairs are perfect for a coffee, a glass of wine or a bite of lunch.
A small sunroom can give as much pleasure as an ornate orangery if it’s useful as well as beautiful. However limited its size, make sure you use it to the full.
This little room with wraparound glazing and gorgeous views of the garden shows how even a small conservatory or addition can provide a spirit-lifting spot in a home. The café-style round table and chairs are perfect for a coffee, a glass of wine or a bite of lunch.
Lift light levels with glass
The low ceilings and small windows of older period properties can result in dark interior spaces. But it’s possible to radically improve light levels without compromising the original features of a building.
In tandem with the modern oriel windows on the side of the house, this addition pulls light into the old, low-ceiling living area thanks to large a opening into the almost fully glazed space.
Zinc roofs with polyester powder-coated aluminium fascias and soffits give crisp lines to these new elements, marking them out from the original house and keeping the integrity of the building intact.
Tell us…
What makes a dream conservatory and what would you have in yours? Post your thoughts and photos in the Comments section.
The low ceilings and small windows of older period properties can result in dark interior spaces. But it’s possible to radically improve light levels without compromising the original features of a building.
In tandem with the modern oriel windows on the side of the house, this addition pulls light into the old, low-ceiling living area thanks to large a opening into the almost fully glazed space.
Zinc roofs with polyester powder-coated aluminium fascias and soffits give crisp lines to these new elements, marking them out from the original house and keeping the integrity of the building intact.
Tell us…
What makes a dream conservatory and what would you have in yours? Post your thoughts and photos in the Comments section.
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I always thought that if you put windows that open in the roof and had windows on the bottom of the walls, you could get the heat out of the top while drawing in cool air from below. Then, if you wanted to still be able to open it up to the outside, you could, while still allowing heat to escape from above. You could still put in shades to keep out the too bright sun when you actually do have a very sunny day. ;) However, I prefer to use special window blinds built into the windows and use plants strategically placed. I also would love to have a round umbrella over the table, even though its inside the house. I'd make the room have the look and feel of being outside while being inside - when the window-door-walls are shut. It would just be even that much better than, when the those doors are opened.
Beautiful article! Love especially the first picture/solution. For those lucky enough to have a garden there are many possibilities to create bright, aesthetically beautiful and functional environments. Thank you for your input and ideas!
I really love this glazed addition concept, it creates a sort of softer transition from Inside to outside.
Hope to see much more of this even in newly constructed buildings as verandas or glass extensions instead of the typical balcony.