In essence, conservatories (also known as sunrooms in North America) are designed to serve as your favourite plants’ sanctuary. Depending on the adjustments you make, the glass rooms can provide the perfect conditions for various plants and flowers. But apart from a safe house for your interior flora, conservatories are an ideal setting for relaxation, as well as social gatherings. If you have set your mind on a little house expansion, consider the comforting benefits of a glass extension. Here are a few factors to contemplate before you start constructing your home conservatory.
According to Australian building regulations, a conservatory is a class 10a building, or a non-habitable, roofed, enclosed or open on one side construction. This definition makes it exempt from needing development approval. So you will not have to go through a whole lot of paper work before you begin. Simply start planning the design. First of all, decide what will be the conservatory’s
Primary Use
If you are one of those lucky people with a green thumb, then the answer is clear. You will need the majority of space for your plants collection. Think of imaginative flowerbed formations and shelving. A clever storage solution for your basic gardening tools and supplies will also come in handy. In case you will use the room mainly as an orangery, you will need smaller, but still comfortable furniture, such as a garden sofa, in order to relax and admire your botanical skills. If the conservatory will be another addition to your party animal arsenal, then you should invest in larger sitting areas. A really good choice would be aiming in the happy medium, and create a lovely-looking, social space, filled with beautiful and calming flora. You have to start with a clear notion of the conservatory’s purpose to begin brainstorming design ideas.
Style
The first step in planning your design should be choosing between classic conservatory construction, or a contemporary one. Either way it would look best if you consider the overall style of your house, and make the decision accordingly. After all, the glass room is meant to be a link between the inside of your home and the outside.
1. Classic Conservatory
A classic style construction will give a more traditional flavour to your dwelling. Depending on your taste, you can choose a design with higher resemblance to a Victorian greenhouse, a more conservative design, or something a little more clear-edged. A pair of beautiful, ornamented French windows will be suitable entrance for your glass room.
2. Contemporary Conservatory
If you don’t fancy traditionalism so much, then turn to a modern conservatory design. Here you have a complete freedom of expression. Flat, arched, or angled glass roof design, clear glass doors and windows, or coloured ones, PVC or wooden construction, you name it. You have an unlimited variety of contemporary designs to choose from. But again, the only rule is to blend the glass extension with your home’s overall design style.
Conservatory Interior Design
Once you have planned the construction and outside look of your new glass room, you can think of the furnishing and decoration. You could turn the conservatory into a second living room area by adding soft and trendy armchairs and sofas. This way you will have the ideal comfortable setting with a perfect view to the outside nature world, while you sit in, safe from the elements. Add a fancy coffee table, and you will have the best spot for afternoon coffee or tea with friends and family. If you plan on using the conservatory for social meet-ups, a big dinning table with comfortable chairs would be in order. It’s a wonderful setting for family gatherings, especially in warm summer nights. Keep the doors to the garden open, and the soft aroma emitted from the flowers outside will be a magnificent addition to your dinner. Attractive garden lighting will become a special treatment.
Window Design
An essential part of your conservatory’s design is the choice of glass. Consider using solar-controlled glass, which will optimise the room’s temperature and the amount of glare. You might choose some colourful glass for your windows, if it fits the rest of the design. But still, a clear view glass will be a preferable solution, since it will fit better with the conservatory’s purpose, to allow a plain sight to the nature beyond. It is crucial to maintain the glass construction in perfect condition, since any smudges, or spots on the windows will be visible, and will create a bad impression. In order to keep the glass crystal clear, professional house cleaners in Melbourne suggest you should clean it on a regular basis to prevent serious contamination. Also, condensation is a particularly dangerous enemy to your conservatory’s cleanliness. It is quite persistent in the winter months, especially if you heat your glass room, or use the space as an orangery. However, condensation will not simply make your windows dirty, it will increase the air humidity, and thus invite mould and bacteria in. So invest in good ventilation system and a dehumidifier.
Blinds
Your glass house is meant to offer you a translucent view on all sides. But still, there will be times you will need decent blinds to protect your plants, keep the temperature adequate, and shelter yourself from the harmful midday sun rays. Fortunately, there is a wide variety of vertical and horizontal blinds on the market. If you make your research and choose right, they will blend in perfectly with the conservatory’s design.
Orangery Conservatory
If your glass extension will serve as a home to your many house plants, then think of its position. For example, it might seem logical to build the conservatory to look south, to guarantee all-day sunshine for your flowers. But this will actually increase the room temperature to extremes, cause your plants to dry, and will encourage pests infestations. Northern, or eastern aspect will be much more preferable for your house plants’ well-being.
Conservatory Plants. When choosing your plants, keep in mind the environment in the room will be warm and humid. Plants like certain types of palms, succulents such as aloe vera, and some more exotic species like pomegranates and avocados, or Mediterranean greenery will do quite nicely in this setting.
