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Interior Design Ideas For Conservatories & Orangeries

What’s The Difference between orangeries and conservatories?

The main difference between Orangeries and Conservatories is found in the structure, specifically in the walls. Conservatory walls are primarily made up by double glazed units whereas an Orangery features more brick built elements such as pillars and offer different roof designs which can involve a parapet.

Conservatories tend to offer a more versatile structure with straight forward construction and an open vision philosophy to the ‘outside room’ element of the space. Orangeries hold a more private feeling to them due to their brickwork and hold more focus on luxury.

With these differences in mind, the interior design for each extension should be approached separately. The feel of the room should replicate and compliment the process behind the design and structure to allow the perspective of the architecture to flow into the decorating of your home.

Decorating Orangeries

Follow Your Own Style

Many people paint their orangeries plain white or magnolia, sticking to the idea that all orangeries need neutral colours but honestly, that’s just not true.

Colour and light can completely redesign the mood of your room and its important that rather than conforming to public tradition you follow exactly the mood that you want your orangery to give off.

This could mean a bright coloured focal point, wallpaper or pastel shades. It may still mean magnolia or plain white, it doesn’t matter as long as you are staying true to what your vision of the room may be and are not afraid the buck the trend if necessary.

Declutter Your Furniture

When looking at furnishings and home accessories, think of the traditional history surrounding orangeries. An orangery is a luxury extension that holds an aura of privacy and mystery and that should be mirrored in your furnishing choices.

Rather than choosing a myriad of different tables, chairs, and stools, opt for functionality that offers a cleaner, sleeker look such as coffee tables that can be expanded or box seats that have hidden compartments that offer additional storage.

The aim here is to maintain a clean, clear space rather than overwhelming it with titbits and objects that hold no use and merely collect dust and clutter.

Capture The Garden

As an orangery doesn’t necessarily have the high quality visibility that a conservatory can offer with its double glazed units and wide windows, it’s important to bring the focus of the garden back into the extension.

One way of enrapturing the ‘inside/outside’ feel in your orangery is to furnish the room with plants, whether it is flower pots, small trees, fruit plants or palms. Take some time to research the exact conditions your plant will need, there are plenty of beautiful plants that flourish in orangery conditions.

Another way of encouraging a flow between your home and your garden is to connect the colour scheme of your orangery with the colour scheme of the flowers in your garden, ensuring that they complement each other perfectly.

Decorating Conservatories

Match Your Style With Your Purpose

You need to identify exactly what your conservatory is going to be used for before you begin decorating. The likelihood is that you had a use in mind when your extension was being built, and whether it is to be a kitchen, family room or children’s playroom.

Plan your decoration around the intended functionality, for example for a light reading room use clean, fresh shades such as pastel blues and greens to encourage the open feel of the space.

Implement A Pop Of Colour

Rather than overdoing it and painting the entire conservatory one shade, pick a muted tone then introduce colour through your furnishings and home accessories.

You can tie your extension to the rest of your home by choosing a tone or shade that is echoed throughout the house, creating a consistent theme from doorstep to garden.

Another bonus of using furniture and objects to implement pops of colour in your conservatory is that when it comes time to redecorate you merely replace and rearrange your accessories rather than bother with the hassle of completely redecorating the room.

Dress Your Windows

As highlighted above, a key aspect of conservatories are that the majority of their design and structure is made up by double glazing units and windows. Dressing these windows should become a priority as leaving them naked and open can create a ‘goldfish bowl’ effect making you feel very open and exposed.

There are a lot of different options on the market and it can make a great deal of impact on the atmosphere of the room depending on whether you choose curtains or blinds, what style you go for and whether you buy them in a particular colour to continue the style in your home or whether you aim for a more muted tone to create a decluttered, fresher atmosphere.