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41 stylish conservatory ideas for every kind of house
In the past, the word ‘conservatory’ has not always conjured the most desirable images. Many of us are instantly transported by it to ill-advised and out-of-character additions to otherwise beautiful houses, or to the depths of morbid suburbia, where we dread being subjected to lukewarm gin and tonics and stale conversation. In all, the imagined conservatory is not a place whose reputation necessarily brims with generosity or good cheer.
So: conservatories have a bad reputation after years of misuse, but we’re here to bring them back into the spotlight. A conservatory or greenhouse offers a way to feel like you’re experiencing the outdoors – even when the weather isn’t up to scratch – and for making the most of any sunshine on a chill winter’s day. They can be highly atmospheric, too: just imagine sitting under the glass, warm and sheltered, perhaps with a glass of wine or even a single malt, while it rains heavily outside. It’s a deeply calming experience.
Here, our deputy editor David Nicholls discusses the art of designing and decorating a conservatory with designer Guy Goodfellow.
Why you should fall back in love with the conservatory
One of the most beautiful spaces I have ever been in is an extraordinary Victorian conservatory belonging to a client in Warwickshire,’ Guy explains. ‘It was a winter garden, which we filled with tall trees and enormous, colourful parasols.’ Guy is an architectural and interior designer well versed in the language and nuance of English classicism. No stranger to projects in the country, he is the perfect sounding board for advice on making a conservatory as lovely as it ought to be. One of his all-time favourites has a starring role in the 1990 rom-com film Green Card, in which Andie MacDowell’s character’s rooftop apartment has a lush, palm-filled conservatory complete with a fountain and bamboo furniture.
'And I designed an orangery in Sussex a few years ago,’ Guy continues. ‘It has a huge French chimneypiece with a dining table that extends to seat large numbers.’ Guy loves putting fireplaces in these structures: ‘It gives focus to a room.’ (And in case you are wondering, the main differences between a conservatory and orangery are the glass-to-frame ratio and the shape of the roof.)
‘For me, the joy of decorating a house is in creating different areas, each of which has its own atmosphere,’ Guy says. A conservatory should not be thought of as just another sitting room. ‘I think they make wonderful places to dine,’ he adds. ‘You don’t have to have rattan or whatever is perceived as conservatory furniture, but it shouldn’t be filled with duplicates from another room.’
Traditionally, these spaces were inhabited during the day rather than in the evening. All the glass can become ominously black at night, and there is increasing concern about light pollution caused by electric light beaming into the stratosphere. However, in the daytime, plenty of glass means plenty of sunlight, which was, of course, the original purpose of these rooms. If you wish to reduce the amount of light coming into a fully glazed conservatory, Guy advises caution. ‘Curtains would kill it, but you can use the lightest possible blinds. We use ‘Sang Sacre Tristan’ linen by the Irish fabric house Alton-Brooke all the time – it has the most beautiful warp and weft.’
Conservatory specialists
- David Salisbury
- Malbrook
- Marston & Langinger by Alitex
- Oakwrights
- Prime Oak
- Rhino Greenhouses
- Vale Garden Houses
- Westbury Garden Rooms
We've rounded up our favourite conservatory ideas from our archives, so you can be inspired to set up your very own room with a view…
Chris Horwood1/39The leaf-green woodwork in the conservatory of this rambling former vicarage by Tamsin Saunders of Home and Found brings the garden inside. The Plain English chairs were repainted in four different earthy tones and cushions made from a ‘mish mash’ of found fabrics – African stripes, vintage Indigo and Ikats to add interest and soften the space.
James McDonald2/39The pretty garden room in this glorious riverside house in west London refreshed and revived by Kate Guinness features chairs from Matilda Goad and blinds in Claremont's ‘Borgia Rojo’ fabric.
Mark Anthony Fox3/39This unique conservatory belonging to filmmaker-turned-hemp-grower Steve Barron was cleverly designed to fit within the steel frame of a dilapidated cowshed on the farm and built from hempcrete, made from hemp grown in the adjacent fields.
Helen Cathcart4/39One of the most striking features of this small mews house by the sea is the ‘vinery’ on the second floor, a beautiful glass extension already in existence when the project started, which houses the sitting room and gives an extraordinary sense of openness. Here antique armchairs sourced from Kempton and covered in Guy Goodfellow Collection's ‘Fez Weave’ face a bespoke sofa covered in Christopher Farr Cloth's ‘Loom Weave’. The coffee table was an Ebay find, while the globe pendant from Hector Finch adds a contemporary edge.
Paul Massey5/39With such an extraordinary, enigmatic exterior to live up to, the interior of this north London house required special treatment. The owners called in visionary design studio Maddux Creative. The resulting collaboration is a masterclass in distinctive detail. Built from Petersen Tegl brick, the conservatory extension is a harmonious yet distinct addition.
Paul Massey6/39In the same house, Maison Gatti French café chairs echo the London Mosaic floor tiles in the conservatory.
Paul Massey7/39The search for a London pied-à-terre brought Ben Pentreath’s clients unexpectedly to this Georgian house, which he has reconfigured and decorated in his layered signature style. A steel-framed conservatory by Serres d’Antan contains rattan ‘Wengler’ chairs from Sika-Design and a vintage linen table runner. A large Georgian cupboard from Alexander von Westenholz holds gardening equipment.
Paul Massey8/39Californian tech entrepreneur Rose Hulse has brought a fresh perspective to the renovation of a Georgian house in the West Country, combining sensitivity to its origins with her desire to create a colourful and comfortable home for her family. The bench in the conservatory was a gift from George’s mother and the cushions are from Katherine Fraser.
Paul Massey9/39Butter Wakefield designed the garden in this crisp London townhouse, which features as close to a ‘conservatory’ as one can get with an extension. White gravel and lime chippings are flanked by paths of London brick, with a small terrace created from reclaimed cobblestones.
Simon Brown10/39Garden designer Butter Wakefield and her now ex-husband bought this London Victorian villa in 1991. She described the original kitchen as 'so poky, you could barely open the oven.' But she was able to see the potential when she saw the light 'pouring in across the west-facing garden.' This elegant conservatory was added 10 years ago. The green, black and white palette runs throughout the house but is most prominent in the conservatory and kitchen, where there is a cornucopia of lettuceware plates and monochromatic fabrics. A smart green window seat is luxuriously heated by the radiator below and is the perfect spot from which to contemplate the garden.
11/39Inside the glass and timber extension of this Christopher-Howe-designed house in Bray, the floor is made from cheeseboards, which were found on a trip to the South of France. Fifties Italian bar stools contrast with the island, which was salvaged from a fishmonger’s.
Andreas Von Einsiede12/39The conservatory in this townhouse garden just off of Portobello Road was featured in House & Garden's May print issue from 2012. With the dining area situated on the roof terrace, the garden has been simply, symmetrically designed for pure visual pleasure; a mock Roman bust takes centre stage. Encaustic mosaic-patterned tiles delineate the beds edged with box.
Paul Massey13/39This Notting Hill townhouse has a unique undulating glass conservatory which leads on to a garden for entertaining. A target-shaped combination of paving slabs and bricks focuses the eye to the central dining space and from this bullseye radiates classical symmetrical planting.
Lucas Allen14/39The crazy paving at this townhouse in Bray was inspired by Gertrude Jekyll, and leads back to a wider outdoor dining area. Crittall windows ensure the extension is filled with light.
Paul Massey15/39In a London flat by Ebba Thott of Sigmar, double steel doors leading to the decking were designed by Ebba to give access from the main corridor. The small garden has wooden decking and is large enough for an outdoor dining table.
Eva Nemeth16/39At the back of the garden designer Emily Erlam's terraced Georgian house limestone flagstones are used throughout the ground floor to link the open-plan kitchen living space with the dining terrace, where outdoor furniture from Belgium is set against a backdrop of shrubs.
Alister Thorpe17/39Tantalising vistas draw you in all directions in this Chiltern Hills garden, where Gavin McWilliam and Andrew Wilson have used walls, apertures and clever planting to transform a disjointed plot into a series of interconnected spaces. Here, the 'garden studio' is framed by shades of yellows and greens.
Davide Lovatti18/39This double-height, steel-framed glasshouse built within the old castle walls of Castello di Reschio serves as a glamorous, light-filled seating area.
19/39This stylish painted orangery in Rutland by Vale Garden Houses features full-length timber and lead panels, neoclassical columns and entablature and an inset glazed roof. Used by the owners as a living and dining area, the orangery provides access to the garden through multiple sets of doors which can be left open during warmer seasons, or left closed to enjoy views of the garden all year round.
20/39Though an orangery or garden room is traditionally joined to a house, having a free-standing design positioned deeper into the garden is a clever way to add indoor space that feels integrated with nature. For this walled garden in Wales, the specialist David Salisbury designed a structure that echoes the garden’s extensive stone works and the architecture of the main house, constructed from local stone with hardwood frames.
21/39Aside from the obvious advantages of providing extra living space, an oak-framed extension can also add character and charm to the exterior of your home. Using different materials can create architectural contrast and add layers to a building – imagine an oak extension against beautifully aged stone or red brick, as seen in this Cheshire farmhouse. The design team at Oakwrights opted for symmetry by placing the oak trusses centrally with double doors leading out to a patio.
Lucas Allen22/39Designer Henri Fitzwilliam-Lay, the owner of this Victorian country house in Shropshire has enhanced the interiors of this grand property with her signature mid-century aesthetic without compromising original features. The conservatory attached to the side of the house provides a bright space. It is decorated with a neutral palette for a calming atmosphere, and striped wallpaper emphasises the height of the space.
23/39Kate Aslangul of Oakley Moore designed this conservatory in Paris. The mosaic tiles are original the house previously hidden underneath a carpet. They feature a white and green hexagonal pattern surrounded by a deep border with accents of coral and yellow tiles, complemented by the green paint on the woodwork. Kate chose a Gilles Nouailhac sofa, upholstered in Pierre Frey’s moss green velvet from the India Mahdavi collection, with GPJ Baker’s Orinoco fabric cushions using only the pineapple section of the design. A pair of yellow glass table lamps from Porta Romana were chosen together with Julian Chichester’s side tables, inspired by a 1940s French design. The Rococo-style settee was a lucky internet find that Kate had hand-finished and stained by a furniture restorer, later upholstering it in Zak and Fox’s Khotan’s fabric trimmed with double piping from Turnell & Gigon.
Simon Brown24/39This is a modern take on a conservatory by Philip Hooper, who added a clerestory, supported by a steel frame, to let more light into the dining room.
Lucas Allen25/39To restore a feeling of equilibrium to his Queen Anne house in Herefordshire, interior decorator Edward Bulmer remodelled the layout, added a new wing, and painted the walls in interesting colours to create a contemporary family home. The kitchen's eating area is housed in the conservatory, part of the newly built wing.
Elsa Young26/39The owners added this generous conservatory at the back of their London house (with interior design by Suzy Hoodless), featuring three sets of french windows. Muuto ‘Nerd’ chairs expand the palette and a monochrome rug helps tie the look together.
Simon Brown27/39The conservatory in artist and designer Bridie Hall's north London town house is used as a library and snug. Bookcases painted in Farrow & Ball's 'Off Black' lend it a cosy atmosphere.
Taken from the March 2014 issue of House & Garden. Additional text: Liz Elliot.
Michael Sinclair28/39A conservatory with rattan furniture and chic blinds acts as an extension of the garden in the London home of Lady Wakefield. The garden room, by Marston & Langinger, also provides an alternative dining area. Like the rest of the house, it is full of pieces chosen with confidence. Nothing is matching and objects are not necessarily of value, but they are all things of beauty and interest.
Paul Massey29/39A warm welcoming interior with a carefully curated mix of vintage and custom-made furniture gives Ett Hem in Stockholm, designed by Ilse Crawford, the feel of a well-loved house, rather than a hotel. In the glass house, a gauzy sail-like shade can be pulled over the roof to keep out the sun, while an abundance of homely plants links the space to the garden beyond.
30/39This design is inspired by Hardwick Hall, a sixteenth-century property in Derbyshire. It was designed by Robert Smythson for one of Elizabethan England's most powerful and wealthy women, Bess of Hardwick.
The Hardwick, by The National Trust conservatory collection at Vale Garden Houses
31/39A conservatory can add a wonderful space to relax and entertain in. A mix of botanical prints, a patterned tiled floor and natural materials create a look that brings the outside in.
FURNITURE Aluminium side table, 60 x 40cm diameter, and armchair, 87 x 61 x 56cm, £3,000 for a set of two chairs and a table, from Talisman. Rattan cafe armchair, 'Cezanne' (natural leaf and black), 102 x 62 x 61cm, £199, from Drucker. Zinc-topped oak table, 'Sawbuck', 76 x 304 x 78cm, £4,140, from Matthew Cox. Rattan and plastic outdoor side chair, 'Isabell' (black and white), by Sika Design, 92 x 48 x 59cm, £180, from Designers Guild.
ACCESSORIES Ceramic lamp base, 'Sibyl' (spinach), £516, from Porta Romana; with antique silk shade, £600, from Guinevere. Porcelain side plate (on side table), 'Dahlia', e9, from Virebent. Cushions, from top: 'Moss' (charcoal), by Howard Hodgkin, cotton, £110 a metre, from Designers Guild. 'Aylsham' (L-219), cotton, £96 a metre, from Fermoie. Wicker-basket pendant lights, 40 x 56cm diameter, £130 each, from Original House. Fabric (under plant stands), 'Tuileries' (crème), by Verel de Belval, linen/polyester, £238 a metre, from Abbott & Boyd. Porcelain bowls (yellow), by Mud Australia, from £45 each; napkins, 'Leaf' (charcoal), by Howard Hodgkin, cotton, £110 a metre; tablecloth, 'Brush' (charcoal), by Howard Hodgkin, cotton, £110 a metre. All from Designers Guild. White stoneware, 'Cracked Slip Vase', by Matthias Kaiser, £200, from The Garden Edit. Chinese glazed yellow stoneware,'Lantern Jars', £800 each; Han dynasty stoneware Hu vase, £1,450; indigo-dyedlinen sheet (on chair), £360. All from Guinevere. Ceramic parrot incense holder, £98, from Plümo. Resin plate, 'Black and Snow Swirl', £120, from Dinosaur Designs.
Line T Klein32/39Victorian meets twenty-first century: original tiling is complemented by white furniture with clean lines in this Georgian orangery at a Somerset country house. This elegantly curved orangery was updated by the Victorian owners and now houses one of two kitchens.
33/39Lantern roofs may have originally been devised for orangeries, but the possibilities are endless (a kitchen is one option we find immensely appealing) - especially for colour. This bespoke structure in London is painted in 'sage' from Marston & Langinger's Exterior Eggshell range.
David Oliver34/39In this Norfolk country home, interior decorator Veere Grenney wanted to respect the architecture of the rooms yet reflect the owners' relaxed and hospitable way of life. A long table can be found in the relatively new conservatory, which links the Georgian part of the house to the Tudor wing. This 'Waste Table' in plywood was made by Piet Hein Eek and is surrounded by Hans J Wegner 'Wishbone' chairs. Above it, hanging from an oculus in the ceiling, is a Charles Saunders 'Oak Leaf' chandelier, which could be an armful of foliage blown in from the park.
Simon Brown35/39The owners of this Victorian townhouse in west London have decorated the classically proportioned rooms in plain and simple finishes to create the perfect setting in which to display their collection of modern design.
In the kitchen architect Seth Stein has tweaked the existing conservatory giving it a more graceful roofline and adding smart bronze details to the doors opening on to the garden. 'The idea of the client was to treat the place like a kind of installation,' he explains. Artist Stuart Haygarth recycled plastic flotsam and jetsome to create a shimmering chandelier, Tide, suspended above the dining table. The dining table and eighteen chairs are by India Mahdavi.
Alex James36/39Christopher Mitchell of Hill Mitchell Berry Architects and the interior design Charlotte Lane Fox have added a sense of light and space to the lower ground floor of this elegant Kensington house with the addition of a conservatory extension that leads out in to the garden.
Jan Baldwin37/39Interior designer Chester Jones complemented the mosaic floor in the kitchen to the courtyard outside.
38/39This glorious garden room in Surrey was a bespoke creation from Marston & Langinger, right down to the paint (granite) and the furniture inside.
Simon Brown39/39The airy conservatory at Ballyfin was added by Richard Turner around 1855. It is a very grand structure that could serve as a nursery for seedlings as well as a breakfast room.
