When it comes to conservatory design, a lot of people tend to bail out because of how significant and complex the entire process is. And to be honest, a conservatory is quite significant indeed. It costs a decent amount of money, it takes lots of time to build, and it of course is quite an ordeal when the design phase rolls around. But if the perks of a conservatory space appeal to you, you may not care about any of the drawbacks. Frankly conservatory design allows for some significant benefits. First being you have an entirely new place to relax. Whether you want to chill out and read a book, or entertain some guests and have a few bottles of wine, a conservatory space is perfect. Not to mention you’ll have a nearly perfect few of your backyard, your garden, or even a pool if you have one. If this appeals to you, definitely stay tuned. We’re going to walk through a whole bunch of things that will help you design your perfect conservatory. After reading through this article, you’ll be ready to go.
The first thing we’re going to discuss is conservatory design for smaller homes. A lot of people jump at the chance for more space in a small home, only to fall back immediately when they realize they may not have the outdoor space to add a said conservatory. If your yard is quite small, a conservatory space may take up the entire thing (if done incorrectly anyway). But don’t worry, there’s actually a handy little trick we’ve picked up through our travels. When designing your conservatory for a small home, you should try fitting it to the design of your house. Look for pre-existing cutouts, odd angles, or even subtle protrusions. Fitting a conservatory to the side of your house according to the house’s existing design is one of the best ways to get past space limitations. Another method a lot of people use is to actually convert a room into a conservatory. Basically instead of adding a room, you’re removing the walls of a current room and replacing them with typical conservatory materials.
Another important thing to figure out is the overarching theme of your conservatory. After all, you want it to match your home. The best way to do this is to of course just figure out the theme of your home! If your home is very modern and minimalistic, you’ll definitely want to approach the conservatory in the same way. Perhaps try materials like uPVC or light metals. If your home is primarily wooden and old school, you may want to build your conservatory out of wood and screening. All in all the design of your conservatory cannot be undergone if you haven’t figured out the overarching theme. To put this into perspective, themes are how you would describe your home (and in this case future conservatory) in just a few words. For example, “minimalism” would be the perfect way to describe a modern, clean, and organized space with few belongings. A lack of clutter to be more precise.
If you have a very modern home, you may prefer to add glass walls instead of screens or fiberglass. Glass is the perfect option for anyone who loves natural light. It’s also a great option if you want to grow anything inside your conservatory. Most people don’t go crazy with it, just a few plants here and there. It’s also important to note that glass will protect you from the sun, whereas screens and fiberglass may not. All in all, glass goes with a wide array of other materials. Everything from aluminum to wood will work. Glass walls in conservatory design are kind of like a jack of all trades type of thing. Some people argue that glass is too revealing and that in order for it to look good you need a lot of it. And that’s definitely true, at least the abundance part. In order to counter the revealing aspect of glass, a lot of people just add some nice window dressings. Blinds or curtains are a great way to restore privacy and security and are actually really good at bringing a room together. Definitely check it out.
So now that we’ve covered some of the basics, we’re going to walk you through the process of actually planning the space out. First things first, you need to map out space you actually have. You’re going to want to locate the spot where the conservatory will live. Make sure it works with the house itself. You’ll need to make some notes on what needs to be moved around in your yard. Keep track of how close you’ll be coming to any fences, trees, gardens, and walkways. Once you have notes on where the conservatory is going to go, we recommend planning out a route for your contractors. Sometimes large machines are required, and they need room to work. They’re also going to need some way to actually get into your backyard. We recommend moving away from any outdoor furniture, movable plants, and other similar items. It may also be beneficial to disconnect any fence gates or doors (temporarily of course). This way the contractors won’t have to, and you won’t risk breaking said entryways.
The next thing you need to plan out is what direction the conservatory will be facing. For example, if you want a lot of light to enter the conservatory, you’ll want the majority of the glass to face the sun! If you want it to be slightly less sunny, you’ll have to aim it just out of the sun’s reach. If you want it facing your pool or a garden you’ll have to factor that in as well. Another important factor that comes alongside direction is the material. For example, if you have it facing the sun, you want to use materials that aren’t going to degrade and fall apart over time. There are a lot of materials out there that have been designed for said purpose.
When it comes to taste and design, you want to match up with your home. Remember when we discussed the theme? Basically an overarching concept or idea best used to describe your home? Well now it’s time to figure that out, so let’s jump into it. Let’s say you choose minimalist (as described earlier). If that’s the theme you want, you’ll need to use material, decorations, and styles that complement that style. Materials like glass, aluminum, uPVC, and other modern items all go great for minimalists. When it comes to decorations, you don’t want a lot. The entire point of minimalism is to eradicate clutter.
Now that you’ve decided on the theme, the location, directional factors, and more, you’re going to need to get approved! Depending on where you are in the world, there are different agencies and regulating powers you need to visit. In Canada, you’ll need a building permit or another similar approval slip. Failure to obtain this approval may subject you to some pretty hefty fines or even tear down orders. A lot of the time if you build something illegally you won’t even get a refund. Meaning if it costs 50 thousand to build, you may lose all of it. Not to mention you’ll have to pay fines on top of that, and of course the cost of tearing it all down.
Once you’ve gotten permission out of the way, you’ll need to make sure that the project is all up to code. This means the conservatory will need to meet certain specifications. Your walls will need to be a certain height, made out of a certain material. Your windows will need to be specific durability, and the ceiling will of course need to be up to building code and whatnot. Failure to meet these specifications may subject you to some pretty hefty fines or even tear down orders. A lot of the time if you build something illegally you won’t even get a refund. Meaning if it costs 50 thousand to build, you may lose all of it. Not to mention you’ll have to pay fines on top of that, and of course the cost of tearing it all down.
One of the last things you’ll need to do is plan out your timeline. You’ll need to make sure there’s enough time for your contractors to get the work in. You’ll also need to plan the entire thing around the weather. Once you’ve done this, you can go ahead and actually find your contractors. It’s important to find a crew that knows exactly what you want. You’ll want them to be in your price range, and it’s definitely a good idea for you to go online and check out their customer reviews and whatnot. You definitely don’t want a crew that’s been known to screw up jobs and just do a bad job altogether.
We hope this article helped you figure out the best way to build your conservatory. We hope we helped you pick out a design, a style, and your choice of materials. For more information on how to go about crafting the perfect conservatory, feel free to reach out to us and we’ll do our best to answer all of your questions. Remember to keep track of all laws and regulations before buying material and building the home. Also, be sure to hire some reputable contractors! There’s nothing worse than getting work done and it turns out badly. With all that said, good luck with your build, and enjoy it when it’s done!