By Colin and Justin:
Conservatories. In Britain they’re everywhere, fastened to the sides of homes across our tiny island like limpets clinging to seashells. Their popularity as “buy now pay later” commodities has afforded them a huge sector of the home improvement market and they (in their various forms and price points) add to the domestic space of almost every U.K. demographic. From those in council properties and starter homes, right across the gamut to suburban residents and the wealthy elite, sunrooms are added, by the thousands, each and every week.
In Canada, conservatories are less frequently witnessed yet, properly conceived, they make wonderful additions to the North American real estate landscape. In a weird juxtaposition, you guys actually have better weather for these rooms than Brits (save for your wintry onslaught where many people worry that a conservatory wouldn’t make useful extra living space), yet they’re added in smaller numbers. Properly planned, however, and constructed by reputable installers, these bright airy rooms make great four season retreats that can augment lifestyle to the max.
The conservatory, in Britain certainly, came to prominence during Georgian and Victorian times when home owners built them, grand style, as “orangeries” at the side of large properties. As perceived statements of wealth and to keep up with the Joneses, they were expensive structures that enhanced Britain’s architectural landscape, providing as they did, somewhere to take the sun or rear fruit or horticultural specimen plants.
But one aspect that got the better of the great British conservatory was the weather. While these ostentatious structures were undoubtedly beautiful, our less than temperate climate battled relentlessly with fuel costs and upkeep on a day-to-day basis. In winter they were bitterly cold — and draughty — whereas in summer they were often uninhabitable owing to magnified heat levels and their traditional south-facing position, which only served to further increase the greenhouse effect. So, as light levels and cold factor increased, the popularity of the great British sunroom waned.
Historically, these glass houses were constructed on a concrete or stone bed and built from oak or similarly weather resistant lumber. As manufacturing processes became more reliable — and when double (and subsequently triple) glazing became the norm — a renaissance occurred and the glass house (albeit packaged more modestly) began to reappear. These days, if you scan British magazines, you’ll find room-sized conservatory prices slashed to as little as $6,000. Sunroom construction is once again a booming trade and renewed interest, since post-war 1950s Britain (and particularly since the mid-1980s), sees them, once again, embellishing British homes as useful extra space. Nowadays the conservatory isn’t simply somewhere to enjoy the sun, it’s, variously, a dining room, a utility room, a secondary living zone or a spillover games room for kids.
From what we see, the traditional Victorian sunroom isn’t as popular as it remains on the other side of the pond. More recently, however, this appears to be changing as competition makes them more affordable. As an alternative to regular extensions, they’re often easier to build and — potentially — offer less planning hurdles. As always, before taking the plunge, speak with your local planning department to ascertain which building, electrical or plumbing permits are required. Or do as we did, for this project, and bring in an expert supplier who’ll do all the work to ensure your new structure satisfies building code. Never tackle a conservatory DIY job unless you are suitably qualified and abreast of all municipality regulations.
Let’s get down to business. You’ll remember that last week we created a wonderful family zone for Bill and Hilary. And today? Well today we reveal the work we did to update their existing sunroom. Yes indeed, so weather and time battered was the existing structure that there existed only one solution to make better of it: to wield the demo ball.
Footprint
Using the existing “bed” allowed us to avoid extra costs and kept the overall size of the room identical. Bear in mind though, that the rules may be different for your structure if you’re building on top of an existing footprint. Again, speak to your planners to make sure you’re respecting all relevant rules. Our clients found their previous solarium to be of perfect size but its rickety construction meant it could only be used in summer. And even then, penetrating sunlight often made its temperature unbearable. With proper consents — and supports in place — we removed the door that lead from the house and inserted in its place an open aperture that provides beautiful flow from old to new. We’re sorry to keep banging on, but take the advice of experts. A quality installer such as DreamSpace (providers of our structure) will advise on all aspects of your new room from initial planning, code restrictions and, of course, construction itself.
Conservatory style
In the first instance we considered creating a cutting edge glass “cube.” However, as our client’s home is more traditional, we finally settled on a traditional aesthetic with more than a whisper of Victorian styling. A higher pitched ceiling provided added volume and gave our scheme commanding presence. Double glazing and rigid build mean the wind no longer whistles through and the conservatory’s open concept wafts heat from the connecting living room on colder days.
Decorative mood
Pre-painted timber diminished workload enormously and the only decor required was on the low wall areas, which we painted soft beige, and the area behind the sofa which we papered to match the living room. As far as we see it, in this case certainly, it’s the conservatory’s pared down simplicity that gives it its visual strength.
Blinds
Having a wonderful sunroom is one thing, but unless proper measures are taken to deflect sun penetration on excessively bright days, you could end up creating unusable space. We fell for the gentle raffia finish of our specification window treatments and they add welcome texture as well as useful heat baffling as and when required.
Flooring
Continuous solid oak flooring, sweeping elegantly from the living room beyond, seals the connective deal, and the avoidance of a threshold bar provides better visual results while also avoiding a potential trip hazard. Again, planning all these little details with your provider will tempt the very best from your project. To add further warmth, we sourced a lux deep pile brown and green striped rug and its provision provides a further link to the living room.
Sofa
Perfectly sized to fit across the largest wall, our comfy sofa is ideal for our newly constructed room. Some specifiers might have chosen traditional wicker furniture for their clients but ours needed extra useable living space more than they needed harder edged conservatory kit. And besides, our project also doubles as a kids play zone so keeping floor space flexible and unhindered by a three piece conservatory suite made better sense.
Tables
A chunky brown leather coffee table provides a little extra bang for our clients’ buck, serving as it does as perfect toy storage for Bill and Hillary’s wee boys. Double bubble (triple bubble in this case as the padded table also provides extra seating) is always our Holy Grail so search out items, like this, with extra function. If the doorbell rings and mom or pop need to quickly tidy, all they need do is lift the table top and stash Buzz Lightyear and his Toy Story pals deep inside!
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