These days, soaring house prices mean that homeowners who want more space cannot always afford to move to find it. It may also be that you only need a bit more space downstairs, perhaps a new garden room, a bigger kitchen, a separate dining room, or an extra sitting room. One solution is to add a conservatory, which will give you that additional space but without the expense of a full extension.
But you might want to consider an orangery as another option – similar to a conservatory but with a little more solid structure. Whereas a conservatory is made almost entirely of glass, an orangery has less than 70%, with the rest made up of something like a stone or brick parapet wall which the glass sits on. It may also have a flat, covered roof and maybe a ‘roof lantern’ to give you a bit more light.
One benefit of adding an orangery is that it feels much more like an additional room, which you can use throughout the year. This compares to a conservatory which, if it doesn’t have sufficient heating and suitable blinds, could be too cold in winter and too hot in summer for you to sit in comfortably. An orangery, on the other hand, will have better insulation because there is not so much glass to absorb the sun and will also be less exposed to cold winter weather. And because it feels more like a solid structure, it can really feel that you have an additional room. Many people use them to extend their kitchens, either for a separate eating area, or to expand the kitchen itself into, because, unlike a conservatory, it does not need a solid locking door into the rest of the house.
Also, unlike a conservatory, an orangery will need planning permission and you will have to make sure that it complies with building regulations. This will include using acceptable levels of insulation to ensure heat loss is kept to a regulated minimum. The benefit of this, however, is that it will cost less to heat than a conservatory as less heat will be lost through the glass.
Orangeries come in all shapes, sizes and designs, so you can decide on a contemporary look, or something traditional to reflect a more historic view of them, back to their 16th Century origins in Italy.
Whichever direction you choose to go in, an orangery will be an individually beautiful and stylish addition to your home.
To learn more about adding an orangery, Cornwall based Rodda & Hocking are a good place to start. They are well known suppliers of of high quality uPVC orangeries and conservatories in Cornwall.