Category: News, Orangeries and Conservatories
If you want to add space to your home while also boosting light levels, a stylish glass extension is a great idea. There are two main types, orangeries and conservatories, and each has a different style and function.
Your first port of call should be deciding which option is right for you, so let’s take a look at the main differences between an orangery extension and a conservatory.
What’s an orangery extension?
Orangeries typically have a solid brick and timber structure, as well as featuring lots of thermally efficient glass. Many incorporate a roof lantern into the design for extra height, light and style but the perimeter of the roof is usually solid unlike a conservatory.
Orangeries are designed to provide year-round living space for a variety of different purposes such as dining, entertaining, working or just relaxing. They’re well insulated and can be integrated with your home’s heating systems, meaning they’re comfortable and usable areas of the home in all seasons.
What’s a conservatory extension?
Conservatories typically feature a lot more glass in their design compared with orangeries, with glass making up significant parts of the walls as well as the roof. They’re designed to blur the boundaries between indoor and outdoor space, and are often more of an addition to a home rather than an extension of the existing indoor space.
Because of the prevalence of glass within their construction, conservatories are more impacted by external conditions and temperatures than an orangery, which is much closer in form and functionality to a typical brick-built extension.
Should I choose an orangery or a conservatory?
Deciding whether an orangery or a conservatory is best for you comes down to what you would like to use the extra space for, as well as your style preferences.
For most people, an orangery offers greater functionality than a conservatory. So if you’re hoping to gain extra space to use for a specific year-round purpose, an orangery is likely to be a safer bet as it will be as comfortable and usable as any other room in your home, no matter what the temperature or weather is like outside.
You might be after an inspiring work space, or maybe you’re hoping for a visually stunning space in which to entertain. Perhaps you’re keen to inject some wow factor into your home environment, or maybe you just want to increase feelings of space and light in your day-to-day life. If this sounds like you, an orangery could be just what you need.
If, on the other hand, you want a simple, additional living space that feels connected with nature and the outside world, that you won’t necessarily want to use all year round, a conservatory could work for you.
They tend to let in more natural light than orangeries, because of their glass walls, but it’s this extra glass that usually means conservatories experience more variable temperatures throughout the year, warming up considerably in the summer sun, and feeling much cooler when the mercury drops in winter.
Like the idea of elevating your home with an orangery? Speak to the Tucker Joinery team today to get started.
