The question of what makes the best orangery is not an easy one to answer. Like so much in the world of architecture and design, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, while anyone who wants to add an orangery onto their home will have questions such as the availability of space and their budget to consider.
Nonetheless, there will be much anyone considering an orangery can take inspiration from if they look at the best examples. Our bespoke orangeries can incorporate all sorts of aspects of other orangeries, even if they don’t copy all of them; for example, it might mimic the design of one structure, but on a smaller scale because you have less space.
If you do want to see some fine orangeries for yourself before making decisions on what you want back home, there are several to see that are outstanding examples of the finest design and style.
A Window Wise article on this topic noted Kensington Gardens Orangery is one such example. Constructed back in 1704, it is made mainly from red brick, which may not be a material of choice when there are fine oak and timber options, but it did include the innovation of underfloor heating, a popular element of many orangeries today.
Later that same century, Kew Gardens added its own orangery, followed by the huge structure at Margam County Park in Glamorgan. These were stylish buildings with arched windows, built from masonry.
While the materials and scale of these structures won’t appear in your back garden unless it is very large indeed, there are still some design elements – like the latticework windows – you might want to emulate.
These are just some of the famous orangeries around the country to admire on a visit and ponder when seeking bespoke elements in your own structure back home. Orangeries UK listed several more; in addition to places like Margam and Kew it has highlighted examples like Calke Abbey. Built in 1777, this had a glass dome to increase the light coming in, something you might like to copy.
At the same time, there are elements of some orangeries that should definitely be avoided. One very curious case is that of Kedleston, a national trust property. This is because, very unusually, it faces east rather than south, so it gets less sun. The reason for this is that an original orangery was built facing south east, but was relocated in the early 20th century.
The common denominator with so many of these grand old orangeries is their age. Of course, in the 17th century it was only the very wealthy who could build on this scale and also obtain the seeds and saplings needed to grow plants like orange trees indoors, enjoying fruits the average person would never taste.
In these very different times, the purpose of your orangery will not be quite the same, although many of the materials available, such as oak, are as fashionable now as any time in the past.
This means you can study and visit these orangeries and use them as inspiration for something unique to your 21st century home.