Those of you looking into home extensions at the moment will find you have a variety of options available to you in this regard and some of the most popular projects are orangeries and conservatories… but what are the differences between the two?
Orangeries are typically brick structures, featuring big beautiful windows and a flat roof with a glass lantern at the top, originally intended as a way to cultivate fruit and all sorts of stunning exotic plants. Windows had to be south facing, with a solid north-facing wall to help shut out the cold, with wooden shutters on windows to retain heat more effectively.
They served as precursors to the modern-day conservatory, which is characterised by floor to ceiling glass windows with a brick base and pitched glazed roof.
In the middle of the 19th century, sheet glass production began (pioneered by the Chance Brothers), which led to the development of fully glazed buildings just like the conservatories that we’re so familiar with today.
In terms of practical uses, conservatories and orangeries do much the same thing as each other these days, but they can differ radically in style. Orangeries do tend to be grander in terms of aesthetics, so if you are looking for something with some real wow factor, this could be a good direction to go in.
Whether you decide to go for an orangery or conservatory, what is advisable is to check to see if you need planning permission for the project. Generally speaking, you should be fine but it’s always wise to make sure so you can avoid any nasty surprises later down the line.
Interested in wooden orangeries? Get in touch with Foxfurd today.