Conservatory Design

Forget that image of a tacky white plastic extension on the back of a house in the suburbs: conservatories can be gorgeous.

This is particularly true if you are lucky enough to have a south- or southwest-facing garden that will allow the maximum amount of sun into the room.

If you are in this position I really recommend that you start saving or go and get a loan straightaway to pay for the job. You will have the luxury of an extra room in your home all year round and one that, if planned and decorated with care, will become the most popular room for reading, drinking and chilling out (or getting a bit of privacy if you're lucky).

THE PLANNING GAME

Ignore anyone who says that you need to decide on the use of your conservatory before it is built. This is nonsense. After all you don't just cook in the kitchen, you also eat, entertain, argue and do laundry. In the lounge you may have supper on your lap, watch the television, read or fool around (you can do that last one in the kitchen too). The point of putting in an extra room is to give your home some extra interior space - what you choose to do in there will certainly change through the seasons and very probably through the years. You can decorate it, accessorise it, and furnish it in such a way that it can fulfil multiple roles.

First consider the following:

Budget.

Spend the max to get the best. Bear in mind that blinds can eat up a large chunk of money if you are fitting them across the whole extension.

Which way will it face?

North - will need attention paid to heating and lighting for the winter months. Ask your installer about specialist types of glass that will offer extra insulation. South - good quality blinds or shutters are essential for the summer. Good ventilation is vital too, so plenty of roof vents and some opening windows. Consider tinted glass for the roof. East - it will catch the morning sun so use materials that retain heat, like thermal glass. If you are thinking about an extension to the kitchen this will give you the perfect breakfast room. West - make sure ventilation is good to prevent condensation from hot evenings and cold nights.

Shape.

How much of the garden and which area are you willing to give up? If you have a small side passageway that leads to the garden but serves no other function why not start to extend there and use that wasted space? If you are seriously spending, consider a two-storey affair.

Material.

Make it blend in with the rest of your house. Here are the options. PVC - durable and virtually maintenance free. This is often installed in white but you can find wood-look options. This is the C-list celebrity of the conservatory world. Aluminium - strong, so can support large predominantly glass structures but may be prone to condensation - the B-list candidate. Timber - what it loses in terms of ease of maintenance it gains in versatility and style. A-list (Oscars, all the best parties, Gstaad in the winter, St Tropez in the summer).

Heating.

Underfloor heating is the best. You don't see it but you know it's there and in winter you'll be glad you have it. Choose this option if you are going to lay ceramic tiles or stone flooring. Radiators are another option. You may be able to simply add them on to your existing central heating system if your boiler has the capacity for the extra work. Or invest in one or two oil-filled radiators, which are quite an efficient way of heating if you can't extend your existing system.

A conservatory can mean a substantial financial investment and you want to use it all year round, so get the basics right from the start.


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