Do you long to create an extra room on the ground floor of your home? Do you want it to be practical, usable and stylish and offer an alternative for family get-togethers or evening entertaining? How about some top ideas on creating a stylish conservatory then?
Well conservatories are an easy and often affordable way to do that, and if you’re recoiling in horror remembering the plastic versions of the 80’s then think again. As with many things the design of the conservatory has come a long way.
They can be sleek, contemporary, in keeping with the age of your home, and very on-trend now, and you’ll find you have bags of choice too when it comes too buying one.
If you are already the proud owner of a conservatory in your home, you might be interested in a few ideas for decorating it. At the very least, these tips migh come in handy next time you revamp the space.
7 Easy Steps to a Stylish Conservatory
#1 Treat it as just another room in your home. If you want it to blend in seamlessly with the rest of your decor don’t go and give it special treatment buying special furniture. Admittedly some natural/outdoors inspired textures can work well, but too many and you can make it look uninspiring. Decorate in the usual way, giving it the same look and feel as the rest of your home.
#2 Go for the best blinds you can. This is a room that’s going to get a lot of sun, and lose a lot of heat by the very nature of its build, so blinds are one of the most important thing you can invest in. I’m a big fan of Duette energy saving blinds (we have them in our attic conversion) and they keep the room cool in the summer and save heat escaping in the winter. They’re a must so do check out Thomas Sanderson to find out more HERE.
#3 Protect from the sun. Once you’ve got some decent blinds in place consider how you can use them to protect your furniture and accessories from sun damage. When you can’t or don’t want to lower the blinds, you’ll find sofas and tables or soft accessories will fade, so position them away from direct sunlight if you can, or cover the backs with throws.
#4 Add some plants for colour and interest. This is the one space where you can really go made with plants, and they will love you for it. I even imagine that someone like me, with the most un-green fingers ever, would manage to keep some plants alive in a conservatory. As long as I watered them of course. I also think they look stunning next to their outdoor counterparts. Teamed with some conservatory shutters perhaps these give your room a quite tropical feel.
#5 Use the space wisely. And by this I mean don’t create a room that’s used for so many different things it becomes a bit of a dumping ground. So often I’ve seen conservatories filled with tumble driers, ironing boards, a dining table, playstation (or whatever the latest gaming gadget is) and a pile of kids toys. It’s very tempting to use this spare room as a storage unit but that won’t maximise its use, and you’ll come to regret it. Define the space, and ensure you use it for the purpose you intended it.
#6 Keep it fresh. The sun will do a lot of damage and decor, furniture and flooring will fade. To keep it looking at its best, after you’ve got the best blinds and protected the furniture, is give a little revamp to the paintwork now and again. Keep it looking at its best, and you’ll enjoy using the space so much more. If you team your colours with your blinds, like those from Laura Ashley for example, all the better.
#7 Embrace the space. You’ll be excited you’ve built or inherited a conservatory and if you are following some of the above tips you’ll be loving the extra space you have. Having built a loft conversion last year, I know how much adding extra space to your home can transform the way in which you live there. A conservatory can give you all of that and more. It will change the way you use your whole home, not just the ground floor. It will change the way you entertain and welcome friends and family. It will make you feel calmer and more relaxed in general, so embrace the space, make the most of it and start to live in it! That’s the most stylish thing you can do.
Do you have any more ideas on how to create a stylish conservatory in your home?
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Jen is an interiors writer and blogger and has an insatiable love of home style and decor
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This is a great post Jen, some very useful tips. I haven’t bought my first home yet, but I’ve always planned to own a conservatory as I think they’re a great way of extending your home and also that ‘middle’ ground between inside and out. My parents used to have one and I loved sitting in there hearing the rain on the glass.
Thanks for the great tips,
Lee
x
Lovely airy feel to those designs! I’m hoping to do up ours, I think it’s a great way to make efficient use of space to have rugs underneath furniture pieces, such as coffee tables. I think the lighter colour rugs work best in this scenario, as you suggest above. I was thinking something like this
Hello Jen,
Great tips to make a good environment in home.
These things are also helpful in generating positivity. These tips are definitely help a lot of people to make
their houses better.
Thanks and keep on writing like this! 🙂
Really good article
Congrats
Besides creating a beautiful new space which gives your home a modern look, a conservatory is a great investment that will add value to your home.
Awesome blog post, thanks for posting this