Modern Conservatory Ideas to Convert the haters

M O D E R N C O N S E R V A T O R Y I D E A S T O C O N V E R T T H E H A T E R S

B Y C H A R L O T T E N I C H O L E

Because they are no longer restrained tothe older clientele and can be a hugeaddition to any home. Here’s why youNEED to consider one!

Call me old fashioned, but most certainly in my childhood, conservatories were a space for wicker furniture and ornaments your parents didn’t mind fading in the sun.

But it seems in recent years, the conservatory seems to have had a resurgence and almost a modern twist on what used to be a one use space.

Whilst we don’t have a conservatory of our own ( nor the space to build one unless our 2 bed apartment drops down a floor ), I have always looked at the Conservatory with narrowed eyes. Why would someone want a conservatory over building a small extension with skylights and bi-fold doors?

And yet after discovering some stunning inspiration on good old Pinterest, I have become a real turncoat and completely smitten with the idea of a conservatory. I now just need a house to build one onto!

DARK FRAME

Typical conservatories were always the white PVC, which can quickly look dated and pretty clunky. Plus, they’re not that modern looking. Recent designs feature a much darker frame, or even a coloured one, that can easily match with the existing property. Personally, the darker or even black frame can easily look elegant and modern all at the same time.If you are wanting the new space to be easily incorporated into your current home, opting for a subtle colour that blends with the rest of your home will make it easier on the eye when lounging in your garden. Sand toned frames like pictured above is the perfect colour for doing this.more permanent too!

OR NO FRAME AT ALL

If a frame isn’t for you, you could just bin the idea all together and opt for a sleek modern design and use just glass. This frameless design is perfect for adding extra light into a space, or offering a couple more inches that are in tune with the outside. Frameless designs often work much better for those smaller footage additions, which will work perfectly well for those spaces that just need that extra bit of space, and even more light.

PARTLY WALLED

A conservatory doesn’t all have to be glass and many do have partly walled aspects. This is especially helpful when a conservatory is close to a boundary and would easily overlook a neighbors property.It can even be an option if you’re going to use the extra footage as say a lounge area, or within a kitchen. Partly walled conservatories certainly make the space feel more in-tune with the rest of the property and more permanent too!

STICK YOUR KITCHEN IN IT

As mentioned, conservatories are no longer reserved for wicker furniture or old tellys – yes that’s exactly what my parents old one was used for circa 2000. But much rather, a conservatory can be an extension on your current living space. The real trend is to add a conservatory onto a kitchen space, offering the rather desired open kitchen / dining / family space.But what if it you used the extra footage to put your kitchen into? Kitchens deserve to be open, bright and spacious and a conservatory ticks all those boxes. Chuck away the preconceived ideas and spice it up. Plonk your modern kitchen / diner in and you won’t regret it.

LARGE OPENINGS

Back to my parents 2000 conservatory, it had patio doors into and dropped down flooring wise. It had cold tiling floor and often was either too cold to enjoy, or too hot – there was no in-between. Fast forward 10+ years, and a whole new house, they have nailed their new conservatory, by switching these minor but pretty impactful elements.Using a large opening is a sure fire way to make your conservatory an extension on your living space, and a real addition to your home. Getting rid of those patio doors, and replacing with a seamless transition will instantly create the feeling of space and expansion.

SEAMLESS FLOORING

The final modern touch that will catapult your conservatory into the 21st century is that seamless flooring I touched on in the last point. Conservatories with broken flooring, uneven levels and those clunky seams from one room to the next., just really don’t do you any favours. So whether looking to update your current conservatory, or build one from scratch, really consider the flooring as a key starting point.

I have very quickly become a real lover of a conservatory, especially when they are done properly. Following these little design ideas will certainly create one that is full of aspects to last the modern decor trends.