Low-e glass reduces the amount of UV and IR light passing through the panes, and blinds can be fitted to both the roof and sides of the conservatory to shade from direct sunlight.
As these rooms are often used for relaxing, furniture mainly consists of comfy upholstered pieces. Fading, discolouration and fabric damage is something our clients do ask about and by following some simple guidelines, both in the selection of fabric and placement of pieces, this problem can be lessened.
We advise a more neutral palette using natural fabrics that are blended with polyester, nylon and acrylic as they are generally less likely to fade. For specifically-selected colourful fabric, we advise to check the lightfastness grade with the supplier who can advise accordingly. Accent colours are still very useful within schemes, you just have to understand that your clients may need to update them every now and again.
With wooden furniture these too can fade – walnut being a good example or even get a ‘suntan’, cherry or maple. It is a good idea to advise your clients to periodically move pieces around and any ornaments or lights to change position too. Most of the wooden furniture that we select for our schemes is painted which alleviates this problem and also marries more with the preferred neutral palette.
Interior design is not as restricting as you would initially imagine as there are lots of other materials to choose from for conservatory furniture that are insensitive to sunlight such as stone, metal and glass.
Lighting in conservatories is one of the most effective ways to change the ambience, and reflections in the glazing can be quite magical. We advise our clients to consider their primary lighting at the design stage so unsightly wires can be hidden within the internal design of the room. Also the facility to dim the lighting allows adjustment as the light changes outside and changes the mood of the room.
Most of our clients choose underfloor heating in their conservatories as it allows for more freedom to design for comfort within the room. Flooring needs to be hardwearing so it will withstand the constant toing and froing from the garden. Stone and ceramic have the least resistance and will transfer heat more efficiently. We particularly like the natural tones you get with stone flooring and nowadays there is an excellent choice of both finish and colour. Wooden floors can be included and we recommend the use of engineered wood for its structural stability.
What we must remember is that these rooms are designed to be light-filled and have a unique atmosphere like no other room in the house. They are a comfortable sanctuary and a space that is often the most popular room in the house.