Being a Grade II listed building, Vale Garden Houses’ project involved careful consideration throughout all aspects of the extension. The client’s brief was to create a large day room accessing the gardens and beautiful views of the surrounding countryside. Existing rooms within the house were linked by a long hall incorporating the stairs to the first floor. The family’s hope was that an orangery, to the garden side of this long hallway, would help to integrate the wing of the house with the adjoining kitchen.
The owners already knew of the benefits a glazed structure provides and wished to replicate this into their new home. The extension would form a multi-functioning space that took advantage of the picturesque views out to the countryside. The room required divisions of space for different functions – dining, entertaining and relaxing. The owners wanted the design to be sympathetic to the main house, mirroring the Georgian-styling from the period of architecture.
Exterior features
This traditional orangery comprises a timber framework with decorative pilasters, deep entablature and a 12 pane Georgian window design. The roof structure features three connected rooflights with pitches that reflect those in the main house.
Vale installed a unique roof system that combines timber with metal, which can achieve greater strengths and spans which incorporate double glazed units between fine glazing rafters. The visual advantages of this technically advanced roofing system was achieved without compromising on the desired traditional detail. These rooflights helped to provide the divisions of space internally and the larger central rooflight provides additional height internally to make it the focal point within the room.
There was careful consideration to the shape of the conservatory as it had to fit with the clients’ criteria of linking one end of the house to the other. Considering the house is a Grade II listed building, the external shape had to reflect an adhesion to architectural requirements. The design needed both planning permission and listed consent.
Windows and doors
The design of the windows and doors mirror those from the main house being of Georgian detail. The main house also has timber sash windows and the owners wished to continue this traditional detail in the new structure. Vale produced traditional vertical balanced sliding sashes, containing individual double glazed units. Cast lead weights balance the windows with ropes and pulleys with the windows’ quality and attention to detail adding to the character of this orangery.
The pitch on the glazed rooflights reflect that of the main house and the period detailing that has been achieved provides the orangery with a sense of belonging. Double doors were designed into the structure at either end of the orangery to open out to the patio areas. The central part incorporated folding doors, which are extremely popular for widening the opening to the outside world and allowing for a smoother transition internally, out to the garden.
The lighting scheme within the room consisted of dimmable down-lighters set within the roof framework which allowed for zoning and setting the mood for different occasions. Primary lighting was seen with three centrally positioned handmade star lanterns.
Conservatory roof and side blinds were specified to help control the ambient room temperature and make the space more comfortable throughout the year. Blinds prove to be useful in the Winter months by preventing heat loss.
Interior aspects
As this orangery was designed as a multi-purpose space the furniture selection had to reflect its use but also maintain a consistency in its style. The client wished to have a formal dedicated area for dining. The pieces chosen were handmade and traditionally upholstered. Hand-stitched curved dining chairs with a coordinated round dining table formed a space for socialising, with large sofas and chairs. At the adjacent end of the orangery sit two high back, fully upholstered chairs for enjoying those quiet moments and appreciating the surrounding views.
The pieces chosen for this scheme reflect the clients’ wish to maintain a traditional look. The central sofas and chairs are Vale’s Imperia design which has a painted frame with a woven cane panel on the outside arm and a fully upholstered seat area. These handmade pieces are perfect for conservatories as they have the classic styling for a more formal look with the ‘lightness’ in appearance from the slender frame. Painted furniture in a conservatory is less likely to be damaged by the harmful rays from the sun, especially if a neutral base is chosen.
The interior scheme requested by the client was to harmonise the interior with the views out to the garden. A palette of calming greens and creams were chosen, incorporating a pretty floral pattern depicting hydrangea blossoms and a trellis design. These two patterns complement each other as they are both tonal and inspired by the external garden.
The various textures within the room helps with the zoning of the various areas. The formality of the dining area has been achieved from the classic-style of the dining set with the fresh floral upholstery.
The central area sees upholstered pieces with inviting, yet hard-wearing fabrics and in the quiet and relaxing area the two high back chairs sit wonderfully, covered in a darker shade of green which marries with the dark leaves in the floral pattern at the other end of the orangery.
The exterior and interior concepts work together beautifully, as they are both very traditional. The overall scheme complemented the main house with quality, traditional pieces and a coordinated theme.