Today we’re with newlywed Chloe who would like our help with one room in her new home, her conservatory. It’s not surprising Chloe is having trouble planning her conservatory decor. Their structure and environment makes them entirely different to other rooms in the house and sometimes it can be tricky to see how your style can translate to a glass box. Let’s hear more from the soon-to-be-owner shall we?
Very soon my husband and I will be moving into our new house (squeal with excitement). We currently live in a very cool flat with double height ceilings and original features… Perfect for who we were but not the home we hope to start a family in. I’ve got big plans for our new home and have a Pinterest board for every room of the house…. I’m thinking lots of different greys, statement art on the walls and have already started buying furniture to up cycle. The one room I’ve no inspiration for is our little conservatory, it’s got to hold our dining room table. So my question is how do I make what is essentially a glass box into the intimate dining space I so desire!
Some of my friends have just moved into a house and inherited a small conservatory too. I have to admit I stood staring at it for a good few minutes before any inspiration struck. I’ve had a few thoughts on how to make the space feel more intimate and purposeful but would love it if you could share your thoughts too.
Furniture
Chloe already has a very nice six seater wooden table to add into the space, but as with any other room in your home, accent furniture is also required otherwise you quite literally end up with a ‘dining’ room.
Adding a slimline console table against one the glass walls may be an idea. As the back of furniture will be viewed from the garden then a bookcase or chest of drawers is out, however a slim table would offer a place to display a collection of candles, photos or gorgeous florals.
It’s usual to find wicker or cane style furniture in sun rooms due to the high temperatures. I used the main image from H&M in the inspiration board above to illustrate ideas for textiles but I’ve been in many a conservatory with a wooden table and a leather sofa.
If there’s room, a great chair would also make the space more purposeful and would make an ideal spot to curl up on a summer evening soaking up the last of the sun.
One thing to be aware of is keeping it simple, not cluttered as the space will be a through room to get in to the garden. No one likes to shuffle around furniture to catch some rays!
Textiles
Let’s be honest, furnishings fade under the bright glare of a conservatory so any textile patterns need to be the type that still look good when they’ve been bleached by a bit of sun. I adore the H&M collection with bold geometric patterns in various shades of green, grey and blue which I think would still look good even when faded. As Chloe mentions, grey will feature heavily in her new home and combining with the green will give a real lift to the garden room. The botanical interiors trend is also still going strong and means you get to embrace the outside without going too chintzy.
Window treatments are really important in conservatories to help reduce glare. Roman blinds are a sleek and stylish way to dress the windows and can be pulled up or down dependent on the view you want to see!
Capture the Spirit of the Garden
They’ll dry out quicker than plants in other rooms but you can go for far more exotic flora and fauna in a conservatory. For a colonial look tall palms work really well against glass to add privacy as well as decoration. Alternatively hang an on-trend terrarium from the ceiling to limit the amount of surfaces you need. The copper one pictured in the mood board is from Etsy.
Lighting
I always think a dramatic floor lamp looks great in a conservatory as surfaces to house a normal table lamp can be minimal. Marks and Spencer’s have a great selection this season. I’m a big fan of the Jenson Search Light, however for a copper kick I’m drawn to the Cox and Cox Tore Floor Light. Candle light is the ultimate tip to make a room feel more intimate. Tall lanterns standing on the floor are great for a conservatory and you could bundles threads of fairy lights inside for a subtle glow. In fact I might even be tempted to see how strings of festoon lights would look across the space too.
Finishing Touches
Chloe’s conservatory has three walls of glass and one of brick making wall space minimal. If there’s room on the walls I’d suggest introducing some form of art or photography to give the room definition.
Now I’ll hand over to you to add your thoughts too. How would you decorate a conservatory?
I think a nice floor rug which you can take up in the summer if you don’t want it too cosy works wonders. We have a garden-type room (a very mini orangery) and I’ve got a fabric sofa, chair & rug in there to make it more of a room. I think soft furnishings are key. If there are any hard surface walls how about some cheery framed prints? Otherwise smart blinds or shutters for pulling down in winter when you don’t want to look out into darkness on dreary days. I love plantation shutters but they might not work with a conservatory.
Excellent point Victoria, a rug is a must for a making it seem more like a ‘room’.
Your garden room sounds fab!
Some awesome statement pendant lights hung low over the dining table could look cool, especially in winter when its dark outside. The storm lanterns, lamp and fairy lights would look amazing too. I like to have lots of different lighting options in a room so you can always get the right mood.
Also, definitely agree with the idea of a floor rug, 1) it defines your space (make sure its big enough for the table and chairs to sit on) and 2) its nice not to put your feet on a cold floor while you’re eating your supper!
Agreed Claire, lots of lighting options are great for setting atmosphere.
One of the girls I work with has the most amazing conservatory. She also has her dining table in there and it sounds a similar layout to Chloe. Although the house is fairly neutral the conservatory wall is an aqua/turquoise blue and it really brightens up the room and makes you think of blue skies on a grey day. I personally think every conservatory needs a good reading chair and a bookshelf or unit
A conservatory makes a superb spot for reading Claire.
Liking the sound of aqua too x