A conservatory can be custom-built with a choice of materials and fixtures to best suit your family’s requirements. Like housing styles, you can choose from various characteristics and shapes when deciding to build a conservatory.
The conservatory design is a fundamental element that can make or break the overall appearance of the conservatory and the home. Every conservatory style has unique architecture, structure, décor, and views. Several sought-after types of conservatories in the UK include P-shape, lean-to, Victorian, Georgian, and Edwardian. Each of these styles has a unique aesthetic feel, and depending on how you intend to use a conservatory and your home’s architectural style will determine the best type for your property.
Georgian or Sunburst Conservatories
Georgian architecture describes the fashionable building style when Britain was reigned by King George III, hence the name Georgian. The style is known for clean and straight lines, large sashed windows, and stucco finish, a building material made of cement, lime, and sand. The Georgians mainly used their conservatories to grow plants, as the warmth enabled them to grow delicate fruits all year round. Many of the classic Georgian-style conservatories have glass ceilings and are very similar in style to sunburst conservatories, which date back to the same period.
Georgian conservatory
Victorian Conservatories
Victorian conservatories remain a very popular conservatory style. The Victorians developed their unique building style between 1837 and 1901 while Queen Victoria reigned.
The Victorian era was an especially prosperous period for many, while others did not fare so well. The wealthy Victorians paid much attention to the arts, which is evident in the building style of the day. Architecture incorporated intricate details, open arches, and decorative buttresses.
During the Victorian period, the metal and glass industries enjoyed significant advancements, and as a result, conservatories and sunrooms became extremely popular among those who could afford them. A pitched roof, ornate roof ridge, and a bell-shaped bayfront are characteristics of the Victorian conservatory style.
Victorian conservatory
Edwardian Conservatories
The Edwardian style developed from 1901 to 1910, during the short reign of King Edward VII. His reign was brief, but architecturally, it left a significant impression. Like the Victorians who came before, Edwardians enjoyed ornate features, including floor tiles and stained glass in large rooms with high ceilings. However, they were not as manic as the Victorians when it came to minute detailing, and the style was somewhat more refined. Conservatories of this period became more rectangular and typically featured a peaked roof. But Edwardian conservatories are very similar in style to those of the Victorian period, and the two types merge in several ways.
Edwardian conservatory
Lean-To Conservatories
Lean-to conservatories, or Mediterranean conservatories, as they are sometimes called, are a popular choice among homeowners who do not have much garden space. A lean-to conservatory has three sides, as an existing exterior wall makes the fourth. The structure is finished with a sloping roof. Lean-tos are the simplest conservatory style and perfect if you are working within a limited budget.
Lean to conservatory
P-Shape Conservatories
A P-shaped conservatory is named after the shape it forms. P-shape extensions combine components of a lean-to conservatory (the straight part of a P) with those of a Victorian or Edwardian-style conservatory (the rounded part). This style tends to cost more than the designs mentioned above and offers plenty of extra space, which families can use for daily living.
P-shaped conservatory
Current Trends
After the Edwardian era, conservatories became less prevalent, as the British had more important things to tend to with the onset of World War I. Many older conservatories began to decay and were demolished rather than renovated.
However, in more recent decades, the demand for sunrooms, conservatories, and solariums has increased. They are an important feature of any modern British home, as homeowners seek ways to enjoy more space, spend time outside, and be eco-friendly.
Not only does a conservatory allow you to grow plants and food, but it also increases the value of a home, sometimes more than 5% of the property price.
A conservatory connects a home’s interior with the garden and gives you the feeling of being outside while protecting you from the elements.
Conservatory Roofs
Glass roofs were standard features of conservatories, and rightly so, as they bring plenty of light into the room. However, these days, many homeowners are swapping their old glass roofs for tiles, making the conservatory appear more uniform with the rest of the home and offering much better insulation, security, and noise reduction.
To find out how a tiled roof will benefit your conservatory, contact us on 0203 982 3772.
