Many window manufacturers currently advertise the additions of both an orangery and conservatory to your home. When recently considering this type of extension I found yself struggling to see any difference between the two, so what are the fundamental differences between an orangery and a conservatory?
Firstly, orangeries originally came about in the 17th century. The fashion originally began in Holland but soon found its way to Britain, typically used as elaborate greenhouses to grow tropical plants such as oranges (hence the name!) and pineapples that would not otherwise grow in the British climate. They became a signal of wealth and elegance, with many of the most lavish homes embellished with beautiful orangeries, like the famous orangery at Kensington Palace.
The conservatory was, in many ways, a product of the orangery. When improvements in glass and manufacturing came about in the late nineteenth century glass became more accessible. Previously, orangeries were artificially heated, making them incredibly expensive to run. However as glass became more readily available the orangery expanded into walls of insulating glass, which then became the conservatory which were generally heated by sunlight alone. In the Victorian times, the conservatory became extremely fashionable and although they were still largely limited to more wealthy families; they became more widely available due to materials being made more cheaply. Today, both conservatories and orangeries are an affordable and stylish way of adding space, light charm and character to your home. Conservatories have slowly become more widely known in the twentieth century as, due to their insulting glass panels, are more cost effective to run. Interestingly, experts now estimate that over one in four homes in the UK benefit from the addition of a conservatory.
However, over the past few years the orangery has been making a comeback, this time though it is not designed specifically to house exotic plants. The modern orangery is seen as a more permanent extension to your home than the conservatory. As is the tradition, an orangery is not made from wall to wall glass, meaning that while it brings an excellent transition between outside and inside, it blends perfectly with the rest of the structure of your home. With stone or brick panelling that is chosen specifically to perfectly match the rest of your home, an orangery avoids looking like an "add on" and as if it was built along with the original construction. There are numerous designs of orangeries, many of them are elaborate and grand constructions that add real charm and elegance to your home. Alternatively, you can choose a more simplistic and contemporary construction to flatter the style of your home.
Many orangeries are fitted with bifold doors that are perfect for opening in the summer months to create excellent lighting and spacing options. Like the conservatory, the orangery is designed specifically to stay warm in the Winter months, due to its solid construction, the orangery will benefit from Winter sunlight in the day adding warmth into your home, then during the darker evenings the orangery will continue to benefit from the heat omitted from your home, making it the perfect way to create space all throughout the year.
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