Flooring

Consider your choice of floor covering carefully. If you plan to use your Windsor conservatory as a living room then carpet gives an inviting feel. If you have children who will be coming in from the garden, through the conservatory, then laminate, wood or tiles make a practical alternative.

Furniture

Wicker, cane and rattan have always been traditional furnishings for conservatories, however there is no reason why you shouldn’t furnish your conservatory just as you would any other room in your house. Color schemes are an important consideration when furnishing your conservatory due to the way the ambience and atmosphere may be partly determined by the location and orientation of the conservatory. For example, south and west facing conservatories may benefit from cool colors such as blues and greens, while north and east facing conservatories will glow with warm shades such as red, orange and browns. You should also take into consideration the fact that the conservatory is often an extension of the adjoining room of the house – so consider using similar furnishings to enhance the continuity of the two spaces.

Lighting

Lighting is important to create the right ambiance in your Windsor conservatory. Low voltage up-lighters can be fitted to the eaves above the windows to reflect back of the roof glass into the conservatory. Light assemblies and fans can be fitted to the underside of the roof ridge member. A selection of lamps and wall lights placed around the Windsor conservatory will help create a relaxed feel for enjoying your conservatory in the evenings. It is important to choose the right conservatory lighting, to create a unique intimate atmosphere and welcoming surroundings. You might also want to consider garden lighting to enhance your night time view from your conservatory so you can enjoy a truly magical conservatory experience.

Conservatory Plants

The history of the conservatory is very closely linked with the care of plants, particularly exotic and delicate species from warmer climates that need to be nurtured during winter months. If a major consideration in adding a Windsor conservatory is the propagation of such plants, then the ideal conservatory would be positioned to catch the winter sun, have plenty of opening vents in both the roof and side walls, be equipped with a shading mechanism and have a good HVAC system. The advantages of the extra light that a Windsor conservatory offers means that a greater range than just house plants can thrive.

Before choosing plants, knowing the maximum and minimum temperatures of the conservatory is essential. Warmth-loving plants will be miserable at lower temperatures and, conversely, plants which grow happily in frost-free cooler temperatures will suffer badly if kept too warm. Plants also have different light requirements. A conservatory with inadequate ventilation and shading can still be filled with plants, but these will have to be species such as cacti or other succulents.

»  Location

The potential of a new conservatory for plant growth begins with its location. The types of plant that can be grown successfully will depend above all on the amount of sun the conservatory receives. Early morning sunlight and radiant sunsets, blazing mid-day sun or none at all for long winter months are all factors to take into account. They will affect how both people and plants enjoy the space, and what modifications made need to be made.

A conservatory is often positioned at the back or side of the house for privacy, and its layout is influenced by access from the house and the space available. The exposure of a conservatory is the direction in which most of the glass faces. Unless the conservatory faces due south, a conservatory with a small projection (such as a lean-to design) positioned against one wall of the house will receive sunlight for only part of the day. A conservatory with a more prominent projection (such as a Victorian, Gable or Edwardian design) captures light (and therefore warmth) from more directions, but has extra surfaces to lose heat at night and in the winter.

»  Light and Shade

Generally, green-leaved foliage plants with their origins in tropical jungles are least tolerant of direct sunlight and need to be shaded. Evergreens or semi-evergreens need light to flower. Only well adapted plants such as succulents, with their swollen stems and often reduced or waxy-coated leaves, will survive a position in direct summer sunlight. Other plants, even ‘sun lovers’, begin to wilt despite being well watered, as they cannot keep pace with the water loss through their leaves. Be prepared to move plants around if they show signs of receiving too much or too little light.

»  Ventilation

Ventilation designed to meet the needs of both people and plants often comes low on the priority list of most conservatory designers and architects. At Windsor Conservatories we offer an efficient system of ventilation, both in the roof and side walls, to aid in the control of temperature and keep plants healthy by providing fresh air and modifying humidity. Windsor Conservatory vents can be either manually operated or controlled by a temperature sensor which opens and closes the vents at pre-determined settings.

»  Water and Humidity

Every plant needs water in some measure, and most require a certain amount of moisture in the air. Providing the correct humidity levels for plants is as important as supplying the right amount of light and the correct temperature range. Unless your conservatory is designed with a solid floor that slopes to a drain and contains nothing likely to be harmed by moisture, it is better to avoid large numbers of plants from jungle habitats that need frequent spraying, and opt for those from a more Mediterranean-type climate, whose requirements can be met in ways more compatible with living room conditions.

»  Designing With Plants

The success of designing a conservatory with plants is determined as much by the skill employed in its landscaping and decoration, as by the health and vigor of its plants. Whether this consists of a few containers or a grand scheme involving rocks and waterfalls, some decisions need to be made at the planning stage. There is no use having vague dreams of jungle-like profusion, with rampant climbers adorning the eaves, if no provision is made for them from the outset. Some plants need a deep root run in order to achieve their full potential and beds to contain these should be marked out before the solid floor is installed. Alternatively, many plants of tree-like proportions will grow successfully in containers, and the desire to be surrounded by plants can be fulfilled by grouping and combining plants on different levels without major structural upheaval.