As the winter sets in, so too do the hazy afternoon sunsets. There’s a beauty in these frost-bitten months, though their virtues tend to be felt most keenly when curled up with loved ones in the comfort of a warm home. That’s the wonder of conservatories; you can go outside without actually stepping into the elements.
When it comes to designing a garden room, Rosemary Ridgway of interior design studio, April Hamilton, recommends a healthy dose of foresight:
“Planning is always key, so list out all the things you would like to get out of your garden. Start by asking yourself some pertinent questions…what am I going to be doing in there? How much time will be spent in the room? Think about the seating arrangements and whether you’ll be entertaining or if it’s a room just for you. This will guide you to explore what can be achieved and ensure that nothing gets forgotten. Installing a garden room can maximise space while also serving multiple purposes; It can be a quiet escape from the rest of the home, a place to sunbathe, read, entertain, or work in peace. What’s more, it’s a relatively convenient way of adding between 5-15% value to the home. As an investment that pays for itself, I certainly agree that the garden room is a delightful and appealing idea.”
Conservatories bring so much to the home, though they can be slightly tricky spaces when it comes to decoration. They’re part of the home, to be sure, but they perch just on the fray between the domestic and the wild. So, it can be difficult settling on furniture that speaks to the outward facing nature of a conservatory, without alienating the space from the rest of the house. But not to worry – we’ve got you covered with a few ideas to artfully address this duality.
Conservatory Seating
Left: Exe Bench in ‘Charcoal’ with ‘Oak’ top + Lily Garden Tables | Right: Exe Rectangular Dining Table in ‘Bronze’ with ‘Whitened Oak’ top + matching Exe Benches
There’s an informal, outdoorsy quality to benches. Perhaps it stems from their appearances in parks and gardens the world over. In any case, they make wonderful additions to conservatories. Their low profile doesn’t detract from the views, and the simplicity of designs like our Exe Bench help to minimise visual clutter. If you’d like to carve out a dining space in your conservatory, we’d recommend pairing your Exe Benches with an Exe Dining Table for a laid-back picnic-style arrangement.
If you lean towards a more contemporary look, we’d suggest the Atlantic Bench. With a slightly futuristic feel owing to its oblong legs, it brings are bit of an urban lift to the space. It can also be combined with the corresponding Atlantic Dining Table to create a place for quasi-al fresco meals. Plus, the robust veneer tabletop makes it a great spot to cut fresh flowers and get up to a bit of indoor gardening. Pop a few Atlantic Stools into the mix for some visual variation and added seating flexibility.
Atlantic Rectangular Dining Table in ‘Ocean Blue’ with ‘Walnut’ lipping + matching Atlantic Bench and Stool
We’ve all got our spot – that one seat that you’re just a little proprietary over. The Berlin Easy Chair fits all the parameters. It’s a contemporary lounge chair with a slightly metropolitan feel to tie in with more upscale, domestic spheres of the house. If we may say so, it’s the ideal chair for soaking up the indoor-outdoor joys of a garden room.
Dining Tables for Conservatories
Papillon Round Dining Table in ‘Ulysseys Blue’ + matching Papillon Stools, with Michael Ruh glassware
The Papillon Round Dining Table is a wonderful alternative to the Exe and Atlantic Dining Tables. If you’re looking for a piece that makes a real statement while tying into the organic surrounds of the space, this is just the piece. With fine, sinuous lines that come in a vast array of finishes, it’s a wonderful way to infuse some personality into your conservatory without occluding any views. To complete the vignette, just add a few matching Papillon Stools.
Mirrors for a Conservatory
In the organically enrobed atmosphere of a garden room, it can work well to mimic those soft, natural lines in the interior. The Lily Mirror is inspired by the wonders of the outdoors, drawing its shape from lily pads. We think it makes a beautifully harmonious addition on an interior wall, where it can reflect the natural light and maximise your views.
The Cloud Mirror is also reminiscent of organic forms, though it’s got a slightly refined, geometric quality to it. As such, it can be a fantastically effective link to more contemporary interiors in the rest of the home, tying your decor together.
For a more traditional mirror, we’d suggest the Empire. It benefits from softly curved corners to keep a sense of fluidity in the space. For added effect, opt for an Antiqued Mirror finish – and don’t be afraid to go big with a floor-length format for a bit of drama!
Conservatory Coffee Tables
To create a sense of continuity from interior to conservatory, it can work well to repeat your favourite materials, interspersing them throughout. The Cloud Coffee Table is available in a number of finishes, with a wonderful selection of marbles on offer. We’re always happy to customise our pieces as well, so you can cast the table’s beautifully nebulous form in the materials of your choosing.
If you’re leaning into the biomorphic wonder of your garden, we’d recommend opting for the overtly organic Lily Coffee Table. It’s not just the design’s lily pad footprint that works well. You can also make good use of the marble top by selecting, for example, White Onyx, which has an ethereal translucence to it along with unique natural variations that make each iteration absolutely one-of-a-kind.
Our Madison Coffee Table comes in a rectangular and a round format to suit any space – whether that’s a cosy living room or an immersive conservatory. It’s a traditional design with a clean simplicity to it that seamlessly fits into any design scheme. You can’t go wrong with this one!
Art Objects for Conservatories
We often think to add artwork to our gardens, but it’s not quite so common to see them in conservatories. We forget that while we’re looking out from the inside in the winter months, we’re likely to reverse that vantage point in more temperate seasons. Introducing art furniture like the Papillon Screen adds something not just to the interior of your conservatory, but to the overall effect of your garden. Plus, with such a wealth of natural rays, a Dichroic Glass finish is sure to produce spellbinding lightshows throughout the space.
Text by Annabel Colterjohn