Conservatory Design

Designing your new self build conservatory

Deciding on the design of your conservatory is an important part of the process and you will want to give careful thought to the size and design and the impact it will have on your property and garden.

Conservatories add value and living space and you will also need to consider the intended main use. You may simply want to extend your lounge living area into the garden or you may be looking to add a dining room or childrens playroom or home based office. Once you have decided on the main purpose of this additional living space you will have a clearer idea of the style.

A DIY conservatory is the most cost effective and easiest solution to adding more living space to your home and because you have chosen the self build route the cost is likely to be reflected in the value of your property much faster because of the savings you will make.

However, it is important to remember that the style of the conservatory should be in keeping with the design and age of your home. Edwardian and Lean to style conservatories suit most modern homes but if your home is an older property, a Victorian or Gable End style would probably be your choice.

If you house is in a terraced or semi-detached property you may want to consider full height side walls for privacy and this offers an ideal background to position furniture against. A popular choice for most conservatories is to incorporate a dwarf wall rather than full height glazing, which provides window boards at seating level.

Be it dwarf wall or full height glazing, most traditional conservatories feature a transome line around the conservatory with a combination of fixed lights or opening vents above. It is also possible to specify opening sashes below the transome line although due to height restrictions this will usually require a higher dwarf wall or a deeper transome line. Opening sashes below the transome line do however represent a health and safety issue, especially for young children, so this option does need careful consideration.

Most new conservatories will normally include a pair of French doors to the front or one side to allow easy access to the garden or patio. These can normally be positioned where you require them and are supplied complete with restrictors to prevent the door leaf blowing back against the conservatory wall. Alternatively, a sliding patio door can be specified if preferred.

Here are a few examples of our most popular standard designs of conservatories chosen by our customers...

SPANISH LEAN TO CONSERVATORIES This conservatory features splay segments on the two corners and provides a hipped roof but with no central ridge.  A popular choice with our customers.	TRADITIONAL LEAN TO CONSERVATORIES This model features glazed raked side frames to allow more light. Our standard pitch is 10 degrees but this can be reduced to overcome any height restrictions. A 2.5 degree low pitch solution is also available which is supplied with firings instead of glazed rakes.
SPANISH VICTORIAN CONSERVATORIES A popular choice offering Victorian styling but with a wider central bay segment to provide increased floor space.	EDWARDIAN CONSERVATORIES The most popular choice as it suits most properties and provides traditional conservatory styling with the maximum floor space.
VICTORIAN CONSERVATORIES Particularly suitable for older properties the traditional Victorian combines elegance with style that dates back hundreds of years.	GABLE END CONSERVATORIES This conservatory provides a higher roof feel combined with maximum floor space. The gable front has many design options including the popular ‘Sunburst’ option.
Bespoke Designs Here are just a few designs from our bespoke order files to illustrate the use of full height and ¾ height walls, box gutters and non-standard frame designs...
This Light Oak finish Victorian conservatory was added to a listed building in Herefordshire and the existing ridge heights had to be matched.	This white finish Edwardian conservatory installed in Hampshire shows the use of a full height wall to one side which provides privacy.
This Bay Edwardian conservatory installed in Essex uses a ¾ height wall with fixed lights above to one side for privacy and has the doors positioned in the bay for maximum floor space. This conservatory also has the benefit of an Activ Blue solar control and self cleaning glass roof.	This Light Oak Edwardian conservatory installed in Yorkshire uses a full height wall.
This white finish Spanish Victorian conservatory installed in Wales shows the use of a partial box gutter.	This white finish Bay Edwardian conservatory installed in Birmingham uses a full length box gutter and also has the benefit of Bronze Anti-sun Triple Shield Glass roof.

As you can see the possibilities are endless!

BiFold Door Option

Adding a BiFold door to your conservatory will allow you to open up the front or sides for unrestricted access. These innovative sliding/folding doors will stack neatly to the left or right allowing you to enjoy your garden from the comfort of your conservatory.

Double Hipped Conservatories

If you have a height restriction where the conservatory will join the house wall such as an upstairs window or you are adding the conservatory to a bungalow below the soffit then you will need to reduce the height of the roof at this point.

This is simply and elegantly acheived by adding another hip to the rear of the roof which will incorporate a box gutter. Double hipped conservatories can be supplied in most styles including Edwardian, Victorian, Gable End and most combination conservatories such as the popular P shape.

As a leading DIY conservatory supplier we can supply you with whatever design you are looking for, providing of course, it is technically possible. Our conservatory design team will provide you with full cad drawings of your conservatory with your detailed quotation. You are free to make changes to the design of the conservatory until you are completely happy with the finished result.

For more ideas on styles visit our Order Online page. Alternatively, if you have decided on the size and style you require simply fill out our online conservatory quote form and we will send you a detailed quotation and a free CAD drawing.

STANDARD DESIGN CONSERVATORIES

Free conservatory cad drawing

All our quotes are accompanied by a 3D drawing of your design to confirm the position of door and opening vents.