Conservatory Decorating Ideas
If you have recently got a brand-new conservatory or are planning on having one installed onto your property soon, you may be wondering how you will decorate it.
The structure itself may be a great match for your home, but the interior space will be able to enhance it into a space that not only looks great but also one that you will use for years to come.
The design of your new conservatory often depends on what you want to use it for, either as a home office, a kitchen extension, living room, sunroom or simply as a throughway into your garden.
Conservatories are a great way of expanding your home, with many using it as a communal space to entertain guests and family members.
Regardless of whether you have an entirely glass conservatory, dwarf walls, brick work pillars or a solid roof, there are dozens of options available to you to help you make sure that your conservatory is looking its best.
From wall decorations and internal features to furniture and flooring options, what is the best way to get the most out of your conservatory?
What Is The Best Colour For a Conservatory?
The colour of your conservatory is often decided in relation to the outer appearance of your property, as well as what kind of style of conservatory it is that you are looking for.
uPVC and aluminium frames can be coloured both bright primary colours, such as white, black and even green, and more natural hues and shades to replicate natural timber that doesn’t suffer from the same natural wear and tear as actual timber frames.
For uPVC frames there is also an additional optional feature of a traditional woodgrain that replicates the look and feel of wooden window frames.
While aluminium doesn’t allow for this, their colour range is incredibly extensive, allowing for any RAL colour to be chosen.
Once you have selected your ideal colour, your aluminium frames will be covered in a special powder coating that protects the colour from the elements, meaning that the colour will not fade even after years of exposure to direct sunlight.
Bright colours are a great choice for homeowners with a quirkier style or who want to match similar colours around the home.
Similarly, more natural hues go a long way to recreating a classic appearance without your windows needing any of the additional upkeep of wooden windows.
Can You Put Normal Furniture In a Conservatory?
When furnishing your conservatory it is important that you know what exactly what you want to use the space for.
For instance, a dining room will require tables and chairs, while a living rooms often need sofas and armchairs.
‘Normal’ furniture is a must for a conservatory, encouraging you to use the space on a day-to-day basis rather than preserving it for rare special occasions.
However, certain considerations should be taken when choosing what kind of materials the furniture is made out of, especially if your conservatory receives a lot of concentrated, direct sunlight during the day.
Soft furnishings such as sofas, armchairs and cushions can become bleached after a while of sitting in a conservatory, because of the large glass panes allowing in lots of sunlight.
If you have a favourite sofa that you want to keep from becoming bleached or washed out while sitting in your conservatory, it is recommended that you put a throw over it to protect its pattern and the material from becoming damaged and threadbare.
There are also fade-resistant sofas available on the market if you look in the right places.
Another popular choice for conservatory furniture are wicker chairs, but these can be just as damaged by the bleaching of the sun and also general wear-and-tear of daily use as a sofa.
If you are looking for a sturdier and more durable piece of furniture, choose a rattan chair.
Rattan is made of fibres from hardy climbing plants which are incredibly resistant to fading in the sun and can last for decades without any real sign of damage, while wicker can often become frayed.
Can You Put Wallpaper In a Conservatory?
It should be obvious to say that you cannot put wallpaper into an entirely glass conservatory, but what are your interior decorating options for dwarf walls and any interior walls from your pre-existing property?
Wallpaper is a classic option that is great to hide any brickwork or plaster that you do not want to see.
Wallpaper comes in many different styles, from patterned to textured to simple plain colours, it is affordable to buy and very easy to put up on a small section of wall.
However, if you are considering having some wallpaper put into your conservatory, it is highly recommended that you make sure that your conservatory is fully insulated and not prone to any kind of damp, either rising or falling from the floor or ceiling.
Any damp can cause wallpaper to bubble and stain, needing to be replaced.
Bare brickwork can bring a touch of rustic charm to a home, so it may even be best to leave the previously exterior wall of your property bare or whitewashed.
However, you should wash the brickwork to remove crime, algae, moss and any insects which may have made their home inside (to prevent this from happening, any gaps or damage in the brickwork should be treated or filled).
Conservatory Lighting
Lighting is a very important part of any kind of interior design, and while conservatories bring in natural light during the day, finding the right lighting can allow you to continue using your conservatory way into the night.
Conservatories make for great dining and living rooms, and especially during the winter early darkness can often make your conservatory space unusable.
However, internal lights are very easily fitted, with lantern roofs’ raised triangular prism allowing for hanging ceiling lights.
Hanging ceiling lights are a great option if you are planning on using your conservatory space as a dining room, giving your room a central feature piece. Even if you don’t have the height for true ceiling lights, side lighting strips can be put around the tops of the walls, with wiring put in along any dwarf walls or interior property masonry.
Small Conservatory Décor Ideas
You don’t have to have a massive conservatory to decorate it well, however, and sometimes the smaller your space the more simplistic you can go with the design to make it seem like a larger and more contemporary space.
Don’t fill up your conservatory with excessive amounts of furniture. Depending on the size of your household, often one or two chairs or a medium-sized sofa will do the trick, whilst giving you enough spare space for other pieces.
Storage solutions such as chests of draws, shelves and even more contemporary places to hide shoes and other items can help keep your conservatory clear of things cluttering up your sitting areas and tables.
One of the great features about any kind of conservatory is that, with their brightness from natural light and their glass walls providing a great view, often even small conservatories create the illusion of extra space.
For added height, consider choosing a lantern roof for your conservatory, with its raised triangular glass roof providing more space to hang lights and giving you more headroom.
Cottage Conservatory Ideas
While sleek and contemporary, modern conservatories are often seen to be the best version of a conservatory, the more traditional options for a conservatory can give your home a classic sense of charm often sought after by owners of period or traditional-style homes.
Not only that but, thanks to modern advancements in technology, your conservatory can share the appeal of classic conservatory styles without suffering from any of the drawbacks.
For instance, uPVC can be made to replicate the feel and look of timber frames, with natural colours and woodgrain foils, while not requiring any of the sanding, varnishing or repainting that actual wooden frames often need every few years in order to keep their appearance.
Conservatory Curtain Ideas
Conservatories, by their nature, allow in natural light; however, sometimes you need some extra privacy. So, is it possible to hang traditional curtains or blinds within your conservatory?
Yes you can, but the way you go about it does depend on whether or not you have an internal pelmets. Internal pelmets for conservatories are a great option if you are wanting to hang lights, speakers or curtains inside your home, meaning that you do not have to drill into the uPVC (which can invalidate the warranty if not done properly).
Specially designed curtain rails for conservatories are available to buy, as well as blinds that can fit within the internal frame of your window without needing any screws to hold it in place.
If you have a glass conservatory roof there are also roof blinds, allowing you to give yourself complete privacy from any upper floor windows, hide away from the bad weather or prevent direct sunlight from entering in through the glass.
Like curtains, conservatory blinds come in a range of colours and patterns, allowing for your conservatory to still be aesthetically appealing even when they are drawn.
