Built to last! unrivalled glazed extensions, 20 years on…

We’re proud of building highly refined garden rooms, which we achieve by consistently prioritising quality craftsmanship down to the finest detail. We were invited to see one of our older projects that still has an exceptional finish despite being built over 20 years ago. We talk to the owner, Mrs L, about how she uses her glazed extension and why it has lasted so well…

Recently our founder Jonathan was invited to visit one of our past clients, Mrs L, to look at a conservatory we built for her over 20 years ago. Despite the years, it’s kept its quality finish and is still a beautiful room that is used for a variety of functional and creative purposes.

Exceeding expectations…

“I’ve found that the conservatory is the perfect space for my creative hobbies,” explains Mrs L. “It’s full of light and inspiration. I just thought it would be a nice additional room for eating and entertaining, but I never realised I would end up using the space in the way that I do now.”

Mrs L is an artist and likes to use her conservatory as a studio because of all the natural light that streams into the room. Taking a lot of inspiration from plants, she finds that she can look out over the surrounding gardens and trees from her conservatory. See how some of our other clients use their extensions in our previous blog post, A room of their own: 100th Women’s Rights Anniversary.

As an intuitive artist, she regularly paints scenes and characters from her imagination, but can adapt her style to a range of fascinating projects. Currently, Mrs L is working on a hummingbird conservation project with an ethnobotanist from Ecuador, painting over 33 different kinds of endangered birds.

“The other thing I noticed, when it’s a clear night you can turn the lights off and sit in your conservatory watching the stars. It’s very atmospheric!” says Mrs L. “I’ve also been known to charge up my crystals in there, and it’s also an ideal place to start of my seedlings in the spring sunshine!”

Perfectly positioned in the home

Mrs L has lived in her property for twenty years, and while it looks like a quaint period property, it was only ten years old when she bought it: “It’s not an old house, but it’s been designed to look like a Tudor home. We didn’t specifically go looking for a house with a period style, but it was a charming building in the right location with lovely grounds.”

Mrs L knew that she wanted a glazed extension from the moment she moved in: “We liked the idea of bringing the garden into the home, and knew a conservatory would make the inside feel more connected to the beautiful surrounding nature. It’s always been lovely to sit and watch the wildlife outside, like the birds and the deer,” she explains.

Her conservatory extends off from the kitchen, creating a nice flow throughout the house. The furniture specifically encourages the sense of space between the rooms without creating too many obstructions, such as the small seating area and glass dining table.

The interior of Mrs. L’s conservatory when it was first built…

The exterior of Mrs. L’s conservatory when it was first built…

Harmonious design

This ‘flow’ makes the conservatory such a key part of the home. Rather than a side room, it’s a multifunctional space that every member of the family has enjoyed using for the last 20 years.

Every single one of our bespoke garden rooms are designed to perform as a sophisticated extension that works in harmony with the main building. We are constantly reviewing our design processes and specifications to make sure we stay in line with current Building Regulations.

While every detail is crafted with quality in mind to result in a long-lasting, durable extension, we also work from the start to design a space that fits in with the customer’s brief. Indeed, the initial focus in design discussions typically commences with a clear understanding of the arrangement of adjacent rooms within the host building.

Understanding how our clients live in their homes is one of the first steps. If a garden room incorporates and repurposes the space within the existing main building, then it will feel like just another part of the home rather than an awkward addition that doesn’t quite fit in.

Temperature control

When we say that we consistently ensure a quality finish down to every detail, we mean it. We use the best-performing paint and our doors and windows meet the very highest security standards.

Temperature control is one of the biggest issues around glazed extensions, and we’ve resolved this with the same dedicated approach. We believe that a garden room or conservatory should be enjoyed all year round, not only when the weather is mild. Our standard glazing is 28mm thick, utilising a choice of glass types depending on energy, acoustic, security, or privacy requirements.

Our solar reflective glass is especially popular in our roof lanterns, as it allows for plenty of natural light to stream into the room below while reflecting 65% of the solar heat away from the glass, preventing the space from overheating. Our insulated roof, underfloor heating, and sophisticated ventilation systems all work together to ensure that your room feels welcoming and comfortable all year round.

An exemplary service

Working with Westbury was great, really. – Mrs L

Our dedication to quality doesn’t stop when the final lick of paint is applied to one of our garden rooms. We then arrange for our in-house window cleaners to get all of the doors and windows gleaming. To keep our clients’ minds at rest, we offer a 10-year guarantee alongside a full care and maintenance information pack.

Minimal maintenance is required to keep your garden room looking its best. We recommend a simple washing down of paintwork twice a year to keep it clear of organisms, and you should touch in any areas of damage or joint movement as soon as they occur to prevent water ingress.