Client testimonial: New England style garden room extension in the country

From time to time we ask our customers to write for our blog. Here’s Mrs C on how her garden room extension has created the family space they’ve always longed for.

The original property and new vision

Our original kitchen was a good size but while it offered ample space, it lacked character. We felt that through installing a garden room extension we could transform it into a multi-functional, family room and create a beautiful space where we can all cook, eat, relax and enjoy the garden together. We always look forward to our family meals and we eat together every evening – the kids love helping out in the kitchen!

Westbury stood out for us as they don’t just sell off-the-shelf orangeries that are simply bolted on to existing properties. We really got the feeling from their website that every project is truly bespoke.

Before we started thinking about the design of our garden room, the Westbury team were incredibly helpful, providing inspiration from other projects they had completed. We were blown away by one particular example; the striking blue paintwork looked fantastic and we were impressed by the New England weatherboard exterior, a feature we have always been drawn to. Therefore, when it came to choosing our own materials, we soon realised that a weatherboarded finish was the perfect fit for us.

For our colour scheme, we chose the beautiful F&B Stiffkey Blue to highlight the pillar details, and F&B Plummet paint for the weatherboarding.

New dimensions

Our property is very square in shape, and the way it is positioned meant that our main outdoor view looked out onto the smallest, least remarkable part of our garden and fence line. By extending the existing kitchen wall to create an L-shaped effect, we were able to create a sense of privacy over our plot. Now our outdoor space has a whole new focal point, as the stunning part-glazed vaulted ceiling draws the eye towards breathtaking views of the biggest and most beautiful part of our garden, while the two external doors open out onto a charming and cosy patio area.

Interior design

For the interior, we wanted to create something that coordinated with the outside of the garden room. I have always loved anything nautical and I think this style really complements the New England exterior we had chosen for our new space. A friend, who is a curtain maker, helped me pick out beautiful striped blue fabrics and hand-made all of our scatter cushions. Both our kitchen fixtures and many of our new furniture items are from Neptune.

The team’s product knowledge and design expertise are outstanding. We followed a lot of their recommendations from lighting design to door handles – they really deliver the enthusiasm and confidence needed to help you create a unique room with a personal touch.

Our new garden room extension has truly changed the way we use our home. Now, we spend a lot more time inside the kitchen than we ever did before; it’s given us the versatile, family-oriented space we set out to achieve.

Stunning features

We absolutely love our Westbury windows, they provide the perfect frame to the outdoor views. We keep finding ourselves gazing outside with a cup of tea in our hand in awe at how wonderful our garden room is. In fact, we were so impressed, that we have now changed every window in the house to Westbury windows!

Although it wasn’t part of the original plans, having a window seat has always been one of my dreams. When we had to adjust our daughter’s bedroom window to accommodate the apex of the garden room, that’s when the inspiration hit to use her original window in our new kitchen area. Not only did this allow more natural light into the kitchen, it also gave us the perfect opportunity to create a window seat beneath it. Now it is an idyllic spot where the kids can sit and be near me when I cook, and somewhere for my husband and I to unwind together and drink lots of tea!

The Westbury touch

Westbury has a ‘can do’ attitude; whatever idea you throw at them they are willing to embrace it and make it happen.

We always recommend Westbury to our friends. In fact both our old neighbours and new neighbours have now used Westbury after seeing our beautiful garden room extension. The quality craftsmanship and professionalism displayed by all the crew (ground crew, Andy, and all the chaps in Westbury kit) is outstanding. They always left the site tidy and locked up every night, we couldn’t have asked for more.