Client Testimonial: Spacious, L-shaped orangery in the suburbs

From time to time we ask our customers to write for our blog. Here’s Mrs E on how her orangery has transformed their downstairs space.

The property

After several months of living in our Edwardian home, it soon became clear that  the downstairs layout simply wasn’t right. Not only did it lack natural daylight but there was an absence of flow from one room to another.

Attached to the lounge was an old conservatory that was leaking, damp and in disrepair. The lounge itself backed onto our main garden, whereas the previous kitchen was tucked away at one end of the house.

We decided the best solution would be to swap our lounge and kitchen over and replace the worn-out conservatory with a larger, L-shaped orangery that would wrap around the kitchen overlooking the swimming pool. This would help maximise the amount of light flowing throughout the downstairs, while creating additional, open-plan space.

As we were planning to add a sizeable orangery onto our home, we wanted to ensure our investment was going to stand the test of time. After extensive research, we narrowed our options down to a handful of contenders, all market leaders in luxury garden room extensions, but when we were invited to take a tour of the Westbury factory in Essex, our decision was made.

Being able to go behind the scenes and watch the care and craftsmanship that goes into Westbury’s manufacturing process was such an exciting opportunity. The whole team had a really refreshing approach, going to great efforts to give us a first-class experience before we’d even committed to anything. We left the factory with absolute peace of mind that with Westbury at the helm, we were guaranteed a high-quality and stable product.

How we use our orangery

The L-shape of our orangery has allowed us to create two separate areas; a relaxed living space with cosy sofas perfect for unwinding, and a dining area for entertaining and family get togethers, each made brighter with their own pitched roof lantern.

With two teenage daughters who often like to invite friends round for gatherings, the orangery provides the ideal social environment. Luckily, we have a separate living room in the main property so my husband and I can still escape for some peace and quiet!

The dining space within the orangery has also proved a huge hit this summer when hosting family friends for weekend lunches. Large French doors open up onto the pool area, allowing the children to splash around in the outdoor pool and come and go as they please, while the adults were able to watch over them from the dining table.

The large six pane windows and glazed roof lanterns have brought newfound light and warmth into the kitchen. It would still be an attractive room had we not installed the orangery, but it wouldn’t have the ‘wow’ factor as you walk in and are greeted with open views of the garden, an aspect we never got to enjoy previously.

Since completion, everyone now naturally gravitates straight towards the orangery, it really has become the main hub of our family home.

A year round asset

No matter what time of year it is, sitting in our beautiful orangery is always a pleasure. Whether it’s the height of summer or a frosty winter’s morning, you get to observe the scenery outdoors as it changes throughout the seasons. I just love sitting in it when it’s raining outside and listening to the gentle patter on the roof lanterns – it’s very therapeutic.

I was concerned that with the orangery being such a large, open-plan space, it might feel cold and somewhat stark in the evenings and during the winter, but it’s quite the opposite; the clean and light interior colour palette create a bright and airy environment that’s spacious but well proportioned.

As with our previous conservatory, there is a step down into the orangery from the main property. I’m really pleased that we carried this feature across to the new extension, as it helps to retain the flow of the downstairs.

Aftercare

Once the design and construction of our orangery were complete, Westbury continued to exceed our expectations with their faultless aftercare service. Once the building had settled, the team came back and redecorated for us – nothing was too much trouble and we would have absolutely no hesitation in recommending Westbury.