A Sleek Orangery for a Victorian Family Home in Surrey

Timber folding & stacking doors, soft colours and clever lighting make up this dazzling open-plan family kitchen

Based just outside Guildford in Surrey, this timber orangery extension is bright and light, with sunshine radiating down through the magnificent glazed roof lantern. The clients adore the characteristic features of their Victorian red-brick residence. However, the interiors had a layout very typical of the period, with separate rooms all leading off one main hallway. After living in the house for just over a year, they realised how much they missed the open-plan layout and large bi-fold doors they used to enjoy in their previous home. They decided to create something similar, which would be better suited to the needs of their busy, young family.

Since the homeowner runs her own interior design company, Emily Coco Interiors Ltd, we based our designs on her clear vision for the space. We made sure there was plenty of room for some large artisan pieces of furniture she wanted to display in the extension. For us, it was essential to respect the period features of the home, while creating a space which would cater to modern, relaxed family living at the same time.

To complement the look and feel of the main house, we wanted to evoke the feeling of being in a beautiful, grand building, combined with a fresh, contemporary style. We designed a bespoke orangery spanning the full width of the property’s rear and leading straight out into the back garden. The spacious kitchen created by the experts at Charlie Kingham is perfect for social gatherings, as it flows straight into the new orangery. We also devised a modern lighting scheme, with recessed floor lights set on either side of the French doors.

Designed to perfectly cater to modern living

The period home features windows of various sizes, all positioned at different heights. The project involved preserving as much of this asymmetrical charm as possible while incorporating a timber roof lantern in the orangery. We successfully adjusted the pitch of the roof lantern to accommodate the sunken bedroom window on the first floor, ensuring the views from the room were not compromised.

As the orangery began to take shape, we opened the main living rooms up to create a connected, seamless interior plan, where the family could move from one area to another depending on their needs. We inserted two internal doors to help close off the different spaces when required. We laid the floor with Lymington Fair Tumbled, which is a light-shaded limestone with a soft, weathered aesthetic. These fine-grained, natural stone flags come in alternate sizes and are part of our Westbury flooring range.

Comfortable, sustainable, and long-lasting

Given the high proportion of glazing, the views of the garden have become a real focal point in the room. Six magnificent French doors with polished brass ironmongery and classic panelling give an elegant look. In warmer days, the family can open them up to connect the indoor and outdoor spaces and fully embrace garden living out on the patio.

Overheating can often be a problem with glazed extensions, but we used solar-reflective glazing to keep the room feeling fresh and comfortable all year round. Solar heat is reflected off the windows, doors, and roof lantern, decreasing glare and heat build-up in the room while maintaining a high light transmission. Automatic, thermostatic air vents keep the orangery well ventilated, pulling warmer air up and out. These handy vents open automatically when the temperature in the room rises too much, and then close as the room cools. Our clients often tell us that it’s a rather pleasant past-time to sit under a glass roof lantern and listen to the sound of falling rain. When less-than-pleasant weather arrives, the vents close by themselves when drops of rain are detected.

Our designs stand out for their exceptional quality, and this is due to the premium materials we use. Timber glazed extensions are far superior to standard uPVC conservatories because they feature the elegant fine lines expected from classic wooden joinery. To ensure durability and longevity, we use Accoya® for the external layer of our engineered timber. Accoya is an outstanding material which revolutionised timber doors and windows. Accoya® is highly robust and stable and will not shrink or swell, so the joints, panes and frames all maintain their flawless fit. Accoya is made from fast-growing, sustainable FSC® or PEFC™ Radiata pine and is carbon neutral throughout its entire life cycle.

For all our beautifully designed orangeries and garden rooms, only the best paint will do. The client opted for a dual colour scheme, with Westbury White on the inside and Westmorland on the outside. The smart, green shade was also matched on the fascia all the way round to the side garage. We spray-apply our joinery with three coats of water-based microporous paint in our workshops, which result in an immaculate finish. We always use Teknos, paint systems, which protects the joinery from weather exposure, high levels of UV and fungal damage. Providing the painted surfaces are given a gentle wash down with soapy water twice a year; they will stay smooth and crack-free for up to 12 years before they need repainting. The Accoya® and the paint complement each other perfectly, ensuring the orangery will last for 50 years or more.

Internal Joinery Colour: Westbury White
External joinery Colour: Westmorland