Harrogate Garden Room Decorated for the Festive Season

When the owners of this New-England style Garden Room first stepped into their new extension, they did not expect it to become the heart of the home quite so quickly. Knowing that we were working within a conservation area, we created a perfectly balanced extension that would complement the properties’ distinctive architectural features. The unique New England style suited the client’s tastes and helped to make the extension feel like their own. With a kitchen, dining area and sitting room, the space is ideal for entertaining – and what better time for making use of an open-plan family space than at Christmas?

Garden rooms and orangeries are usually generously sized, and to create the balance they require big, show-stopping decorations. It’s just as well that the owners of this Georgian property adore the festive season, as with their garden room’s part-glazed vaulted ceiling there’s now plenty of room for a magnificent Christmas tree. Combined with elegant, simple decorations such as fragranced candles and green foliage from the garden, a beautifully decorated tree of this size draws the eye and creates a real focal point.

Energy-efficient glazing and bespoke Georgian style multi-pane windows keep the heat in and make the garden room feel warm and comfortable, even when the temperatures start to drop. For the joinery, the clients chose a dual-colour option, with the external timber finished in a bright Stiffkey Blue which is well suited to the property’s grey, weather-boarded exterior. Inside, the clean Westbury White paint colour gives a fresh and clean feel to the interiors. These shades allow for a modern, fresh style at Christmas when most people would usually select more traditional decorations.

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.

Timber garden rooms look elegant and timeless, showcasing all the characteristics of classic joinery. To ensure durability and longevity, we use Accoya® for the external layer of our engineered timber. Accoya is highly robust and stable and will not shrink or swell. What’s more, it is made from fast-growing, sustainable FSC® or PEFC™ Radiata pine, so it is carbon neutral throughout its entire life cycle. The Accoya® and the paint complement each other perfectly, ensuring the orangery will last for 50 years or more.

The garden room is designed to create flow through the ground floor rooms, and as guests and visiting family members walk through into the garden room, they are greeted with the sight of an impressive dining table, dressed with crackers (these ones are from Katie Lemon) and ready for everyone to enjoy the traditional Christmas dinner. From here, everyone can retire to the welcoming sitting area with a brandy or two. At the other end, two sets of double French doors open out onto the garden and patio from different angles, making it possible for guests to enjoy the views and perhaps lookout for a flutter of snowflakes.

Christmas time is always cherished by those who are happy to sit back and enjoy their home. Different lighting options have a big impact on mood and allow the hostess to change the atmosphere depending on the occasion. To harmonise with the scale of the room, the enormous pendant light helps to define the living area and works in proportion with the height of the ceiling.