Kitchen and Dining Room Orangery

The homeowners of this beautiful house in Hertfordshire were keen to replace their outdated and underused uPVC conservatory with a larger orangery in order to merge their kitchen and dining room into one large open-plan space.

The brief was to transform the interior ground floor of the property by knocking through the rear elevation of the house, creating additional space and merging the two rooms. A bay window was replaced with two pairs of beautiful double doors that opened out onto the patio, giving the family a new access route into the garden. The new floor plan allowed for an additional utility room, which was designed to be stylish and functional with plenty of storage.

Before, the house had separate rooms that felt closed off and gloomy. Now, the family has a large, bright and airy living space that has become the heart of the home. Sunlight streams in through the large timber roof lantern, which helps to define the space while acting as a focal point. The new orangery includes a partial solid wall complete with a new feature fireplace for the family to gather round in the evenings during the winter.

Ensuring that the new orangery works in harmony with its surroundings, the exterior was seamlessly matched to the existing brickwork to make the extension blend in with the rest of the property. The structure was given three coats of a water-based microporous paint in OS White, giving the orangery an exceptionally smooth and flawless appearance while protecting the exterior joinery against weather exposure and damage. The clients selected the colour to match their new kitchen fittings, helping all the different areas of the extension to complement each other for a smart look. Bringing an elegant and natural look to the interiors, we specified a stunning wooden floor by Andrew Banks Flooring Specialist throughout.

Classic casement windows with a traditional flush appearance feature throughout the extension, fitted with concealed espagnolette fasteners. All the windows feature oversized internal cills that provide a thicker and more substantial base to complement the proportions of the extension building.

The magnificent and beautifully structured roof lantern helps to bring plenty of natural light into the space, opening up the room to the skies above in the same way that the previous uPVC conservatory did, but on a much larger scale with all the elegance that comes with traditional timber joinery. In order to maintain a comfortable temperature however, the roof lantern features solar reflective glass and two electronically operated roof vents with rain sensors and thermostatic controls to draw warm air up. The orangery was fitted with wet underfloor heating to provide a general and even heat throughout the room, helping to keep it feeling warm and comfortable throughout the colder months. As a finishing touch, we included decorative ball finials to each octagonal kingpin in the roof lantern. Made from solid resin, they will not split or crack and protect the kingpin from any water ingress, making it a highly durable design.

As part of their wider renovation project, our client was also supplied with a new front door and porch by our sister company, Westbury Windows and Joinery.

From time to time, we ask our customers to write for our blog. Read homeowner, Mrs M.’s Client Testimonial on how an orangery has completely transformed the layout of her home and see a before and after photo.