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What is the point?

(76 Posts)
dalrymple23 Sat 03-Aug-24 17:02:12

We are (hopefully) in the process of buying a divine house. It has a vast conservatory. In this country, why have them? If it is hot, sit outside. If it is cold, they are unusable, so sit in front of the AGA. I just don't get it. Someone please explain.

My other issue is kitchen wall cupboards. If you are over a certain age, how can wobbling on steps or a kick stool possibly be safe? It is okay if you are 25 and agile, but a waste of space otherwise! Anyway, I always leave the damned doors open and bash my head! You can just about reach the bottom shelf - the rest are a no go area. I would rather have pictures on the wall! As with most things, it has to be a design innovation by a 6'4" man!!

All views gratefully accepted.

Marydoll Sat 03-Aug-24 21:22:27

I have a large conservatory and I love it. It has two large radiators, so is usuable even winter in a rainy Glasgow.
Ill health means I spend a lot of time in it resting and looking into our beautiful garden.
There is something magical about looking into a snowy garden in winter.

Marydoll Sat 03-Aug-24 21:24:33

I tend to think of conservatories as cheap plastic extensions.

I can assure you, ours was not cheap! πŸ˜‰

dalrymple23 Sun 04-Aug-24 18:08:54

Thank you for all your views. I will reappraise my attitude towards conservatories.

Yes, it is probably totally impractical but it is a divine converted seventeenth century pub!! Timber framed, huge rooms, spacious gardens, Aga, wood burner - what more could you want? Okay, running costs are going to be a nightmare but would rather live on soup in a nice place, than caviar in a modern box!!! (Maybe!).

Katyj Sun 04-Aug-24 18:41:20

I get where you’re coming from with kitchen cupboards but I have a small kitchen, so without them I wouldn’t have room for everything. My 6ft 3 DH comes in useful πŸ˜„
I used to have a conservatory and loved it especially in spring and autumn when it was too cold and windy to sit out. Now I only have a south west facing lounge with big windows , so that will have to do.

Romola Sun 04-Aug-24 18:57:22

My neighbour calls her conservatory the orangery. Hyacinth Bucket might agree.
We did live for a while in quite a small C18 house with a Victorian conservatory with a fabulous grape vine. Being then an energetic youngish couple, we did a pretty good restoration job on it. aWe haven't felt like having a conservatory in subsequent houses.

petra Sun 04-Aug-24 18:58:07

dalrymple23

Thank you for all your views. I will reappraise my attitude towards conservatories.

Yes, it is probably totally impractical but it is a divine converted seventeenth century pub!! Timber framed, huge rooms, spacious gardens, Aga, wood burner - what more could you want? Okay, running costs are going to be a nightmare but would rather live on soup in a nice place, than caviar in a modern box!!! (Maybe!).

I must be missing something πŸ€·β€β™€οΈ Why don’t you just pull down the conservatory. Job done.
I bought a house for the view. It was the ugliest house you’ve ever seen but the view was to die for.

gentleshores Mon 05-Aug-24 01:40:05

I can't manage wall cupboards OR undercounter cupboards! I just don't like fitted kitchens at all even when I could manage. The worktops are nice but whose idea was it that all storage should mean either bending (or getting down on your knees) or stretching or standing on a stool? On holiday we stayed in a house that had a large walk in pantry and I loved that. So much easier.

I like big larders and have my eye on one of these - it's just they're expensive.

www.cotswoldco.com/kitchen-furniture/pantry-cupboards/triple-larders/chester-dove-grey-triple-larder/

poppysmum Mon 05-Aug-24 07:33:25

wall cupboards are dust collectors as they are not normally built to ceiling. the top shelves are so high I am 5'5 but I can only just reach the bottom shelves! they are 3 shelf high but the middle and top are unreachable.
as for conservatory I have never had one but would love one; i can imagine it a nice place to read knit and craft.

Shelflife Mon 05-Aug-24 11:16:48

I love my conservatory! Ok , it gets too hot in the summer ( thinking about a solid roof) however despite that I love the light space. If it's raining I can open the double doors and sit by them to read or simply switch off and watch the birds and garden. We have a smart looking oil filled radiator ( Argos!) this is very efficient and makes the conservatory very warm and cozy in winter, switch a couple of tables lamps on - perfect!
I would hate to be without it.

Quizzer Mon 05-Aug-24 11:59:31

Our conservatory faces south and on some sunny winter days it is warm enough to sit in. However on summer days it if often too hot.

SillyNanny321 Mon 05-Aug-24 12:03:09

Hate my kitchen cupboards. Being so short, 4ft 10ins, also older now I cannot get to the top shelves without climbing on steps which is not easy with arthritis. Have those under worktop cupboards that are far too long & deep. So have cardboard boxes jammed in place so that the things I need to store in the cupboards do not get lost. Even the sink defeats me some days. It is far too high for me but as it is a council bungalow that I am very lucky to have I cannot complain too much. Do miss my house that I should with hindsight not have sold & moved to renting, had a Sun Lounge that I loved. Beggars cant be choosers my Nan would have said. So moan over& just glad to still be here!

WelshPoppy Mon 05-Aug-24 12:16:23

Would love a conservatory to sit in to read, crochet or listen on my headphones but don't have the space. Also, similar with wall cupboards, our kitchen isn't huge so they are very necessary for adequate storage. Hubby has put red tape on inside corner of the doors to catch his eye to avoid hitting head which seems to work. A small step easily gets me to top shelf and step ladder gets me to the top of the cupboard where some things are stored. I'm 67 with Meniere's Disease but they're not a problem for me.

Callistemon213 Mon 05-Aug-24 12:21:06

I love the conservatory, sitting as if in the garden in the rain.

The only time it is unusable is in the rare extremely hot weather.
We have a fan if needed (Lidl tower fan, very effective), underfloor heating and oil filled radiators in the winter so it's cosy. It's double glazed.

Lovely and light, ideal for doing craft.

they do block the light from the room they are built against.
Not necessarily. Not all our windows are covered by the conservatory.

If you're tall enough to bash your head on the upper cupboard doors, how come you can't reach inside? πŸ€”
I don't bash my head but can still reach inside.

a divine house it doesn't sound right for you!

Not all conservatories are plastic, just saying.

Musicgirl Mon 05-Aug-24 12:23:25

I like conservatories. We had a sizeable one built on our old house and it provided us much needed extra room. We have one on this house; too, but it is more an extension of the dining room. It is lovely and airy, though.

Callistemon213 Mon 05-Aug-24 12:26:25

SillyNanny321

Hate my kitchen cupboards. Being so short, 4ft 10ins, also older now I cannot get to the top shelves without climbing on steps which is not easy with arthritis. Have those under worktop cupboards that are far too long & deep. So have cardboard boxes jammed in place so that the things I need to store in the cupboards do not get lost. Even the sink defeats me some days. It is far too high for me but as it is a council bungalow that I am very lucky to have I cannot complain too much. Do miss my house that I should with hindsight not have sold & moved to renting, had a Sun Lounge that I loved. Beggars cant be choosers my Nan would have said. So moan over& just glad to still be here!

Large drawers in bottom cupboards would be useful.

Have those under worktop cupboards that are far too long & deep. So have cardboard boxes jammed in place so that the things I need to store in the cupboards do not get lost.

Large plastic storage boxes are useful, won't disintegrate like cardboard boxes. Easy to pull out to find things.

Charleygirl5 Mon 05-Aug-24 12:38:42

My 3 bedroom house was built in 1988 and I think the architect was single and dined on takeaways because the kitchen until I got my hands on it was small and narrow and difficult to cook anything. I cannot open the kitchen window because I cannot reach it and I am 5 foot 5". My kitchen would sell my house as it is so spacious now.

Joseann Mon 05-Aug-24 12:45:13

Large drawers in bottom cupboards would be useful
I have a whole run of them along one wall. They are great, quite deep so you can pile up plates, bowls, saucepans etc. Mine are self closing, just a little tap and they go back. When people stay in my house while we're away, I always wait for the message, "Where's your cutlery kept?" The cutlery drawers are tucked away inside the upper base drawer, but you would never know!

missdeke Mon 05-Aug-24 13:01:52

Well if I took away the wall cupboards in my kitchen I would have 1 double fronted base cupboard under the sink where you can't move the shelf, 1 double fronted base cupboard that I can actually use and 1 that disappears down the side of the washing machine so I can only get to half of it. So that makes standing on stools to get to the wall cupboards absolutely necessary. sad

lizzypopbottle Mon 05-Aug-24 13:22:52

I have wall cupboards and a conservatory. I like 'em both! I'm 72 and average height but I'm also strong and nimble.

There are safe ways of reaching up to high places. One of them is to shout for my son, who is 6' 4" with long arms and can reach pretty high. πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚ We are in Northumberland so it's no good anyone further south shouting for him! πŸ˜†πŸ˜†πŸ˜†πŸ˜†πŸ˜†

BlueBelle Mon 05-Aug-24 13:32:27

My house was built in 1875 and I think the conservatory came not long after it’s been revamped once and badly needs revamping again its only small enough for a chair and table but I love it

Daisydaisydaisy Mon 05-Aug-24 14:06:41

I love our small conservatory over looking our small garden …It’s nice to sit in it with the doors open in the Summer πŸ™‚

sodapop Mon 05-Aug-24 14:24:29

A conservatory is a definite no no for me as I dislike heat. I would not even look at a house which had one. Now a utility/boot room with space for white goods and dog paraphernalia would get a definite thumbs up.

eazybee Mon 05-Aug-24 14:55:32

If you have only floor cupboards, you spend much of your time bending to put things away and cleaning them, crouched on the floor, head in the dark recesses, is a nightmare. You don't wobble on a kick stool.
People remove wall cupboards then replace them with open shelves which collect grease and dust, and the objects so carefully displayed for magazines are generally useless, (white china pineapples) or if in use spoil the symmetry.
I only have a small kitchen but i do have everything to hand and don't constantly have to cross and recross the kitchen to fetch and put away.

rocketship Mon 05-Aug-24 15:26:42

I'm a bit confused by what you call wall cupboards. Are they the ones set back and above the counter tops?
If you don't have them or shelves above your counter tops, where do you put your dishes, etc. ?
Or are you complaining about the height of the shelves above the first shelf?

cc Mon 05-Aug-24 15:33:26

We did have a conservatory at one house but it only worked for us once we put an external blind on the roof, otherwise it was much too hot. And it was very cold in the winter. I don't think I'd bother with another one.