Conservatories- Naff?

How do you get over the too hot in summer, too cold in winter aspect? Genuine question.

Love mine, we live in it most of the year and it acts as a big radiator making the house warmer in spring and autumn and on sunny winter days. It spans the back of the house with a sliding door into the sitting room and double doors into the office. I overwinter plants in it, we have a big old sofa and three IKEA comfy chairs so plenty of room for family to sit out here when they are over, my big old farmhouse table which can seat 10 is in one half so a great place for parties and there is a patio outside and great views of my garden which I love and the church beyond. It is south facing but has skylights and seven big opening windows on the sides so easy to get airflow when it's hot. It sold the house to us and I love watching the birds on the feeders and in the evening, especially if a meteor show is due, lying on the sofa watching the stars, the most used room in our house

My South facing conservatory is off the kitchen, so on warm days, I leave the connecting doors open and find the north facing kitchen much warmer.
The conservatory windows open and double doors lead outside. In addition I have a ceiling fan/light in there to circulate the air.
In fact, the weather is so awful here, I’m going to pour a glass of Mr Harvey’s finest and take it and my latest Ann Cleeves book in there for a couple of hours.

I just love ours. I had severe depression a few years ago and I spent hours and days and months in it. I could see and feel part of the outside world- well the back garden,flowers, birds etc, yet not be seen. Was my saviour. Since then, as money has become available, we have replaced it with a larger one with underfloor heating, two sets of double doors out into garden, leather sofas, pleated blinds and recently added a tiled roof . Its my favourite room in the house. To each their own I guess

We love our conservatory. It’s an extra room for the house and great to sit in and relax. I don’t care if it’s considered naff. I think most of us are of an age where we have seen fashions and ideas come and go and do not worry about “experts” telling us what we should have and do. If you have a conservatory and like it then great. If don’t have a conservatory and don’t want one, well that is fine too.

Mine is only a wee conservatory.
But how I love it.
South west facing, so lots of sun from lunchtime onwards.
As long as there is sun, there is warmth through out the year.
I have a small fake log burner to to switch on during the cold months.

We have an apple tree in view with bird feeders and a couple of squirrels that visit , occasional a grouse and quite soon, we will probably have a couple of ducks.

The blossom is out on our Cherrytrees and spring has sprung all around our garden.

Sit and chill or read a book listen to some music or radio 4 all in natural light.

Blinds for warm weather, but would rather open door and
windows.

All our family like to sit ìn there also, watching children and dog run around the garden.

#MrsCinnaffconsevatory.com 😛

Ps its a grotto at Christmas,
Decorated for easter,
At Halloween a haunted houses.

pigsmayfly, a lightweight solid roof certainly evens the temperature variations in a conservatory. We’ve noticed a considerable difference. We no longer get extremes of temperature. Either that or ceiling blinds for summer but they won’t help in the winter.

Gordon Bennett! 😁

Who decides these trends? Bifold doors have their own problems. Extreme heat or cold unless fitted with expensive glass and patios are great when the weather is good. A conservatory can be used in almost all weathers including rainy day as the rain patters onto the roof. Trends go out of fashion and come back another time like avocado bathrooms (one shown in the Times recently as the 'new' trend!) In the meantime they could be called orangeries perhaps although the latter do have walls I think.

Well I’ll tell you some very fashionable things which are going to be the height of naff in 20 years:
Having a row of at least half a dozen “industrial” looking lamps over your dining table.
Glass balustrades. Clearly not designed by anyone who ever does housework.
“Wet room” showers. When the allegedly impermeable membrane eventually becomes permeable, you’re going to gave to tear the whole thing out.
Decking (already past its peak)
And above all - that anti-environmental, soil-killing, wildlife-starving abomination that is fake grass.
Why pick on the dear old conservatory - no planning permission, not too costly, and a lovely place for indoor plants?

Industrial type lamps - don’t like, none here.
Glass balustrades - inherited, never again with a dog, otherwise not so much work needed.
Wet room showers - ours is downstairs, no problem, love it. Wouldn’t have one I had to step up to - trip hazard.
Decking - no way. Never.
Fake grass ditto.

sarahcyn, agree with you - as soon as some 'interior design expert' or social media influencer decides something is the new trend, everyone jumps on the bandwagon and before you know it, they're all redecorating or redesigning their houses. In addition to what you've mentioned, there's the 'everything grey' or silver trend - with sparkles and glitter everywhere, and crushed velvet!
Oh and don't get me started on artificial grass...

Musicgirl

We love our conservatory. It’s an extra room for the house and great to sit in and relax. I don’t care if it’s considered naff. I think most of us are of an age where we have seen fashions and ideas come and go and do not worry about “experts” telling us what we should have and do. If you have a conservatory and like it then great. If don’t have a conservatory and don’t want one, well that is fine too.

👏👏👏

Just because one person on the radio believes conservatories are naff doesn't mean they are. It's just one person's subjective feelings about conservatories and shouldn't make any difference to how you feel about them. I don't believe they decrease a property's value; as far as I'm aware and in my own experience, they add to it.

One of the things I really like about being older is that I honestly don't care what other people think. If I like something, I like something regardless of other people's views about it.

My mum had a conservatory at the back of her bungalow and some of my best memories of her were made in that space overlooking her garden.

Susan55 It is more than one person on the radio. it is articles in a lot of newspapers and online and I think it emanates from a firm of estate agents, based on their selling experience.

I am not sure why people get so het up about the issue. This information is only going to affect you if you are selling your house, in which case, depending on the style, construction and position of your conservatory, it could reduce the value of your house rather than increase it.

There are number of features in our house thatI know that the next owners will rip out the moment they move in. So what?

In the past we have moved into houses and immediately ripped things out. At a trivial level the moment we moved into our current house I went round the house, on the first evening and took down all the net curtains, followed by reglazing the bathroom windows.

I think I know what new, younger owners would do with our house because we'd do the same if we were younger! However, when we were younger we couldn't afford the alterations, now we haven't the will or the energy.

Callistemon21

I think I know what new, younger owners would do with our house because we'd do the same if we were younger! However, when we were younger we couldn't afford the alterations, now we haven't the will or the energy.

Ours will be demolished, land sold after we are gone. Anyone young wouldn't have it, even if given for free, it'll see us out.

sarahcyn

Well I’ll tell you some very fashionable things which are going to be the height of naff in 20 years:
Having a row of at least half a dozen “industrial” looking lamps over your dining table.
Glass balustrades. Clearly not designed by anyone who ever does housework.
“Wet room” showers. When the allegedly impermeable membrane eventually becomes permeable, you’re going to gave to tear the whole thing out.
Decking (already past its peak)
And above all - that anti-environmental, soil-killing, wildlife-starving abomination that is fake grass.
Why pick on the dear old conservatory - no planning permission, not too costly, and a lovely place for indoor plants?

👏🏻👏🏻
Today’s fashion is tomorrows naff. Who cares tho? If you have a conservatory just enjoy it.What’s a balustrade btw?

My daughter and son-in-law have changed theirs into a bar. 🤣🤣

Norah

Callistemon21

I think I know what new, younger owners would do with our house because we'd do the same if we were younger! However, when we were younger we couldn't afford the alterations, now we haven't the will or the energy.

Ours will be demolished, land sold after we are gone. Anyone young wouldn't have it, even if given for free, it'll see us out.

Oh no!
It might not, someone with soul might buy it.

We spend a lot of time in our conservatory, reading and listening to music. It's warm, light and has very comfortable sofas in it. Our children and grandchildren have played in it (it has often been called the toy room), had their afternoon naps in it and our eldest granddaughter, who is 17, likes nothing more than coming to our house and having a sleep on the sofa. Must say I don't mind a nap in it myself

My daughter's house has a conservatory. Not a very stylish one, if I'm going to be honest it's a bit scruffy. They lined the ceiling with wood so it doesn't get too hot and it's used as an office and a home for the guinea pigs.

Callistemon21

Norah

Callistemon21

I think I know what new, younger owners would do with our house because we'd do the same if we were younger! However, when we were younger we couldn't afford the alterations, now we haven't the will or the energy.

Ours will be demolished, land sold after we are gone. Anyone young wouldn't have it, even if given for free, it'll see us out.

Oh no!
It might not, someone with soul might buy it.

No, it's old and the land is quite valuable.

It's surely done well, with changes, over years. Eventually old homes decline and are reclaimed by the earth. That's fine.

Depends on the design and appearance of the conservatory and individual taste. Each to his/her own!