Modern Conservatories: An Exercise in the Homeowner's Creativity
Sometimes, when browsing for conservatory styles, whether at a home improvement store or an online catalogue, you may find yourself not liking the usual, traditional styles of conservatories. It may be because those traditional styles - the Victorian, the Edwardian, the lean-to and the gable - do not fit the style of your home or your personal taste. If that is the case, you can opt for modern conservatories.
Modern conservatories are today's take on the traditional conservatory. They are a solution for people who do not feel that the conservatory done in the traditional style is for them. The beauty of this kind of conservatory is that they are often bespoke and so the homeowner can style it however he or she wants, taking into consideration only personal taste and the overall architecture of the house.
Why Choose Modern Conservatories
Traditional conservatories, as we have mentioned above, are more suited to specific types of houses. The ones they fit best are the older period houses, perhaps those done in Victoriana, the Edwardian or the Queen Anne style. Some traditional conservatory styles, like the Edwardian and the lean-to, can passably suit a contemporary structure, but it would be best to go for modern conservatories if your house is not a period structure or does not resemble one.
Modern conservatories would also be better options if the space for the conservatory is going to be a problem. Traditional conservatories are usually placed as an extension at the back of the house. However, it is possible that the homeowner may only have a narrow side of the house or a corner nook created by an L-shaped wing of the house to work with. A conservatory done on contemporary lines may be designed to fit the available space more suitably.
Most of all, modern conservatories are more unique because they are bespoke. Many homeowners get turned off by the fact that traditional conservatories have cookie-cutter styles. The modern ones are more preferable if uniqueness is going to be an issue for the conservatory.
Designing Modern Conservatories
Modern conservatories are meant to fit the space available as well as the overall architecture of the house. This can be easily achieved because these conservatories are custom-made. To make the conservatory look very pleasant, careful planning is very important.
One of the considerations for designing modern conservatories, and perhaps the most important, is the style and the architectural elements present in the house. The conservatory must appear as if it is a natural part of the house instead of being an obvious extension of the living space. Also, the conservatory should be an echo of the main house instead of stealing the attention away from it.
For instance, in planning modern conservatories, let us say that you have house made of brown brick and has dormer windows on the second storey. It is possible to echo these design elements of your house with your conservatory by putting up a dwarf wall in brown brick or paint your conservatory frames in brown. You can also use a gable roof for your conservatory or set the roof at an angle so it would mimic and bring the eyes to the dormer windows of your house.
Another consideration that should be weighed when designing modern conservatories is the function it would fulfil. Ask yourself what use your conservatory will have when you plan it. Is it going to be an informal family room where everyone can lounge and watch the telly? Is it going to be the kitchen and a breakfast room? Is it going to be a home office?
For example, modern conservatories that are used as home office spaces or informal family rooms with appliances, one wall is typically made of concrete instead of glass. This concrete wall is used for supporting the television set, the computer and other appliances. The builder will use this wall to hide cleverly the electrical wirings needed to make the electronic items and appliances work.
The third factor in designing modern conservatories would be how they would relate to the space indoors and the space outdoors. The conservatory should be the bridge that connects your outdoors to your indoors. You can achieve this by knocking out a wall of your house so that this side would always be open to the conservatory. You can also use fully sliding or accordion doors. Matching flooring tiles on the conservatory, the interior of the house and the patio outside the conservatory will also create this free-flowing and unified effect.