What is a Conservatory? What Are the Different Styles of a Conservatory?

Small garden conservatories became popular in the second half of the twenty century, as greenhouses, for conservation plants, and for recreational purposes, as a solar or sunroom. Conservatories are also often used as an extra room rather than for horticulture. Most modern ones are small, due to space constraints, and can be made of PVC, wood, and glass, and are added to houses and gardens for home improvement purposes, and recreation or leisure.

A Conservatory can be built in different shapes, styles, and sizes and building or adding one to your home is a relatively simple way to increase the habitable space in your home. You can either build your own conservatory with a DIY kit or hire someone to custom build it for you. Some of the different styles are as follows:

Gable Front
This is a light and modern conservatory that brings your garden into your home. A Gable Front Conservatory is recognizable from its rectangular floor plan and triangular frontage. A major feature of this style is that the front elevation windows extend to meet the apex of the roof. This helps to maximize the feeling of light and space and create a feeling of great height within it.

P-Shape
A P-Shaped conservatory reflects to the floor plan in which the vertical line of the P will usually be a lean-to design structure attached to the property, while the semi-circle of the P could be a Victorian or Edwardian design in harmony with the lean-to part of the conservatory. Bespoke conservatories, such as a P-Shape offer increased flexibility in design and increased usability.

Victorian
The Victorian is the most popular style of conservatory, thanks to its impressive versatility and its ability to complement most types of property. It can be distinguished by its steeply pitched roof and its use of ornate detail along the roof's center apex (called the ridge). Victorian conservatories have 3 or 5 facets, these are the angles of the conservatory that give it a curved appearance and provide maximum space.

Edwardian
An Edwardian (also referred to as Georgian) style is similar to a Victorian. The main difference being a rectangular floor plan which maximizes the use of internal space. Edwardian conservatories are more understated in design and therefore detract less less the visual impact of the main property.

If you need more space and do not want the hassle of moving to another house with some greenery around, then adding one to your home could be a perfect and cost effective solution. It will provide an elegant addition to your home and will become the center of summer activity.