A well designed conservatory or orangery is a haven of calm delight. Surrounded by windows and, by extension, the flood of natural light, conservatories offer a warm, enclosed sanctuary that brings some of the best elements of the outside world with the comfort of simply being inside.
Nonetheless, while they look stunning, they do come with the odd challenge – namely: light control, heating and privacy.
Getting the right window covering makes all the difference, overcoming these difficulties while simultaneously enhancing the overall beautiful aesthetic. At the Scottish Shutter Company, we’ve spent decades helping homeowners across Scotland find the perfect solution to the shortcomings of conservatories and orangeries – let us share some of that experience today.
The Main Challenges of a Largely Glass Room
Before we go any further, let’s quickly recap on what makes a room a conservatory or orangery. These fantastic rooms have an interesting origin that’s worth a quick aside.
Orangeries are so-called because they were built to house citrus trees (mainly orange trees) in wealthy houses. In Europe during the 17th century, it was the height of showy luxury to be able to walk a few yards from your kitchen and pluck a fresh orange from a tree. In the winter months, however, these somewhat temperamental plants needed a little protection, and what better place to do so than the orangery, complete with a glass ceiling and expansive windows to let in the essential sunlight. Add a few chairs, and it’s the ultimate in relaxing spaces (and you can bet it smelled great mid-season).
Plant lovers in later years expanded on the idea and added some more glass, turning the traditional orangery into a conservatory. The key difference? An orangery is a more solid room made of brick, with huge windows and a glazed central lantern (a big ceiling window!), while a conservatory is mostly glass all over. An orangery is closer to a typical room that can be used year-round as a dining room or sitting area, while a conservatory isn’t quite as well-insulated and tends to get attention mainly in the warmer months.
In fact, insulation is one of those main challenges. Glass is great for letting in light and heat, but it’s also very good at letting it out, too. That’s why you need a good window covering with insulation at the heart – without that, your conservatory can turn into a bakehouse in the summer and a freezing glass storeroom over Christmas.
The second problem is light control. Without window coverings (or with poor ones), the light just comes streaming in, and you’re rather at the mercy of the sun. That can make it difficult to enjoy the room properly, with watching TV out of the question, and even activities like reading a book can be uncomfortable. Plus, if we’re honest, those dreamy images of the kids sprawled on the floor with their colouring books or fairy tales laid out in front of them are all a bit last century; today’s children are more typically using tablets and phones, making them hide from too much sunlight. What can you do? Ah yes, install some top-notch window shading.
Then there’s privacy to worry about. Having floor-to-ceiling glass is fantastic when you want to look out over your well-kept garden or the local vista, but the last thing you want is a group of hikers or the local teenagers staring in while you relax in your home.
A great window covering must address all three of these problems, while still enhancing the style of the room.
The Solution – Custom Blinds and Shutters
The first complication when looking to fit effective window coverings in your conservatory or orangery is that no two rooms are identical. When you’re looking to cover a large expanse of a unique shape and size, trying to get something off-the-shelf is going to lead to more problems than it solves. Yes, opting for a bespoke tailored solution is more expensive than ordering a DIY offering online, but it will make all the difference. The last thing you want is to fail to achieve complete coverage because the angles are all wrong, or the available points for installation in difficult places.
That’s where we come in. At SSC, we offer a custom solution for full window coverings that is precision-measured and expertly installed, making sure it is designed to suit your home and properly meets every edge and corner of your conservatory.
Customisation, then, is the first requirement. But what options do you have for window coverings?
Eliminating Curtains
Curtains are not useful in a conservatory or orangery. Gravity alone makes them ineffective for any window that’s not totally vertical, and the gaps that surround curtains make them poor insulators. Plus, trying to get them to fit in a glass room is almost impossible. We don’t need to go on – curtains are out.
The Beauty of Blinds
There are some extremely impressive blind options available. These will:
- Provide some good insulation – especially honeycomb blinds that are designed with strength and insulation in mind. [link to honeycomb blind blog]
- Offer a perfect fit – well-installed and properly measured, blinds can provide that edge-to-edge fit that’s essential.
- Give a sense of softness – there is a range of specialist fabric blinds that both look and feel great, but also provide thermal insulation and UV protection.
- Tuck away when not in use – blinds are designed to roll or fold away, ensuring that when they’re closed, you get the maximum amount of sunlight.
- Meet complicated needs – triangular windows, funny angles, and odd little nooks? Well-fitted blinds can be added to many of these.
- Be cost-effective – blinds don’t need to break the bank.
Download our brochure to look at some of the blind options available to you – or book a consultation.
The Glory of Shutters
When you’re looking to add a real, solid impact to your orangery or conservatory, shutters tick every box. They:
- Provide room darkening – we don’t like to say ‘blackout’ at SSC, because no matter what people try to push on you, it’s never 100% dark, but shutters will help to reduce the ambient light level.
- Offer impeccable light control – with multiple styles to suit your needs, you can control the amount of sunlight with ease.
- Achieve excellent insulation – shuttering your windows in the colder months will stop the warm air in the room escaping, while the shading panels will keep you cool in summer – shutters provide the best insulation that will ensure comfort and keep bills low.
- Keep out prying eyes – the nature of shutter control means you can let in the light while making it impossible for nosy passers-by to see in.
- Look incredible – no other window covering looks quite as beautiful as shutters – if you have invested in a delightful orangery, then shutters will set off the look with perfect style.
If you’re considering shutters, then SSC has the in-depth expertise you need. Contact us today to book a visit and let us explore stunning shutter solutions together.
Bringing Your Conservatory to Life with SSC
At the Scottish Shutter Company, we love conservatories and orangeries. Complete with custom-fit shutters or blinds, these delightful living spaces represent the ultimate in indulgent relaxation, whether it’s for a lovely continental breakfast with croissants and coffee on a lazy Sunday morning, or an evening after work in late-sun warmth and a good book. Download a brochure or contact us today and let us help you achieve the perfect marriage of technical efficiency and stylish comfort.
