What Is The Difference Between A Conservatory And Orangery?

You don’t hear many homeowners ever complaining about having too much space at their home. It’s when they’re short on it that it causes them a headache. 

Are you reaching the point when you desperately need more space? Maybe you could grow your home at the back with a conservatory or orangery. 

Amber Home Improvements has a very eclectic range of conservatory and orangery designs, so we’ll definitely have a solution that complements your character and your home’s character. 

But what would you prefer, a conservatory or an orangery? 

If you’re undecided, read into them both below to help you choose between the two. 

Conservatory

You can identify a conservatory by looking at its roof as most conservatories will either have a sloped or angled roof, and it will be largely glazed throughout the design. 

Speaking of the roof, a conservatory will also usually have a glass or polycarbonate covering, and either a dwarf or single solid wall. A newly bought conservatory will almost definitely include a solid roof, which will have incredibly realistic and hardwearing tiles and slates. 

The cost of a conservatory tends to be cheaper than buying an orangery and that’s due to a conservatory having less brickwork and a more unassuming roofing system. 

Orangery

It surprises many people when they discover that the orangery actually predates the conservatory. The first orangery was built in the 17th Century by some of Italy’s finest architects and designers and a main focal point of any orangery design is the central roof lantern, which has less than 75% of glass in it. 

Normally square or rectangular-shaped, orangeries have multiple crafted columns, amongst a series of other features, including pilasters, a shallow pitched roof, and, more often than not, a perimeter ceiling. The latter can house downlighters and spotlights so that orangery use is possible at nighttimes. 

The majority of an orangery is made up of brickwork, so for some, it’s considered to be the most natural way of extending a house as you can brick-match it to the original bricks. 

Pay a visit to our Norwich showroom so that you can see many examples of conservatories and orangeries in one stylish setting.