CONSERVATORY VS ORANGERY:
WHICH BETTER SUITS YOUR HOME?

Orangery or Conservatory? It’s one of our most frequently asked questions – what exactly is the difference? We know it can be a complete minefield out there for information, so we have outlined exactly what the differences are. At Select Windows, no matter what you are looking for we can create the best result for you. 

– CONSERVATORY – 

 A conservatory tends to contain a lot more glass than an orangery. The roof is usually a fully glazed unit with no flat roof to separate the guttering and the glass units. With this in mind, a conservatory roof opens up a great deal of natural light. 

With minimal brickwork, conservatories are often used as a room for viewing the garden whilst incorporating similar design features to the rest of the house. Enjoyable all year round, the conservatory makes a great addition to the home. 

The concept of the conservatory dates back to the beginning of the 17th Century. It was around this time that European countries began using conservatories as a fashionable green house. People had began to see benefits in this style of glass architecture and they became much more than a place to grow exotic plants.

– ORANGERY – 

Orangeries tend to have more brickwork but contain large windows within the construction as well as glass within the roof. There are countless designs available for orangeries but the main concept features a large plastered flat roof with the addition of a roof lantern that adds the natural light to the room. Roof lanterns are available in many different shapes and can be used to conjoin one room to another to create an extended room. 

Orangeries are often designed with matching material to the house to become part of it, rather than just an extension. 

The orangery dates back to the 17th-19th Century and was often found among the wealthy and “fashionable” elites.  Founded in Italy and then architecturally adapted in Holland, the orangery soon became viewed as a status symbol among the wealthy.