More kids, hobbies, lifestyle changes – we all have our reasons for wanting more space. Moving house or building extensions can be a daunting task with all the legalities, time and money you invest in the process.
What many homeowners are now considering is converting their conservatory into a year-round livable space, it’s a fraction of the price of upgrading your house via a move or a build, and you get an extra room in your home.
The benefits of converting aren’t limited to extra space; they include:
1. Various colours of lightweight tiles, so you get the right aesthetic on the outside and the inside of the building.
2. Steady temperature, so you aren’t boiling in the summer and freezing in the winter.
3. Add value to your house, so you have a more significant asset to exchange.
4. Most conservatory roof conversions don’t require planning permission so that you can save time and money.
How Can I Make My Conservatory More Homely?
While you may look at the glass or plastic panels and wonder how a cheap structure can transform into a robust new structure, SupaLite has been doing it since 2011, and the market shows no signs of slowing down.
Our conservatory roof conversions make conservatories look like part of the home, not an extension of it. Here are some tips for getting a homely feel to your conservatory when you decide to purchase a SupaLite Roof:
1. Open it up – the more open the conservatory is, the more likely you’ll feel at home in it. You could get any doors removed if you want an open-plan space.
2. Decorate – style it with the theme of your home and ensure it blends in with your other decor.
3. Control the incoming light – conservatories let a lot of light in, so ensure you have a method of controlling it – like blinds or shutters.
4. Add a skylight – if you want to wow your guests, add a skylight to bring in more natural light.
Use walls – don’t leave the wall space blank if you have it, use mirrors to reflect light or get some art to draw attention to it.
7 Conservatory Room Ideas to Make Your Conservatory Part of Your Home
1. Dining Room
If you don’t have a dining room in your house, you probably end up defaulting to the sofa with a tray. And while we like to indulge in a meal while watching our favourite show, it isn’t ideal for spending time with your family and discovering what they’ve been up to that day.
If you do have a dining room, using your conservatory could free up that space for an extra bedroom, study or exercise room. Plus, it makes sense to have the dining room closest to the kitchen, which is usually where a conservatory is.
Create a Sacred Spot for Your Friends & Family
A dining room allows you to make eating a communal, social activity as it brings everyone together. Or you could find everyone arguing over who gets the last piece of garlic bread!
If you don’t have kids or they’ve all moved out you could use the space for social gatherings such as birthdays or dinner parties – it means you can keep in touch with your nearest and dearest.
What’s more, you’ll be able to view your garden and have easy access to it, so those summer BBQs and garden parties can spill out onto the lawn while keeping the area free from clutter.
2. Extra Living Room
Some people choose to have two living rooms in their homes, which can be for various reasons. If you entertain guests a lot, you may have a more formal living space to impress your guests and one for everyday use to protect the formal one from children, pets or messy spouses!
You may also have another living space if you have a big family, with the plethora of technology available these days it can be better to offer two living spaces. Hence, everyone gets a turn flicking through Netflix or playing on the Xbox.
If you have a lot of guests around or want to prevent any arguments between family members, an extra living space could suit your needs. Consider which room you’d like before making a decision; the size of the rooms, noise levels and privacy will have an impact.
If you can get your hands on a sofa bed, the living space could serve as an extra room if a family member or friend stays over.
3. Exercise/Yoga Room
If gyms aren’t your thing or you can’t get enough of exercising, you could explore transforming your conservatory into a workout area.
If you prefer cardio or weight training, you could get a rowing machine, treadmill, exercise bike or free weights. Consider what exercise you enjoy the most and the size of the room, overloading will make it too cluttered.
If you prefer the zen side of life (although yoga can be pretty intense!), you could focus more on the vibe of the room to create a relaxing atmosphere – think drapes, yoga cushions and relaxing decor.
And if you have a wall, you could always stick a TV on there so you can access exercise videos – but remember, no Netflix!
4. Reading Room
If reading is your favourite hobby and you get plenty of time to relax, you could invest in a quiet reading space.
The best thing about having a conservatory as a reading space is that you get to be next to the most peaceful place in the house – the garden, so you can get a splash of nature as you flick through the pages.
You’ll also enjoy natural light if you have large windows that are usually part of a conservatory.
If you want to get creative with the decor, explore having some custom bookshelves and create a little library. And don’t forget the seating, you want the most relaxing atmosphere you can imagine, so you can sink away into your book and forget the world.
5. Extended Kitchen
If you’re willing to invest in a little more than the roof, an extended kitchen is a fabulous way to create an open plan living and dining space.
Depending on the size of your space, you could incorporate a breakfast bar, dining table or kitchen island. Adding a skylight to your extension can bring in more natural light, and the big windows of your conservatory will give you views of your garden.
You’ll have to factor in the cost of rejigging the layout of your kitchen, which could mean plumbing, electricity and gas pipework, plus any new equipment you need.
6. Children’s Playroom
If you’ve got kids you’ll know the scenario; you wander into the kitchen, trip over a toy, the rooms an absolute mess and there’s food all over your brand new carpet. Rage sweeps up through your body, and you wonder why you ever bought chocolate spread in the first place.
Moving the playroom to the conservatory can save you a lot of tidying up time and mess – once the kids have finished, you can close the door and ignore it!
You can adapt the room to the kids, leather upholstery for easy cleaning, laminate flooring and removing anything with sharp edges if they’re young.
If the kids are older, you can involve them in the decorating; they’ll love showing their new space off to their friends. That way you can enjoy your clean living space uninterrupted – bliss!
7. Study/Office
You may have been working from home when the lockdown restrictions hit, and you may be doing it more if your boss has realised the benefits.
During your time at home, you may have created makeshift office space, especially if you found yourself drifting off to This Morning every day!
A conservatory is an ideal place to create an office or study space, they’re usually quiet, temperate and relaxing if they reach out onto a lush garden. You can also get the kids to do their homework there.
Other Ideas
- Utility room – create a functional space, so the housework is always done on time!
- Mancave – okay, it won’t resemble a cave because of all the light coming in, but who cares! Foosball anyone?
- Home Theatre – get the subwoofer and 50-inch TV at the ready for film nights and box set marathons.
Interior and Exterior Work Together
While SupaLite roof systems make your conservatory look amazing on the outside, we’re well aware you need to make them look brilliant on the inside. Ask yourself these important questions before you make a decision.
- Do we have guests stay over a lot?
- Could the kids benefit from extra space?
- What’s the room functioning as at the minute?
- How big is the room, and will it affect how you use it?
- Does my idea suit my lifestyle or enhance it?
Whatever you choose to do with your conservatory, ensure you get a SupaLite roof to ensure you can use it all year round.
