The Orangery Interior
Orangeries are increasingly popular in both new and listed buildings, offering extra space that can beautifully connect indoor living with the outdoors. We asked English country house specialist, Mungo, of Ian Adam-Smith Architects, for his thoughts on the interior design elements that make up the perfect orangery to give it it enduring appeal.
Dining, relaxing, exercising – how do your clients enjoy their orangeries?
When designing a scheme an orangery can play many roles. We have designed orangeries to be indoor pools, garden rooms, breakfast rooms, kitchens, gyms – the list goes on! We are currently designing an orangery styled indoor pool and recently finished a Georgian styled orangery for use as a drawing room (under permitted development) to the back of a vernacular cottage in Surrey.
What’s the secret to making a classic orangery work for modern lifestyles?
The secret is to use an experienced design team the whole way through the project. If you are retrofitting into an existing structure or building from scratch the design team needs to be competent in factoring in mod-cons (often this includes active cooling/air conditioning) without losing the traditional flair that make orangeries such fun spaces to live in. An orangery should work for the lifestyle of its owners so again a lot of it comes down to the design team making sure the client’s brief is met.
Do you always need planning permission for an orangery?
No, depending on if your house is listed, its previous planning history and the house’s location (for example is it in a conservation area?) and the desired location/size of the orangery then you may be able to use permitted development. Provided you meet the correct criteria of permitted development for your project, you can build without seeking permission from the local authority, but we would always recommend getting a ‘certificate of lawfulness’ before building.
How challenging can it be to get planning permission if needed?
How long is a piece of string? It depends! We find the key is to manage client desires with planning reality. The higher the protection of your home and its area the more parameters there may be to design within. However, these parameters can lead to a more interesting project!
How do you keep an orangery warm in winter and cool in summer?
For a newly built orangery, the key is management of temperature through various components. One might be active cooling/air conditioning if it can be run from renewable energy but there are passive ways to consider too. Too much glass in an orangery can lead to excessive heat loss in winter and overheating in summer, running the risk of ending up with a greenhouse not an orangery! Balancing the proportion of window and wall is important. Simple tricks such as using shutters and curtains are a time-tested way of managing temperature in a room.
What classic architectural detailing makes your orangeries unique?
We don’t tend to follow any strict classical canons in our practice. We understand the proportions of a Doric or Ionic order but our designs are distilled and fiddled with to give them a more relaxed, unexpected character that often suits a modern day home well and contributes to a unique joyfulness. For detailing we look to the existing building if there is one and/or the immediate vernacular architecture for cues to make our designs at home with their surroundings.
Do you have a favourite orangery style?
I don’t have a favourite style and don’t like to straight-jacket myself too much – it really depends on the project so my favourite would be what’s right for the client/project/brief! A firm favourite from one of the greats is the orangery at Hestercombe by Sir Edwin Lutyens.
Studio Hooton: 5 Orangeries to Visit for a Spot of Interior Design Inspiration
The Orangery at Kensington Palace, London
A beautiful Baroque design by Nicholas Hawksmoor from the early 18th century,
now a chic restaurant
Royal Botanic Gardens Orangery, Kew
A spacious, elegant 1761 orangery, once home to citrus trees, now
a popular spot for dining and events
This impressive 327-foot long neoclassical design orangery sits in
in over 850 acres of beautiful parkland
Orangery at Hestercombe Gardens, Somerset
A Lutyens-designed building in Somerset serving as a beautiful venue for
receptions and hospitality
Calke Abbey Orangery, Derbyshire
An 18th century orangery with ‘elegant decay’ full of captivating charm
Designing a orangery which aligns with the interiors of the rest of your home is a considered process. Studio Hooton delivers whole house renovations for numerous classic properties and country estates across Hampshire, Surrey and Sussex. When it comes to planning the next step in your home’s journey contact us and we would be delighted to see how we can help with your next project.
Image Credits: Main Image – Hestercombe House & Gardens | Article Image: Ian Adam-Smith Architects