Conservatory interior ideas

Conservatories can be beautiful spaces for sunny breakfasts, elaborate dinner parties or curling up with a book on a rainy day, but your choice of furniture, flooring and blinds will impact the feel of the space.

As well as thinking carefully about your conservatory interiors, it's also crucial to get the positioning of doors, air vents, electrical sockets and light fittings right. Otherwise you could end up with a room that's unpleasant to spend time in. 

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Conservatory interiors

There's no one right way to design and decorate your conservatory, but you'll want to make the most of the natural light without it being too dazzling or hot, and the space should be functional as well as aesthetically pleasing.

Here's a list of things to consider when designing your conservatory:

• Blinds – in particular ceiling blinds – can help in reducing glare in your conservatory. These can be custom made from a wide range of materials depending on the style you're looking for.
• Radiators are a good way to heat your conservatory, but you can also choose underfloor heating, fan heaters, or storage heaters.
• Ceiling fans and roof vents can help maintain a comfortable temperature.
• Doors are an important consideration. Think carefully about whether to choose double doors, sliding doors, bi-folding doors or a single door from your conservatory to your garden.
• Flooring options range from tiles and carpet to laminate and even wood. You may want the flooring to match the rest of your house, or make a statement with something different.
• Furniture and spacing can make or break a conservatory layout. Choose furniture that fits nicely in the space, and think about the natural walkways in and out of the room to avoid blocking them.

For conservatory sofas, chairs and dining sets, read our guide on how to buy the best conservatory furniture

Doors, windows, roof vents, sockets and lights

There are lots of options when it comes to doors and windows. Think about the following things before you make your decisions:

• How many windows and doors do you want?
• What type of doors would you like?
• How big do you want them to be?
• Where would you like them to be?
• How far do you want them to open?

To help you answer these questions, think about how you're likely to use the room. What time of day are you going to use it most often, and where will the sun be at those times? 

You can choose single or double doors, folding doors or sliding doors. Where they are will affect how you can lay out furniture in your conservatory and how much useable space you have, so you'll need to think about how you want to arrange the layout early on.

Roof vents are often a feature you have to pay extra for, but can be worth it to keep your conservatory cool, particularly if it's south facing and will get a lot of sun.

Remember that the location of electrical sockets, radiators, doors and any TV aerial sockets will also affect how you can position furniture.

Don't make the same mistakes that other homeowners did – discover the most common conservatory regrets and how to avoid them

Conservatory blinds

Blinds are an important investment – they can give you some much-needed privacy, help make your conservatory much cooler and protect your furnishings from sun damage. 

They can be expensive – especially if you have tall windows that are hard to reach and need electric blinds – so factor in this cost early on. You can also choose reflective blinds to minimise glare.

Types of conservatory blinds to consider include:

• Pleated blinds - these feature unique honeycomb pockets (they're also known as honeycomb blinds) that help trap the heat in during the winter, and keep the heat out in summer. 
• Roller blinds - a versatile, durable and cost-effective solution.
• Roman blinds - often available in a range of colours and patterns, with options for light filtering and thermal properties.
• Shutters - look for shutters with adjustable horizontal slats to help you control how much light you let in.
• Venetian blinds - the ability to control the angle of the slats gives you flexibility over lighting and privacy.
• Vertical blinds - ideal for long, thin windows, and great for controlling light levels thanks to their easy-to-use tilt mechanism.

Conservatory flooring

Tiled floor are popular in conservatories because they're easy to keep clean and hardwearing, but it can get very cold in the winter, and hot in the summer. Other options for flooring in a conservatory include carpet, vinyl, laminate and wood flooring. 

When deciding which type of flooring to choose, think about how you will use your conservatory. If it's primarily as a living space, carpet might be a decent option. 

Alternatively, if you plan to keep the doors to the garden open regularly and will have pets and children running in and out, tiles, vinyl or laminate will probably be more practical and easier to clean.

Insulating your floor will stop the conservatory losing heat. You may also want to consider underfloor heating – especially if you're going to have a tiled floor.

For further advice, browse our guides on carpets and flooring

Small conservatory ideas

A small space shouldn't limit what you can do with your conservatory. Below are some design ideas for tighter spaces:

• A banquette table or bench seat - a built-in bench is a great way to maximise space, and potentially add some additional storage in your conservatory. Plus, you can add a dining table without having to leave additional space for chairs, as you can push it much closer to a bench. 
• Create an indoor/outdoor space - your small conservatory will feel much bigger if you bring the outdoors in. Large or multiple conservatory doors can be opened in the summer to make the space feel bigger - and be sure to add plenty of plants!
• Extend an existing room - conservatories don't necessarily need to be their own standalone rooms. They can be used to add value and space to a dining room, kitchen or hallway, while adding loads of natural light.
• Use flexible seating - the key to making the most of your small conservatory is using the space in a smart way. Foldable chairs, tables and sofas are a good idea, or using furniture which can be easily tucked away when not in use will ensure you're not tripping over in a cluttered room.
• Maximise storage - think of smart storage solutions, such as under benches and coffee tables, or built-in shelving.
• Paint with light colours - this will make the room fill brighter and bigger, as natural light can more easily bounce off surfaces.
• A cosy corner - if your conservatory is just too small for a full dining or living room, why not consider making it a 'cosy corner' or reading nook? A comfortable armchair, a foot rest and a small bookshelf can truly optimise a smaller space.

Conservatory temperature

Getting the temperature right in your conservatory is key. Having one that is too hot or too cold is a common and very frustrating issue. 

When we asked Which? members* about the temperature of their conservatory, 43% said it was 'good' but 11% said it was 'poor' or 'very poor', and 33% said it was 'fair'.

Heating your conservatory

There are a number of ways you can heat your conservatory, so it's important that you make the right decision for your needs and budget.

You could extend the pipework of your existing central heating system to add radiators in your conservatory. It's likely to cost a bit more to install, but will be fairly efficient in the long term - particularly if you have a modern gas boiler.

If you're on a time-of-use electricity tariff, such as Economy 7 or Economy 10, you could install a storage heater.

You could also use portable electric fan heaters. These are cheap to buy and offer flexibility, although they are likely to be expensive to run for long periods. So make sure you get one that's quick to warm up, is energy efficient and quiet.

Another popular way to heat conservatories is to install underfloor heating, something a lot of people choose to do when having a new room added to their home. 

We've spoken to experts and underfloor heating owners to find out more about the benefits and drawbacks of underfloor heating, including how much it costs to install. 

​​​​Top tip: Whatever you choose, our experts told us it's a good idea to be able to operate your conservatory's heating system on a separate circuit and thermostat to the rest of your home. This will give you more control over its temperature and minimise any wasted energy.

For further advice, explore our guides on the various heating options:

• How to choose the best electric underfloor heating system
• The 10 best electric heaters from our tests
• Storage heaters explained
• Best gas and oil boiler brands

Keeping your conservatory cool

Think about the number of opening windows and vents your conservatory will include. The more you install, the easier it will be to keep your conservatory cool.

Air conditioning can stop it from getting too hot, although it may stop you from being able to open the windows and doors - if you did this, it would make the air conditioning ineffective.

Ceiling fans are a cheaper option. These can cost between £50 and £200 or more, and can also incorporate a light fitting.

You may want to install blinds, which can help stop glare. Conservatory blinds can be expensive, especially if they're made bespoke, so it's worth getting some ideas on the cost of blinds for your conservatory before you decide if this is the right solution for you.

For further advice, read 10 ways to keep your conservatory cool, or check out our guide to the best portable air conditioners

*In March 2018, we surveyed 118 Which? members about their experiences of buying a conservatory in the past five years and experiences with cost in the past five years.