Orangeries Today - Orangery Design and Build

Orangeries provide a more substantial extension than conservatories, and they are also suitable for certain types of listed buildings and can get planning permission even in a conservation area if they are sympathetically designed. The Orangery is fast growing in popularity and now seems to be becoming the preferred option for modern glazed extensions.

David Salisbury hardwood orangeries made in the UK, work equally well in both traditional and contemporary settings and offer a stylish alternative to a standard house extension. They are wonderfully light and airy spaces due to the lantern roofs as well as being cozy and inviting in the winter. For this reason orangeries provide unique multi-purpose living space and are frequently used as kitchen extensions. In the last five years we have seen a significant growth in the popularity of orangeries, and customers who might have opted for a conservatory are now just as likely to choose an orangery. We make both contemporary and traditional orangery styles, see the range of photographs on this page, the traditional orangeries page and in the orangery photo gallery.

Background to Orangery Design

A history of the orangery can be found in Wikipedia, bur essentially the orangery spread to northern Europe form Italy in the 16th century. Early orangeries were unheated and had large south facing windows with tiled roofs. As the fashion spread north, being taken up first by the Dutch, heating and eventually glass roofs were added. As orangeries became more fashionable further embellishments were added such as pilasters and decorative mouldings.

In the UK, Stone-built orangeries with lantern roofs were forerunners to conservatories and date back to the 17th Century. Originally, orangeries were designed to protect valuable and exotic plants and fruits during the winter months. Early orangeries had large windows and doors within a stone building. Today, orangeries retain a unique character that sets them apart from conservatories, but the distinction between a conservatory and an orangery has evolved over time and now orangeries are generally defined as having one or more lantern roofs. These lantern roofs are supported on beams within a flat roof perimeter, which is set within a somewhat heavier framework than a conservatory. Sometimes even today orangeries will be stone or brick built with windows inserted as you will see from some of our examples.

More Orangery Photos