Orangery Design
Inviting the outdoors in
After the planners rejected our clients application for a roof terrace, a proposal for a rooftop orangery with a large lantern skylight was agreed an alternative. This orangery interior design created an opulent indoor garden infused with elements of faded classicism: ‘the Orangery meets the Soane Museum.’
The client saw themselves using it daily as a place to begin their day with tea or the papers, or as a retreat in the afternoons. It was important that felt relaxed, comfortable and informal.
We took inspiration from beautiful green houses and looked at these alongside spaces by cast and statuary collectors.
Transforming such ambitious concepts within a confined, elongated area proved to be a creative endeavor, particularly due to the eaves and sloping walls defining the space.
In our arrangement, a compact kitchenette at one end ensured functionality and also made entering the garden room feel expansive, having passed through a partially enclosed space. Plants were used to interrupt the length of the room, preventing a view of the full space other than by glimpses. This also created a meandering path, the end of which was a secluded seating area surrounding by a mix of antique sculptures, plaster casts and a favourite bronze of the clients.
A soft colour palette grounded in warm natural tones was chosen. Reclaimed Shropshire bricks in three varieties were used for flooring, set in a rectangular pattern reflecting the shape of the roof lantern above. Comfortable antique furnishings and a modern sofa offered the right balance while a joyful red hammock that could be clipped on and off delighted the clients need for a splash of bright colour and an outdoorsy vibe.
kind words
