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.
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.
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.
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.
