5 real-life UK conservatories that make creative use of space

Conservatories are a surefire way to add a touch of class to your home and garden. Whether you go for a traditional Victorian model, a contemporary aesthetic or something in between, you can create a whole new space, filled with natural light and garden views.

Part of the appeal is that the space itself is flexible. Conservatories can be gardening stations, home libraries or places where you entertain guests. It all depends on the furnishings you choose and how you use the space.

Questions of furniture, flora and function are asked by all conservatory owners. Some people, however, take things to a whole new level.

Yes, a conservatory can be a real statement piece, reflecting the taste, wealth and personality of its owner. And so often, these qualities are reflected in the use of space as much as the external structure.

In this article, we look at five real-life UK conservatories that make the most of their space.

1. Rosie Copeland's colourful conservatory

Not every artist has an artistic home. Some put all their energies into their paints, clay or plaster. But others invest their homes and gardens with the same visual imagination that drives their work.

Rosie Copeland is one such artist. Specialising in still lives, landscapes and life studies, she lives in a redesigned, refurnished former vicarage in south London with her husband and three children.

Rosie worked with interior designer Tamsin Saunders to reimagine the house and garden. Early in their collaborative process, Tamsin told Rosie, "You love colour… You'd never paint an all-grey picture. So, why should your home be any different?"

This conversation pushed Rosie towards a more adventurous palette – one that's displayed to subtle but impressive effect in the conservatory.

Conservatories are known for bringing the garden into the home. Rosie and Tamsin reflected this ethos by painting the tall doorframes leaf-green and fitting them with rustic wooden blinds.

The result is a cosy countryside environment tucked away in south London.

2. Arboreta's oak oast-style conservatory

Spend any time in Kent and you're bound to see an oast, also known as an "oast house" or "hop kiln". These buildings are used for drying out hops – an essential step in the beer-making process.

But oasts aren't just functional. They also have a striking aesthetic: pointed, almost pyramidal roofs atop round brick buildings. It's no exaggeration to say they can look like a cottage from a fairytale or fantasy novel.

This quaint aesthetic has been embraced by conservatory designers Arboreta. They built a mini oast with a tile roof and a green oak frame made by hand in Wales.

This quirky commission is an example of how versatile conservatories can be. It's not all Victorian steel and glass – when it comes to conservatory design, the only limit is your imagination.

3. The Khora Architectural Dome

It's hard to overstate the importance of Victorian conservatory aesthetics on modern design. After all, the Victorian era could well be called the Age of the Conservatory: a time when manufacturing methods meant conservatories could be manufactured, supplied and installed on a large scale.

The Khora Architectural Dome is a steel-framed garden room in London that takes inspiration from Decimus Burton's Palm House at Kew Gardens. This wrought-iron creation, filled to the rafters with tropical plants, has dazzled visitors since the 1840s.

Khora's contemporary version has a similar capacity to dazzle. At the very least, it dazzled judges at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, who gave it the Director General Award for best trade stand and the Five Star Best Stand award.

4. Rose Uniacke's rustic conservatory in west London

When it comes to interior design, Rose Uniacke knows her onions. Her clients have included the Beckhams and perfumier Jo Malone.

But this busy schedule hasn't stopped her from turning her west London Georgian Revival villa into a remarkable home and garden.

When she and her husband, David Heyman, bought the house in 2007, it was clear the property needed a lot of work. Rose embraced the challenge, working with Belgian architect Vincent Van Duysen to make a home that reflected her and David's taste and personality.

One of the most remarkable features of the renovated home is the deluxe yet rustic conservatory that Uniacke calls the "winter garden".