The Enduring Appeal of Conservatories

On a visit to Kew Gardens I was struck, as everyone who visits must be, by the splendour of the great conservatories and the variety of ways in which they are being used. The Nash conservatory, one of the oldest of the conservatories at Kew, and the magnificent Orangery, designed by Sir William Chambers in the mid-eighteenth century, once housed some of the world’s most magnificent plants but are now being used as an educational centre and a café-restaurant.
Originally conceived as a means to house and cultivate plants from all parts of the world, the Victorians soon began to use them for tea-parties and as a focal point for social gatherings. It is this versatility of the conservatory that explains its enduring appeal and among our customers I am often amazed at the wonderful ways in which these rooms are styled.

But what of my own preference? Well, that takes me back to Kew and the more recent Princess of Wales conservatory opened in 1997 by the late Princess Diana. It is a vast space with a number of different climate zones ranging from desert to rainforest and the vast array of flora and fauna is truly breathtaking. I was sitting in a customer’s conservatory last month and she had about half-a-dozen plants in it alonsgside a dining table and a couple of lounge chairs. “Do you know what I like most?” she said, “The plants.” I nodded in agreement. Few people could afford a conservatory like those in Kew attached to the back of our homes but we can make sure we include a plant or two among the furniture. Because bringing nature into your home, bridging the gap between home and garden, is what the essence of conservatory living is all about.

 

 

 

NAME:

EMAIL:

WEBSITE:

TITLE:

COMMENTS:

Please input the anti-spam code that you can read in the image.

FOLLOW UP EMAIL

 

Powered by !JoomlaComment 3.26

3.26 Copyright (C) 2008 Compojoom.com / Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."