We Love… Spring florals

A garden room or orangery is the perfect way to introduce the light and colour into your home. Make sure it remains your favourite place to be by inviting in the new spring season with rich greens, complementary yellows and splashes of citrus.

A garden room or orangery is the perfect way to introduce the light and colour of your outdoor space into your home. Make sure it remains your favourite place to be by inviting in the new spring season with rich greens, complementary yellows and splashes of citrus.

Originating from the Renaissance gardens of Italy in the 17th through to 19th centuries, orangeries and garden rooms were in fact traditionally used to house citrus trees, protecting them through the cold of winter. A status symbol amongst the wealthy, the architecture of the structures was almost more important than the fruits within.

So, what better way to bring the garden into your garden room or orangery than with plants and flowers? Decorating with sweet smelling, blooming poseys is a tried and tested method or perhaps revisit the original use of the building by filling an empty corner with a citrus tree or two.

Citrus plants are surprisingly easy to grow and with their dark green foliage, perfumed flowers and of course fruit, they stay beautiful year round. Orangeries and garden rooms offer fantastic conditions for growing plants, more so than a conservatory which can overheat. At Westbury we use tinted glass designed to reduce glare and UV light to avoid this greenhouse effect.

Dwarf Calamondin Orange, Kumquat and Meyer Lemon trees do particularly well indoors and housed in a stylish, fashionable bronze or copper ­coloured planter will be very on trend.

Not feeling greenfingered? Try a faux plant instead;­ the technology behind these imitation plants has improved radically and many are indistinguishable from the real deal. Transform an everyday plant into a beautiful feature or focal point by using up-lights.

Why stop there? You could go a step further and introduce more colour by adding subtle shades of paint, matching the favourite flowers in your garden,­ truly connecting the orangery to your outdoor space.

If your taste is more in the neutrals department then retain a muted tone and use furnishings and accessories to introduce a spring fling instead. Bright purple scatter cushions or throw pillows to match your Gladiolus, a set of colourful church candles, or a statement rug in grass green could all have a place in your orangery or garden room.

Because orangeries and garden rooms are often flooded with light, they can easily accommodate a feature wall. A solid shot of colour to complement your most vivid floral display is a stunning choice, but designers are also keen to note the return of wallpaper in to our homes.

Bold designs like these from Farrow & Ball mean spring is present all year round: do your research and there is almost no limit as far as colour goes.

Overall, decorating and furnishing a room comes down to personal taste. Maybe you’ve taken the time to carefully choose your favourite colourways, making it easy to carry that through into your extension. If you’re looking for a change though, what better place to look for inspiration than the great outdoors in spring time? Our designers are happy to help with colour decisions; take a look at our gallery and take inspiration from previous projects.