There has been a growth in demand for extra space in our homes recently, as many of us have been spending more time in the house for work and leisure. This means that rooms that might previously have been our go-to spaces to relax or concentrate now feel that bit smaller and more distracting.
If you’ve invested a lot of time and effort in making your home reflect your needs and personal taste, you probably don’t want to relocate just for an extra room. You also might not want to renovate your dining room to accommodate a home office or have a kitchen extension for more family space.
This is why garden rooms are increasingly popular: they are versatile structures in your garden that are separate from your main house and can be used for all kinds of purposes. You may be wondering why you should opt for a garden room instead of a more common garden building like a contemporary orangery, which functions more like a traditional conservatory.
In this piece, we will examine the difference between garden rooms and orangeries to help you decide which is best for you. We will also look at the Garden Retreats pod as an option. We will also look at the Garden Retreats pod as an option.
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The differences between garden rooms and orangeries
An orangery extension is a brick frame structure with large windows and a flat roof with a central roof lantern. An orangery is used in similar ways to a traditional conservatory but differs in terms of its base and glass roof system. A garden room, on the other hand, is a standalone structure made from more versatile modern materials and offers more flexible use potential.
| Garden rooms | Orangeries |
|---|---|
| Standalone structures | More like a traditional home extension |
| Building frame constructed from different materials depending on supplier; sometimes timber or steel but the best structures are carbon fibre with composite cladding materials | Brickwork or stone base and walls |
| Solid flat roof | Lantern roof made from glass and a timber frame |
| Suited to a range of personal and professional applications | Mainly utilises natural light, creates an extra dining/gardening space |
| Most durable structures require zero external maintenance | Regular maintenance required on windows and guttering |
| Large amounts of privacy and great acoustics | Large amounts of glass and attachment to the main house reduces privacy |
Deciding which is best for you
When deciding whether you want to opt for a new orangery or a bespoke garden room, there are some practical considerations that you should bear in mind. You will want to think about:
Access
Orangeries that are attached to your main house can be accessed from the garden and whatever room they are extended from. This can be distracting if you are running a home-based business and several people in your household are using the space at the same time.
This is not a problem with garden rooms, which are standalone structures and give you more choice over access and entry. You may, however, want to consider how the placing of your garden room could be an accessibility issue for clients or other people in your household.
Space
The size of an orangery is based on your building as well as your garden space, and you are restricted to only having as much space as you can originally create. With a garden room, these restrictions are more based on how much space in your garden you are willing to use. Garden Retreats pods have a modular design, so you can add more pods as and when your need for extra space changes.
Use
An orangery extension can make a create sunroom for relaxing on bright days, as the pitched roof system brings in a lot of natural light. However, you will need to consider temperature control as your average orangery can be practically unusable on hot summer days without an effective glazing ventilation system.
Garden rooms are more practical structures that provide both shade and ample natural light. Depending on the size of your garden room, you can easily accommodate office furniture, gym equipment and a sofa and screen for watching movies with the family. With garden rooms, the possibilities for year-round use are endless.
External appearance
A traditional orangery design can add a certain flair to a period home but would look out of place attached to a modern or new build property. Garden Retreats pods come with a choice of three external cladding colours as standard, offering you more customisability and creative freedom to create a space that reflects your personal taste and the appearance of your main house, garden and surrounding area.
Longevity
Your new structure should be an investment, so you will want to think about how long it is going to last, whether you can take it with you if you move to a new home, and the feasibility of extending it further if you need more space in the future. All of these factors are much more complicated with orangeries, which cannot be transported from your current property if you move.
Installation time
Because an orangery functions more like a traditional extension and will need to be built with brick or stone, the construction and installation time will be much more substantial than those for a garden room. By comparison, a garden room has a quick and seamless installation, which requires less ground preparation and accommodations.
The Garden Retreats pod
If you are looking to introduce a garden building into your outdoor space, then look no further than the Garden Retreats pod. These modular pods come in three individually-priced sizes, with optional decking and a roof terrace with a spiral staircase that you can add during initial installation or at a later date. You can even take your Garden Retreat with you if you move to a new home.
Made from high-quality fibre glass and carbon fibre, these pods will not expand or deteriorate like timber might, and the composite material cladding prevents condensation. Production and transportation of these materials require 75% less energy than steel, and zero external maintenance is needed to keep your pod looking its best.
Coming with your choice of patio or bifold doors, as well as a choice of wipe-clean wall panels and luxury Italian floor tiling, you can truly make your Garden Retreats pod your own. Each pod can be quickly fitted together onsite for a fast yet reliable installation. Not only that, but the roof system is industry-leading and has a U-value of 0.18.
Don’t worry, all electrics (such as sockets with USB ports, internal and external spotlights, and a mains hook-up point) and your smartphone-controlled heating are all included internally, so your pod is ready for use as quickly as you need it. With such a great range of benefits, the Garden Retreats pod is ideal for any outdoor space.
Frequently asked questions
Where should a garden room be placed?
A garden room should be placed to the rear of your property, facing the south where possible to maximise the natural light that the building receives. However, if you choose the sun terrace option you will not fail to get sunshine all day long.
How do you decorate a garden room?
There are so many ways to decorate a garden room. You can create a neutral space for use as a home office or study space for your children, or install comfortable couches and a TV to create a family cinema. You may even wish to install some equipment to create a space for a small business, such as a photography studio or massage parlour. Each garden room is straightforward to adapt to your needs as they stand and as they change.
How long do garden rooms last?
Our Garden Retreats pods are designed to last a lifetime and come with a 25-year warranty.