Places where you can enjoy the feeling of being close to nature all year round, throw the doors open to bring the outside in, and entertain family and friends in a relaxed place.
What makes a garden room?
You can create a garden style room in any space, ideally one that links you straight to the outdoors. Garden room designs can take many forms. Adding a conservatory to your property – now an option with selected Redrow homes – is the perfect way to create a space that feels in touch with the natural environment. The beautiful interiors of our latest show homes can provide lots of inspiration for conservatory colour schemes and conservatory furnishing ideas. Open plan areas, such as your kitchen / dining / family room are also places that link seamlessly with the outdoors through patio, French or bi-folding doors. We love to zone a garden room with plants and natural textures.
How to decorate a conservatory
Modern conservatory interiors have evolved. Consider it a space that can be dressed with the same level of luxury as the rest of your home. Add sumptuous sofas and plush soft furnishings to create a sanctuary where you can unwind. It’s the ideal place to experiment with textures. Keeping everything light, airy and natural is the best way to ensure it flows into your garden.
Alysha Alli, head of our in-house interior design team, says: “We frequently use sisal rugs with various contrast-coloured trims in our conservatories, which are not only practical but provide texture and warmth within the room. Sisal coordinates beautifully with our range of flooring choices from suppliers such as Porcelanosa, Amtico and Johnson. Redrow homeowners can select from our optional range of flooring choices, which include ceramic tiles, plank effect flooring and new options like parquet style vinyl.
“When considering how to dress a conservatory, remember you’ll potentially be spending a lot of time in there so afford it the same consideration as the rest of your home. Effortless comfort is key. We love incorporating natural textures within our sofa designs that can then be dressed with cushions and throws in the current season’s on trend hues. Right now that’s colours designed to reassure and uplift, such as Spirulina green and soft hazy yellow.
“Various scales and breeds of houseplants are a must if you’re bringing the outside in. Smoked glass, concrete and ceramic pots will harmonise with any colour scheme. Add further interest with mixed metals such as copper and brushed gold, natural marble and other mineral textures. Marble topped coffee tables and side tables can introduce a luxurious yet natural element. Keep your lighting choices soft and warm so the room feels cosy after dark.”
Blending open plan spaces
If you’re looking for open plan living ideas that blur the lines between outside and in, a garden themed design can be a stunning option.
Alysha says: “We’ve planned our home layouts to create the perfect blend of sociable and more intimate spaces. Our open plan kitchen / dining / family rooms are designed to be a real convivial hub of the home, a place where you and your family can spend time together and entertain. Our philosophy is very much that your garden is an extension of your living space, so we incorporate wide patio doors that can be thrown open during warmer months.”
Alysha adds: “Once again, take your interior design inspiration for your open plan room from the natural world. Not only does this continue to be a key interior trend, it creates a feeling of warmth, reassurance and relaxation that is so important in our homes, particularly this year. We love incorporating bold accent printed fabrics with floral and abstract foliage designs, which can be coordinated across your window dressings to bring the space together. Organic print wall art in black metal or wood box frames can stand out against a feature wall in a striking teal, soft blush or warm ochre tone.
“Keep planting subtle and bring it into each area of your open plan space. Herb pots and eucalyptus stems look great in the kitchen, while more sculptural plants, such as aloe vera can look great on a sideboard. A low-level display of moss in a wide gold dish can also look striking as a focal point on your dining table.”
Our article on the beauty of open plan has more ideas on how to style your space and how to divide an open plan living area and kitchen
Remembering the importance of your outside space too, read our articles on creating an alfresco lounge and ways to create a social outdoor area
