10 ways to update your conservatory to use the space all year round

Think of your conservatory as a summer living room – floral fabrics and colour colour injections will bring the garden feel indoors, but pick seating with a substantial ‘real furniture’ feel to ensure the space is used all year round.

Include plenty of storage and bring in multimedia entertainment for rainy days (look for wireless systems that stream your music from a central hub, so you won’t need expensive rewiring).

By making it the perfect zone for entertaining, doing homework or catching up on crafts, you’ll get extra value from the space all year round.

10 ways to update a conservatory

If you're looking to update or renovate your conservatory or orangery ideas, consider clever conservatory furniture ideas, fresh paint and thoughtful accessories.

A conservatory idea need not be dull, and should certainly not be an afterthought. Use colours from the same palette for a look that reflects nature in its truest form, or be daring with bold, brazen colour for a scheme that screams 'look at me'.

1. Maximise the outdoor feel with lashings of fresh foliage

Make the transition from indoors to outdoors a seamless one by filling a conservatory with plants. Go for ones with a structural shape and brighten any empty corners with tall plants that will reach to the ceiling. Having plants indoors ensure that even on rainy days you can feel at one with nature, even if you can't be outside.

Fresh shades of green, soft teal and duck egg will blend with the outdoor tones of your  houseplants and the garden seen through the windows, especially if you mix them with rugged natural textures such as rattan and sisal. Take these choices into consideration for outdoor living room idea to create the perfect living space in your garden.

2. Be in control of the light at all times

Being able to filter the light allows you to utilise the space at all times throughout the day, from morning through to nightfall. Without blinds there might be times of the day you'd choose to avoid sitting in the conservatory due to direct sunlight. Being able to block the light with a suitable window blind idea also provides an element of temperature control too.

3. Extend your decor choices

Make the conservatory an authentic extension of your immediate living space by coordinating the decor. Rather than seeing the conservatory as a separate space, one you only use during the summer or to access the garden, give it a greater sense of purpose by making a room you use everyday.

Continue flooring choices throughout the ground floor to unify the space and style the room with living room staples.

4. Create the perfect retreat with inviting furniture

Make your garden room a space you want to use, as much for comfort as enjoying the views of the garden. The best way to do that is with a super comfy sofa and armchair set up around a coffee table – inviting you to spend time entertaining or enjoying family time.

Remember the entertainment, the latest streaming audio entertainment systems mean you can enjoy listening to music or the radio together.

5. Refresh the furniture

When you are faced with limited walls to decorate, due to conservatories being primarily windows, try introducing colour through furniture paint instead. This example shows a splash of paint can revive furniture to invigorate the space with colour. Look for the best paint for furniture, to carry out a quick and easy upcycling job.

6. Introduce patterned blinds at windows

With floor-to-ceiling windows, a conservatory can often need livening up with soft furnishings. Brighten up the windows with an eye-catching patterned blinds. Create a fresh feel with botanical prints in leafy greens teamed with shades of white for a light and natural look.

Choose a fabric with a bold leafy design for cushion covers, blinds and a table runner to match Fabrics with splashes of zingy lemon will really freshen up the look.

7. Build bespoke seating solutions

Update a traditional conservatory with the addition of a modern seating solution. Opt for an on-trend bench seat built-in in so you can maximise the space. The shaped seating makes better use of unsued corners and allows for more space around the dining table.

8. Add homely touches for a welcoming feel

Make the conservatory a true extension of your home with tactile fabrics for upholstery and soft furnishings such as rugs. Substantial furniture like the coffee table are key for that real furniture feel that will last all year round. Add a pretty display of treasures and trinkets to give the space personality.

Conservatories or garden rooms in extensions can often look bland, so add a pretty display of personal treasures. A memory box frame is the perfect place for the kids’ outdoor finds and nostalgic summer mementoes.

9. Welcome a splash of colour

Refresh and renovate the framework with a splash of fresh colour. Using a specialist paint you can give a wooden, metal or PVC frame a coat of colour – the type of structure will determine what paint material is most suitable. Take inspiration from this stylish conservatory with it's attractive shade of sage green, painted to break up the all-neutral colour scheme.

10. Create a focal point

Dedicated your conservatory space to one sole purpose to give the room a focal point. This stylish swing seat is the perfect reading spot, whatever the weather! Make this the place you choose to relax in with a good book. Complete this natural-style look with meadow-inspired and throws.

Make use of home decor discount codes and pick up containers in different shapes but similar materials and styles, so the look says ‘conservatory’ rather than ‘potting shed'.