Here at Worthing Windows, we’re often asked about the differences between conservatories and orangeries.

And to appreciate how they differ, it’s worth looking at how both types of structure originated.

First conceived in Italy and developed architecturally in Holland, orangeries became a status symbol among the fashionable, wealthy elite in Britain between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries. The extensions were mainly used in those days to grow citrus fruit trees where they’d be safe from harsh winter frosts. As time passed, however, and it became easier and cheaper to buy citrus fruits, orangeries were increasingly used to house shrubs and exotic and woody plants.

Conservatories were created as by-products of the orangery, and originally intended to protect herb plants and shrubs, which grew more quickly than they would outside thanks to the glazed ceiling and wall.

And while conservatories were generally constructed so they were attached on to a house, that wasn’t always true of orangeries. They could be built as standalone items elsewhere in the garden.

Today, important differences in both the design and construction of orangeries and conservatories linger. Conservatories are more often a seamless extension of the main house, with a similar décor, so that they feel like just another room in the property. They’re all about looking out over the garden, and tend to use minimal brickwork.

Orangeries, on the other hand, add elegance to a property by using a different styling to the rest of the house. (That echoes the earliest days when orangeries could be freestanding structures separate from the main house.) Often they are bigger in size, too, and use more brickwork.

Finally, orangeries tend to be built from timber, although they are also sometimes found in uPVC. For their part, conservatories can be made in a wide range of materials.

Both types of extension use modern glass and double glazing technology so that their interiors stay comfortable all year round.

At Worthing Windows, we have a wide selection of conservatories in the Worthing area, and across Sussex from Ferring to Goring. Talk to us today.