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MAKE LIGHT WORK IN YOUR CONSERVATORY
MAKE LIGHT WORK IN YOUR CONSERVATORY
- How can I maintain a pleasant temperature in my conservatory?
- How can I control heat and light as the sun moves round during the day?
- Help, my conservatory is turning into a greenhouse! How can I make better use of the space?
Let's be honest, how much time do you actually spend sitting in your conservatory, even in the summer? The idea sounds great but quite often this valuable addition to your home can easily turn into a neglected space, for any number of reasons. Maybe it gets too hot, too cold or perhaps the room has no real purpose and therefore there's no great motivation or need to venture into it. Sarah Quilliam, head of product design at Hillarys, answers the top three questions that are most regularly asked by customers.
Q. My conservatory is south facing and temperatures can reach into the hundreds on a really hot day. By the same token, when the weather cools down, it gets really cold in there. How can I create a comfortable environment?
A. "When the issue is one of light and heat, the easiest way to overcome this is to fit blinds, especially in the roof," says Sarah. "Pleated blinds that feature a special fabric that retains heat in the cooler months and reflects it away when temperatures rise will stop the goldfish bowl effect. They're perfect for the roof and will enable you to use your conservatory all year round.
"However, the world is your oyster when it comes to choosing blinds to ago round the side of the windows," says Sarah and we often suggest mixing pleated blinds with romans, venetians, rollers, verticals or woodweave to create your own design statement. Anything is possible!
Blinds featured are Willow Chalk pleated in the roof and Crush Lemon in the sides.
Q. I can get a lot of glare and overbearing heat in my conservatory during the afternoon when I like to read in there. It seems a shame to shut out the sun completely by keeping my blinds closed, so can you suggest any other option?
A. "All Hillarys pleated roof blinds can now be motorised making it easier to open and close them whenever you need to control the light or temperature, all at a touch of a button. The system also allows you to operate your roof blinds in 'zones', having some open, some closed - perfect for when the sun moves round throughout the day.
"Keeping your pleated roof blinds 'active' by opening and closing them has another benefit. It'll help to preserve the lifespan of the fabric by maintaining the fabric's 'pleat memory'. Motorisation makes it much easier to do this, especially in harder to reach places.
Fitting verticals around the side is also a great way to help control the light as they can be tilted to shield you from the direction of the sun but still allow light in."
Blinds featured are Imperial White pleated in the roof and Acacia Mallow verticals at the sides.
Q. My conservatory is being taken over by plants and washing!What can I do to make better use of the space?
A. As with any room in the house, if you give it a clearly defined purpose, you're much more likely to use and enjoy it. Your conservatory can be so much more than just 'an add-on' simply by giving it a defined use. Here are some ideas:
As a dining room.
More and more people are getting switched onto to the benefits of using a conservatory as a place to eat. Light, bright, airy, they make a wonderful option for lazy breakfasts, family meals or with the blinds pulled down and candles lit, a romantic venue for intimate dining.
Blinds featured are Crush Ivory (roof) and Victoria Yellow from Hillarys pleated collection.
As a kitchen
Kitchen conservatories make ideal sense in terms of light and space and often act as a perfect link between the house and garden.
Blinds featured are Imperial White (roof) and Bali Cream from Hillarys pleated collection.
As a home office
Many of us try to squeeze in a home office as an afterthought and it can often end up in a corner of the bedroom or under the stairs. But as a greater proportion of us now work from home why not make your conservatory work for you, especially if you plan to spend a fair bit of time in it. Who knows, it may even tempt the kids into doing their homework!
Blinds featured are Imperial White pleated in the roof and Acacia Apricot verticals at the side.
As a bathroom
OK, so a room made of glass may not sound like the perfect venue for a bathroom but a conservatory can offer far more space, light and luxury than a conventional bathroom. Just remember to fit the blinds!
Blinds featured are Cambridge Denim from Hillarys pleated collection.
As a guest room
Having a dedicated guest room is a luxury that many of us just couldn't justify. By why not use your conservatory to meet that need when it arises? If you can devote the space on a permanent basis that's great, if not opt for a sofabed rather than normal settee. The rest of the time it can be a playroom or additional sitting room.
Blinds featured (left) are Imperial and Orbit Bluebell from Hillarys pleated collection. (Right) Blinds featured are Imperial White and Medley Lavender from Hillarys pleated collection.
As a playroom
A conservatory can make a lovely, light and airy playroom, and is often a great escape route into the garden!
Blinds featured are Maranti Sun (roof) from Hillarys pleated collection and Acacia Red and Yellow from Hillarys Rollers collection.
Hillarys pleated blind collection is available in 76 fabrics with a reflective backing which are perfect in spaces where temperature or light control is a key issue and an exciting, design-led range of over 40 pleated freehang fabrics which give a fabulous contemporary feel to any room.
Prices
Pleated blinds start at £76 / 96 euros (46cm wide x 91cm drop) measured, made and fitted.
Roller blinds start at £51 / 64 euros (61cm x 76cm drop) measured, made and fitted.
Roman blinds start at £89 / 112 euros (60cm wide x 75cm drop) measured, made and fitted.
Venetian blinds start at £33 / 42 euros (46cm wide x 61cm drop) measured, made and fitted.
Vertical blinds start at £45 / 57 euros (50cm wide x 90cm drop) measured, made and fitted.
For more information call 0800 916 6516 / 1800 409 468 or click on hillarys.co.uk or hillarys.ie
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