The first conservatories were built in the early 18th century. Mostly they were used for storage of potted plants and were called orangeries. They were situated at the end of the garden or the back of a terrace and were built out of stone, with solid roofs and big glazed windows to allow as much sunlight in as possible. In the following century more and more exotic plants were introduced that needed all year round nurturing in protective and warm atmospheres. Light therefore became the restricting factor and glazed roofs became even more important.

Apart from winter storage for plants, orangeries were also used as a rest place on summer's garden walks and an entertaining area in the garden. As a result of this the conservatories moved closer to the house. Conservatories were seen more as an extension to the house and an extra living space.

This use of the conservatory continued further in Edwardian times, after the conservatory became more popular as an extension of houses owned by the middle class and its fashionable image gradually declined. Nowadays complete timber conservatories and new materials like PVCu and aluminium make their mark on conservatory design, and double glazing has made insulation problems a thing of the past.

A conservatory should always enhance your home, whether it be from the outside or inside. Location and size of the conservatory are very important. A conservatory should also fit in with your room plan.

One of the most important things to be considered is the size of the conservatory. Opting for a smaller conservatory is not always a good idea, as it will take away a lot of the comfort that a conservatory can give. A good tip is to lay out the area you want to use for the conservatory with for example twigs, rope or tape measure, and fill it with the things you want in your conservatory, like a table, a sofa and lots of plants. Then see if you have as much space as you would like.