Summer is here! Hooray! Summer is always a popular time to embark on DIY projects while the weather is nice enough to carry new furniture into the house without it getting drenched en route, and besides, it’s much nicer working in the sun. For those of us with conservatories, summer is the ideal time to get them looking their best after a winter of neglect. So, what should we be thinking about when we’re getting our conservatories back into shape?
Keep the glass clean
It goes without saying, but conservatories involve a lot of glass. If this looks anything other than spotless, it can really change the way you feel about the space, so either clean it yourself or get a professional in who will be able to thoroughly clean the glass overhead to get rid of collected leaves and rain marks. The better maintained the exterior is, the more likely you are to want to keep the inside looking good.
Select flooring with care
Flooring is crucial to a good conservatory. This is a room made for summer, so if you have carpet laid, get it taken up and replaced with wood or tiles. If you’re going for wood, pine is timeless and elegant, though if you want something a little different go for a lighter wood to make the room feel brighter and airier. As for tiles, go for some quality travertine or cool marble to help reduce the scorching summer temperatures. Marble floors are common throughout Spain for this reason, as it won’t absorb the heat and should stay cool all summer long.
Go for light material furniture
Furniture should be elegant yet comfortable. This may well be a space you use to socialize, for example at the end of a garden party when temperatures drop, so lots of seating is ideal. You can buy specific conservatory furniture which is generally made of lighter materials than standard seating, such as wicker, which is useful as it can be moved around easily to suit the purpose of the space whenever you choose to use it.
Have blinds towards the conservatory
You should make sure you have blinds installed on the side of the conservatory which most commonly faces the sun. This is because it might become unpleasantly hot and stifling which will put you off using the space, so if you can create some shade and keep the most intense sun out of the room it can be much more pleasant.
Throughout the summer, remember to keep a window or two open to create a through breeze. Even the biggest heat-lovers can find the trapped heat in a conservatory in the middle of August too much, so take the edge off with a bit of fresh air.
