Creating extra space for your growing family

Over the years, as our family has grown, we’ve had to be a little bit creative with the space we have. Our old home was a pretty small, 200-year-old house. Full of character but seriously lacking in space. With only two bedrooms, we had to lose one of our downstairs rooms to make an extra bedroom. This meant we had just our living/dining room to ‘live’ in – to eat, play, work and homeschool.

Thankfully, we managed to move house last year, to a much bigger house that I really hope is our home for at least the next twenty or so years {I can’t face moving ever again!!}. We’re lucky to have four bedrooms, though that still means that two of our kiddos have to share.

We have plenty of space downstairs to make way for an extra bedroom if/when we need it – we currently  have a living room, den and playroom as well as our kitchen/dining room. It would be fairly easy for us to switch the den into a fifth bedroom for one of the kiddos as they all grow up and they need{want} their own space – though of course this means losing some living space as well as our guest bedroom.

One thing I really miss from the old house was the ‘conservatory’ {and I use that term loosely as it was a really basic, metal frame – much more of a greenhouse really}. We have a space off of our playroom that I think would be perfect for an extension – I’d like to investigate the idea of bespoke conservatories and orangeries further. Over the years, I have had many friends who have incorporated such features into their own homes, and I have to say, it complements their space amazingly. Who knew such a basic addition could transform your space into a beautiful setting that you will want to use all year round? And when it means that you have more space to work with, it’s all the better. So, I will definitely look into the idea of Orangeries further because I just know it would be a great addition to my home. 

These timber and uPVC buildings are a luxurious alternative to a conservatory and are a great way of creating some extra space in your existing home as your family grows.  Because they use more brickwork than a conservatory they are considered a more permanent feature and can be used for anything from a kitchen to playroom, extra bedroom to a living room. The orangeries also use low-e glass, which reflects heat in the summer and absorbs it in the winter, as well as argon gas so your orangery will never be too hot or too cold.

I love the idea of adding one to the back of our house, especially in a year or two when we make the den into a fifth bedroom – it would mean we don’t have to give up any living space {and that’s essential when there are six of us home all day every day}, and I’m thinking it would make a wonderful spot to sit and work on a sunny afternoon whilst I watch the kiddos playing in the garden.

Adding an orangery to your house is a great way to extend the space you have as your family grows, and is easier {and probably less expensive} than having to move to a bigger house.