We live in a relatively small house at the moment. The children share a bedroom and we don’t have any kind of playroom to speak of. They keep most of their toys in their bedroom but as a family we spend most of our time in the lounge.
What I would really love though is a separate family room. A space that we could all spend time in away from the lounge. I think if I were to build my dream house it would quite possibly have a conservatory or an orangery that we could use for the perfect family room.
The more I think about it, the more convinced I am that orangeries may well make the perfect family room.
Conservatories are lovely too, but I’ve never been a huge fan of spaces that are made up of so much glass. You know the ultra modern homes you often see on Grand Designs that feature floor to ceiling windows everywhere, they’ve never been my cup of tea.
An orangery though would be just right for me.
There’s enough brickwork there so they feel more solid and part of the house, but they still have the large windows to let in lots of gorgeous natural light. And there are so many benefits to having that much natural light flooding in.
Studies have shown that people who spend time in natural light are far more productive than those working in dark rooms or in artificial light. So an orangery would be a great place for me to do my work and for the children to focus on their homework.
Spending time in natural light has also been found to help our production of dopamine which in turn helps to lower the risk of shortsightedness in children.
Sunlight is also incredibly important to our circadian rhythms, and exposure to it in the morning especially can help us to sleep better at night. So I can just imagine us all eating breakfast together in our orangery with the sunlight flooding in (in the summer at least!).
We also need natural sunlight to help increase our levels of vitamins D and B. This is especially important for our children as vitamin D helps with growth and development of bones and teeth. It’s also important for a healthy immune system and can also boost our happiness too.
So a room in the house where we could all just chill out together while getting a dose of vitamin D would be wonderful!
The addition of a slim roof lantern is a great way to let even more light into the room. They also work to keep the room warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer, so you can enjoy spending time there as a family all year round.
And if you’re like me and sometimes like a break from sunshine and rather like the rain, then just think how lovely it would be to curl up as a family and watch a film while listening to the rain pour down on the glass above you!
What do you think? Would an orangery make the perfect family room for you?
Disclaimer: this is a collaborative post