Unused to unrecognisable
The Thomas family were faced with a challenge when they set out to improve their home, a tired 1980s conservatory that served little purpose and a great, sprawling grapevine growing right through it. But with a clear vision and the help of Fineline, they reimagined the space entirely. What was once an uninviting, disconnected part of the house has been transformed into something exceptional: a bright, flowing extension of the home that now plays a central role in their home life.
The Thomases discovered, by focussing on quality and attention to detail, a conservatory can be anything you want it to be. You can put up with a lot when you move home if the new place has more of what you want than the old, but sooner or later you’re going to look at improvements. For Rob Thomas, the 1980s conservatory was an obvious candidate.
‘It was fairly typical of conservatories of the era. Poorly insulated and not very well constructed with a Perspex roof. You could be in there in the summer, but it wasn’t really a usable part of the house for the rest of the year.’
A lot of older conservatories have a tacked-on appearance and an uninviting quality. The Thomases’ conservatory never really felt part of the house: ‘It was like half an outbuilding, with a cold, tiled floor — not very pleasant. What we wanted was a stronger connection to the rest of the house, with doors through to the dining room to give it the potential to be a more flowing space.’
Meeting with different suppliers can not only help clarify your vision but also boost your confidence in the decisions you make. For the Thomases, who began their project with clear goals, the process of comparing suppliers proved invaluable. It sharpened their focus on quality and ensured they secured exactly what they were looking for.
Before
After
‘I do think it’s important to be willing to pay a bit more for quality work,’ Mr Thomas believes. In the end, a slightly more expensive project that gives you exactly what you want is worth the investment:
‘You’re going to live with it for a long time after the cost has ceased to be an issue.’
The rebuilt conservatory transformed a previously redundant part of their home into a stunning, enjoyable living space The new design offered a lot of improvements to the Thomases home. New construction materials and methods created a better insulated room with a bright, clear roof, and bi-folding doors. Now the conservatory is integrated to the existing building.
It’s changed the way they use the house. Not only do they now use the conservatory more of the time, but they’ve also found they even use the connecting dining room much more. ‘It’s totally changed the way we live here creating a much more flexible space for living and for entertaining.’
