Modern conservatory ideas: 10 striking styles that stand out from the crowd

This selection of modern conservatory ideas will demystify conservatory design and show you how to add a wow-factor extension to your home.  

A fully glazed roof can cause glare and overheating. A completely solid roof can restrict light penetrating deep into the floorplan, which can render original rooms, like a kitchen, dark and dingy.

To avoid either scenario, modern conservatory ideas can embrace a hybrid roof. One that is solid in structure but is hole-punched by glazed panels. This gives you the best of both – a thermally efficient roof that can be insulated, combined with glazing that will allow light to bounce around the conservatory floorplan and beyond.  

This example from SEH BAC demonstrates how this style of roof has improved the contemporary credentials of this conservatory, built on a dwarf wall with three glazed sides. 

French doors are synonymous with more traditional-style conservatories. To create an ultra-modern style, opt for bifold or sliding doors. This will instantly add a fashionable twist to the exterior and create a more seamless connection to your outside space.  

If you want slimmer sightlines (fewer frames to impede your view) then sliding doors are a good option. But bear in mind that they slide on top of each other to open, so if the aperture isn’t that wide, the opening might be on the narrower side. Similarly, bifolds need space to stack together outside when open, so make sure you have room to accommodate this. However, bifolds open up the entire width of the opening, which will give you a fantastic connection to the garden.

Lighting is a key part of any room and should be included at the design stages. This applies to conservatory lighting, too. It is a room you’ll want to use all year round, both during the day and at night, so getting the lighting right is important. Gone are the days when you had to have a central light and fan combination to light and cool the room. Today, modern conservatories incorporate functional overhead lighting as well as ambient lighting, like lamps, to help change the mood as the day goes on.  

Adding a boxed plinth around the underside of the roof, even if it is glazed, provides the opportunity to hide wires for a circuit of spotlights, for example. This Ultraframe conservatory shows how this works. The interior will feel more like part of your home, especially if the lighting mimics what you have in adjoining rooms.  

Traditional conservatories with a dwarf wall tend to have purpose-built steps leading you out onto the garden because the floors aren’t level with each other. 

A level threshold, as you might expect, means the floor between the conservatory and the garden is on the same level. Modern conservatory designs tend to include a level threshold. The structure either features full-height glazing and no dwarf wall or plinth, or a platform, like decking, that is built up to meet the threshold of the conservatory.  

Not only does a level threshold create a seamless connection to the garden, where one space flows into the other, but it makes moving from inside and out more accessible. It’s a safer option for wheelchair users, pets and children to move from one space to the other.  

Extending your home gives you the chance to go open plan. For example, you can extend your kitchen into your conservatory to embrace a multi-functional space. “Open-plan, modern conservatories are very impressive and make for a lovely social space,” says William Durrant, owner of Herringbone kitchen company.   

“How well the space works open plan comes down to considering how you will use the space every day,” says Durrant. “If you’re linking a conservatory extension to your kitchen, for example, an island is almost essential to this space because it joins the rooms together and adds sociable seating.”  

For a harmonious design, choose the same conservatory flooring throughout the entire space. “For a very modern design, opt for the uniformity of porcelain,” suggests Tom Clifford from Westminster Stone.  

If you live in a period property, you might think your only option is to add a traditional-style conservatory. Of course, the traditional aesthetics of an orangery or an Edwardian design will work well. But adding a modern design isn’t out of the question. “Modern conservatories can work on period properties if you carefully consider the architectural style and aesthetics of the host [existing] building,” says Karen Bell, creative director at David Salisbury. 

Adding a modern structure also enables you to add a time stamp to your property. You’re capturing the essence of design in the 21st century, alongside the period your existing home was built.  

“A contemporary conservatory can be designed and integrated in a way that complements the existing structure while adding a modern touch,” suggests Bell. “The use of appropriate materials, colours and design elements can help maintain the character of the period property. While incorporating modern features creates a harmonious and functional space.” 

A gable end is often used in modern conservatory ideas and design. It consists of a gable roof – two flat sides coming together to form an inverted ‘V’ shape – and a gable end, which is the ‘wall’ underneath. Although the design is simple, including a glazed gable roof and end wall can help encourage light deeper into the floorplan.  

The pitch of a gable roof creates a vaulted ceiling. This raises the height of the room internally and adds grandeur to the room. The pitch creates a ridge that runs along the roofline, which can include feature pendant lighting for dramatic effect. This design works well if the conservatory is on the smaller side, too, as the raised roof can give the illusion of space. 

The roof can add so much character to a building. It’s functional – keeping us warm and dry – but it needn’t be boring. Modern conservatory ideas can be adorned with an architectural roof that adds character and form. Externally, a hipped roof (which has four sloping sides) can, for example, include a multi-hipped roof, like the design shown above by Mozolowski and Murray. It’s a modern take on an Edwardian style conservatory.  

Angular roofs like this can add dimension and form internally, too. As well as adding to the aesthetics of the roof inside, the shape will cast patterns and shadows as the light moves over the room throughout the day.

As designs have evolved, there are many styles that are loosely categorised as a conservatory. The glass box is one example. Structural glass means glass box additions have very little in the way of structural frames. This is because the glass has been produced to take a lot of the load.

Also referred to as ‘frameless glazing’, a glass box is fixed to the existing house with hidden mechanisms. This ensures it doesn’t look bulky or untidy. Consequently, these streamlined structures are built bespoke, so you can effectively request any size.

 Although white-framed conservatories can be modern in design, black or anthracite grey-framed conservatories are a contemporary trend. And even if you go for a more traditional structure – a Victorian or Edwardian inspired design, for example – dark frames can elevate it into the realms of the present-day.  

In the example above, this small conservatory has a modern yet rustic charm. The exposed brick dwarf wall and elegant wood burner are set against a striking black frame that accentuates the character. The neutral grey porcelain tiles from Westminster Stone lighten the space and pair well with the black frame.