There’s definitely a “pimped-up” greenhouse moment happening,’ says Nelly Hall, creative director of premium greenhouse company Alitex, whose clients include the Beckhams and Mary Berry. ‘For some, the greenhouse never even sees a plant. It’s an entertaining space. Think long tables for dinner parties, chandeliers and wood-burning stoves with flues cleverly integrated into the glass structure.’
Comfortable armchairs, a shelf of books and an overhead pendant light have been placed among the foliage to turn this greenhouse into a library-cum-reading nook. Oka.com sells a wide range of upholstered occasional chairs.
Hall’s own greenhouse – a bronze, Victorian-style structure in Hampshire – sits somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. ‘A greenhouse is a big investment [Alitex’s start at £18,750], so I use mine all year round to sow seeds and pot plants,’ she says, ‘and also as a personal space.’ In summer, Hall’s metal occasional table is used both for gardening and to have cocktails with friends. In winter, she brings in branches, bracken and fairy lights for hosting cosy dinners. ‘I also use the greenhouse to read and meditate,’ she says.
In this Nelly Hall-designed greenhouse, a vintage console is turned into a bar station that serves coffee by day and cocktails by night. Mismatched chairs and lampshades create an informal feel. For a similar wooden console, try vinterior.co.
In his house in Wales, the film director, actor and writer Sean Mathias (A Bridge Too Far, Hamlet) has a greenhouse containing a bronze roll-top bath that allows him to get ‘off-grid’ among the foliage. The space, designed by Victorian-style greenhouse specialist White Cottage Greenhouses, is a romantic retreat, with smoke-green herringbone tiles (mandarinstone.com sells similar) and vintage chandeliers. ‘The sage green of the framework complements the garden, and the glass allows for views of the sea and beyond,’ says Mathias. The space also includes a vintage apothecary-style cabinet, sheepskin rugs and mid-century furniture. Prices for a similar-size structure (6.3m x 3.3m) start at £30,000, although smaller ones start from £7,250.
Choose furniture that allows you to make the most of the space all year round. Here a dining table can be used for summer soirées and cosy winter meals. Just add throws and candlelight. Six-seater outdoor dining table, £1,695, grahamandgreen.co.uk. For a similar shade of paint, try Fresh Green from yescolours.com.
If budgets don’t stretch that far, opt for a high-street version and luxe it up with a lick of paint (mylands.com sells exterior masonry paint in a range of colours). Simple touches such as hessian blinds (try dunelm.com) and floor tiles, which will make a big difference. We love the Arbe greenhouse at wayfair.co.uk (6ft x 6ft, £349.99, pictured top) for its reeded polycarbonate panels, and the Nottingham wooden greenhouse at tesco.com (6ft x 3ft, £528). Make the most of the internal footprint by adding shelves to display artwork an hang plants or pendant lights from the ceiling for a Good Life-meets-Sunday-brunch vibe.
In film director Sean Mathias’s greenhouse retreat, a roll-top copper bath brings an air of romance to the space. It is where Sean soaks in the surrounding views of the Welsh countryside. Catchpoleandrye.com sells copper baths.
For the ultimate in indoor/outdoor inspiration, head to a fashionable, Instagram-friendly retreat such as The Pig in the New Forest, Soho Farmhouse in Oxfordshire or The Petersham Hotel in Richmond upon Thames. Think rustic wooden furniture, vintage linens, candlelight and Murano glassware.
A party, but with plants.
Costing less than £350, the Arbe greenhouse at Wayfair is purse-friendly and fabulous. Perfect for some shelving and a coffee table.
MINI BUT MIGHTY
These compact greenhouses still pack a decorative punch
