Imagine… living in your favorite historic conservatory.
The fun thing about designing beautiful glass conservatories is you are only limited to your imagination. Often we find our clients are inspired by old-world conservatories or ones they have visited while traveling abroad and seek to recreate the magic of that experience on their estate. To do so, it is important to partner with a firm that understands the true capabilities of conservatories and their heritage.
A few years ago we worked with a family who admired the architecture of the Biltmore Estate; more specifically, the beautiful wood conservatory attached to the main house. If you have never visited the estate, we recommend adding this one to your bucket list!
During the late nineteenth century in the United States, while public conservatories might have been funded and endowed by philanthropists, fashionable American families wanted private glasshouses on their estates.
When George Washington Vanderbilt II first visited Asheville, NC in the late 1800s, he fell in love with the rustic mountain beauty and decided to build this summer home; an English-style country estate far from the bustle of New York City life. Recognized as the largest privately held house in the United States, comprising 250 rooms covering 178,926 square feet, the Biltmore Estate took 6 years to build. It was completed in 1895 under the direction of Architect Richard Morris Hunt. Hunt carefully designed the conservatory to be a showpiece. With timber trusses, a glass roof, and decorative wood beams extending down the walls, the ceiling covering the sunken garden became a grand art fixture that bathed the palms and flowering shrubs below in sunlight.
It was these characteristics and more that our clients also fell in love with. They wanted to create a room bathed in natural sunlight with beautiful, architectural detailing that made a statement when you walked in.
Watch as Founder Alan Stein walks you through how Tanglewood approached the design and build of this beautiful Biltmore-inspired Conservatory Glass Roof!
For more inspired glass conservatory roofs or additions, visit our Custom Skylights, Domes, and Cupolas section or contact our team to explore adding a unique glass addition to your home!