Wintergardens: room-extension-50s-house
“The wintergarden extension has completely changed the look of our house – life feels entirely different now. We’re really quite proud of how it’s turned out.”
Niermann family, Osnabrück, Germany

REALISING POTENTIAL WITH A WINTERGARDEN

More space for all the family – or would it be better to leave the renovations until the kids have flown the nest? For the Niermann family, who live in the countryside near the north-west German town of Osnabrück, it was an easy decision. The couple didn’t want to wait until their children had left their 1950s home before adding an extension, so they decided to invest in it right away so they could enjoy the result as a family. It was an understandable choice – after all, the 14 m² kitchen was already getting too small for the family of four, and everyone wanted a little more space within their own four walls. There was also another factor that led the family to make the change to their house. “We can access our patio directly from the kitchen,” Mrs Niermann explains. With this in mind, it’s no wonder the family wanted a way to bring their garden and their indoor living space together. Once they started looking, it didn’t take them long to find a solution that suited everyone:  a wintergarden offered the perfect way for them to extend their kitchen and – if it could be opened across a wide area – incorporate their garden into the overall building concept at the same time. 

Familie Niermann vor ihrem Wintergarten
Familie Niermann vor ihrem Wintergarten

The renovation

For the Niermanns, it was important to ensure that the extension slotted harmoniously and unobtrusively into the existing architecture of their home. As a result, they deliberately extended two exterior walls to give them more indoor space and create a smooth transition from the old section of the building to the new part. The modern wintergarden also continues the existing roof pitch of the house, which gives it the look of a perfect extension to the original building. Part of the right-hand exterior wall was opened up  to create a cosy corner. The kitchen area and stove are still in the same place as before, but there is now a hatch between the kitchen and the dining corner – another way in which the old architecture has been combined with the new.

Wintergarten SDL Akzent Plus, Frau sitzt auf Terrasse
Wintergarten SDL Akzent Plus, Frau sitzt auf Terrasse

Perfect temperatures

In order to ensure that the temperature in the wintergarden remains pleasant all year round, the glass extension has been fitted with two electric roof hatches with special reflective glass. “We also have an awning for extra protection on sunny days, and the underfloor heating keeps us warm when it gets colder outside,” the owner explains. If the family want even more fresh air, the wintergarden also has a bi-folding door with flexible glass elements that can be opened and closed to suit their needs. When everything is open, the wintergarden feels almost like a covered patio that transitions seamlessly to the indoor living space.