RANGE REVIEW: GREENHOUSES & OUTDOOR BUILDINGS
Trends on the up A rise in vine wires: A micro-trend that’s increasing in popularity is a demand for vine wires. Once an occasional special request, these elegant finishing touches are now being regularly included as part of a new greenhouse design. No longer just for training grapevines; gardeners are using them for tomatoes, cucumbers, or even externally on the greenhouse roof as unobtrusive bird deterrents and demonstrating the importance of every aspect of a greenhouse project, right down to the finer details. Colour-matched guttering: White Cottage Greenhouse customers are increasingly opting to upgrade their greenhouse guttering from a standard plastic system to a metal colour-matched one in another example of curation down to the last detail. Keen to keep attention away from necessary functional but aesthetically less
pleasing
details, whilst at the same time, rejecting plastic. Quality, durability, and natural
materials being favoured by Greenhouse buyers over plastic. Elevated interiors: Greenhouse interiors
are becoming just renewable/recyclable as
considered as the structures themselves. Gardeners are increasingly focused on coordinating every element, from staging to sinks. Requests for tailored storage solutions, specific shelf heights, and integrated features such as Belfast sinks have surged. The trend is for
elegant, functional designed to delight. Slow purchasing, planning
ahead: In an age of one-click buying, gardeners are rediscovering the value of ‘slow purchasing’ – investing time and care to create a quality, bespoke greenhouse. In the past, customers tended to wait until spring to order a greenhouse, only to find it was too late to have it ready for the season. Now, there is an increased appreciation of the planning and time needed to design, build and install a hand-crafted period greenhouse, with many people starting initial enquiries in autumn. By planning ahead, gardeners can ensure their greenhouse is ready for seedlings and summer gatherings.
Continuing Trends
Rainwater harvesting: As sustainability remains top of mind, customers are continuing to prioritise rainwater harvesting. The vast majority of gardeners now incorporate rainwater storage into their gardens with solutions ranging from simple plastic barrels to antique salvaged
22 DIY WEEK JULY 2026 interiors
Above: Tori Tomlin, Director at White Cottage Greenhouses
troughs costing thousands. The White Cottage Greenhouses team will work with you to make sure the rainwater run-off from your greenhouse goes where you want it, ensuring a greener, more cost- effective water supply for plants. Increased interest in shading:
With climate change driving more extreme heat and sun, shading has become essential rather than optional. White Cottage Greenhouses’ sympathetic cedar- lath external blinds, sourced from a British supplier using handcrafted methods, offer optimal sun protection while preserving the greenhouse’s
period
GREENHOUSE TRENDS FOR 2026 AND BEYOND
Tori Tomlin, Director at White Cottage Greenhouses, specialist craftsmen of exquisite, historically authentic Victorian and Edwardian greenhouses, shares her predictions for the trends shaping customers’ greenhouses this year and into next.
The Deco 5 in White #729 from White Cottage Greenhouses
being chosen to harmonise with the broader aesthetic of the home and garden.
aesthetic.
Each blind is made to measure, allowing gardeners to maintain the ideal growing conditions without compromising on style. Best-selling colours: Timeless, natural hues remain the top choices for customers. Whilst white and off-white used to dominate, now only about 10–15% of customers choose them. Instead, there’s a shift towards subtle neutrals like White Cottage’s pebble grey, moorland, and lizard grey, which echo the soft tones used on contemporary windows and doors. Meanwhile, darker colours such as anthracite are seeing occasional use. More than ever, greenhouse colours are
Waning trends Ridge cresting: Once considered a signature detail of Victorian greenhouses, ornate ridge cresting is now falling out of favour. There is an increasing desire to recreate the authentic look and feel of period structures and, for traditional Victorian working greenhouses, this means cleaner lines and functional detailing inside rather than overt decoration outside. Historically, more elaborate cresting was reserved by the Victorians for orangeries or house extensions rather than practical garden greenhouses. The move away from ridge
cresting signals a return to authentic design roots and a focus on understated beauty.
Unique design solution White Cottage Greenhouses is a family-run business, based in Sandbach Cheshire, that has been making its handcrafted, period
greenhouses for 45-years. A close team ensures a personal, hands- on service, and with greenhouses starting from just over £8,500, White Cottage Greenhouses are within reach for even the smallest gardens. White Cottage Greenhouses
offer a unique design solution for those looking for the traditional warmth,
look and feel of wood,
with the maintenance-free benefits of aluminium. All White Cottage Greenhouses have a painted Accoya™ timber frame, and a matching powder coated aluminium roof. Accoya timber offers unparalleled stability and durability (guaranteed against rot for 50 years) meaning coatings last twice as long. Virtually maintenance-free aluminium roof components are
coated to match, achieving
an authentically period-looking structure that will last a lifetime.
• For more details and to explore White Cottage Greenhouses’ full range of handcrafted period greenhouses, visit
www.whitecottage.co.uk.
www.diyweek.net
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40
