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A 'bed and breakfast' in the English countryside is about as close to heaven as I can imagine. Beautiful landscapes, quaint villages, majestic manor houses, and of course glorious gardens are the makings of fairy tales and dreams. For one brief shining moment I was delighted to live my dream at a little bed and breakfast manor in the English Cotswolds. Entering the front door I was immediately drawn to my heart's desire, a cathedral of glass toward the back of the house, a real English conservatory, where house and garden meet in the best of both worlds. Here is a place to read, have a cup of tea, take an afternoon nap, dine alfresco and otherwise make-believe you actually live in a garden.

Conservatories were originally called "orangeries" as they were designed to nurture non-indigenous fruits in harsh climates. Appearing in the 17th century they were situated at the end of the garden and also served as a place of rest after a summer's garden walk. Over time orangeries migrated closer to the home to become conservatories and eventually became a stylish addition to the fine English home. In our world, today's sunroom is but a descendent of the early English conservatory.

I'm not lucky enough to have a conservatory like those in the Cotswolds, but I am fortunate to have a nice sunroom. Here I am over-wintering my tender lime and gardenia trees from the cold outside, forcing potted bulbs of paper-whites, hyacinths, and amaryllis. I still have enough light and sunshine to grow topiaries and herbs. As the winter months prolong, my little conservatory has also become my retreat, now used for sitting, studying, looking at garden magazines, and day-dreaming. No other room in the house has such a strong sense of season.

Furnishing and decorating a sunroom can be a particular challenge. Lighter color tones are more successful for garden rooms. White may be obvious, but it should be a warm white so it doesn't feel excessively cold and stark in the winter. Green also works well. Darker colors are not usually used, but when they are, they can offer a very dramatic look.

Garden room interiors should reflect the materials and textures from outdoors. First and foremost, a sunroom demands an abundance of plant life around which the furnishings can be added. For soft furnishings the most typical is wicker, either as an occasional piece or a full set of sofas, ottomans, tables and chairs. Other choices could be unvarnished wood or wrought-iron frames with stone tabletops. When it comes to fabric and upholstery bright sunlight will fade almost anything. The most desired sunroom fabrics are linen and cotton, used for their durability and informal style. Another good solution to use is "Sunbrella" fabrics made of a solution-dyed acrylic with a fluorocarbon finish. Today Sunbrella fabrics come in many different stripes, solids and florals. Due to the lack of solid walls and ceilings, supplemental lighting can be tricky. As a sunroom is designed to let outside light in, it also lets much inside light out. The solution is to use fixed-roof and side lighting as well as plug-in side and table lamps, hanging lamps and chandeliers. Small accessories that don't compete with the natural plant life are acceptable, and a nice little garden fountain of soft trickling water always completes the mood.

Alas, for most of us an authentic English conservatory is still only fairy tale. But in my little sunroom I can imagine paradise and momentarily escape to a simpler day.