To not want toys brought into the lounge?

You are right ignore the people making fun of you calling it an orangery - 5 seconds on google and they could find out the difference.

You’re fighting a losing battle. Children, especially, five-year-olds will be five-year-olds, and will have their toys all over the place. It’s normal, and not something I would get stressed over, or try to control. Just tidy up at the end of the night, and enjoy the toy-free lounge when they’re in bed.

YABU to call a conservatory an orangery. Orangeries are for those who live in stately homes. The rest of us have conservatories.

Love it. I have no idea what a loggia is, but I want one.

It screams "I'm so pretentious!".

I'm sitting on my hands for the whole terminology debate but - is it not perhaps a bit chilly in January?! Any room with a fair bit of glass is going to feel (and probably be) a whole lot colder.

I think you are being a bit unreasonable, and I am fussy about toys all over the house. I think if you're going to corral your children into one room, it needs to be a room where all of you can sit together - because they will want to be with you - and it needs to be cosy at this time of year. It sounds as if there's a whole empty room (dining room) between you and a five year old, which feels a bit unfriendly.

As someone whose children are almost out of the toy phase I’d say embrace it! They won’t be little for long and you may find you’ll miss the sight of lots of toys everywhere. Before you know it they’ll be in their bedrooms glued to PlayStations and phones.
Just try and do a tidy up at the end of each day and get them to help :)

Yes: shall we have drinks in the vine house?
Do join us in the vine house.

My one post that was actually not about the orangery but about OPs poor parenting choice of confining her kids to play in designated areas only, got deleted. Whatever. Hope the OP finds a better way forward in her parenting.

Is there any chance at all posters could stop going on about what the room is called? It’s getting really tedious to read post after post of feigned amazement that a room is called what it is called

I know. I’m going to feign amazement at how parochial these posters are. Conservatories were originally intended for horticulture; people aren’t falling over at that term. A conservatory and an orangery are very different.

My neighbours have an orangery, loggia AND a portico. How dare they.

Exactly! That is what they originally were in large stately homes. They have now just become builder/estate agent speak for an extension or conservatory.

OP your children should be an important part of your life and mess comes with it. Unless you have a very large house, you can’t have one area for children and one area for adults. Of course the children will want to be in the area where the adults sit. This is a short period in your life. You will have years after to be tidy.

Uptight I’m afraid. Ex child minder and a bit OCD myself - they will have been taught at nursery and school to have tidy up time. Make a game of it and make it the pre dinner ritual. It’s their home - you’ll have plenty of time when they’re at school to enjoy the peace and tidy. And before you know it, they’ll be off at uni and you’ll miss the mess. Honestly. You really will.

Former council flats with small balconies have gone on sale in our town with the balcony described as a "verandah" which I rather like!
More up-market than balcony.
"Toys on the verandah, Tarquin".

Oh sorry OP! Very annoying for you re the orangery/conservatory debate. But who knew it was such a contentious issue!!?? Can you just not read those bits and jump to the toy section.of a post.

Ooh, now you’ve got me torn. I think I’d accept either.

I'd love a vine house. Perhaps more than an orangery.

It’s not a sales technique from Dobbie’s ffs, they’ve existed for hundreds of years.

(i may be overinvested because I’ve always wanted one)

Expand your vocabulary, mate.

Go for it Girlfriend. So my porch is now a conservatory & my conservatory is an orangery surely puts £20K on the value of my little 2 bed bungalow. 😂

Just like a flat that I used to have rented out with a tiny yard which you could just about put a small table & 2 chairs in. But when I sold it the estate agent insisted on saying that it was a 'courtyard garden'. I was thinking 'whatever' any buyer will see it for what it is...

Audley End House doesn’t have an orangey. It was demolished in 1800s and the vine house was built.

Cos it just is. You know it is. It will be a sales technique from Dobbies.

Also all these back attachments apparently lower a house price. Just for info.

Are they expected to play in a place where you are actively growing citrus fruits?

Why is it affected to call something by its name?

Why isn’t it affected to call a conservatory a conservatory, or a greenhouse a greenhouse, but it IS affected to call an orangerie an orangerie?

I’m team OP! Toys in a dedicated room and kids bedrooms. And all small pieces sorted into ziploc bags. It is doable, definitely. Kids books are allowed in the front room though.

And I’m foreign so didn’t know the difference between an orangerie and conservatory - thanks MN for the impromptu vocabulary lesson haha😁