SUNROOMS
The sun porch also serves as a favorite reading room, thanks to two comfortable armchairs. “They love to have a cup of coffee here in the morning and they also love to read here,” Tays says. The chairs swivel to take in the views. Tays & Co Design Studios The sun porch is fully conditioned for year-round use. Tays designed a custom banquette to fit around a 60-inch-long dining table. She chose a light fixture that has elevated cabin-inspired style. “The outside of the shade is black wrought iron, but the inside is gold leaf and it’s just beautiful,” she says. She covered the walls in whitewashed wood paneling with varied vertical grooves. “It’s hard to tell in the photo, but you can see the knots and character in the wood and some of the wood tones through the whitewash,” Tays says.
10. High-Rise ‘Sunroom’ Separating a window-side portion of an open-plan apartment gives the feeling of a sunroom in a high-rise building. In this Milwaukee penthouse by Vivid Interior Design, designer Danielle Loven created the feeling of a sunroom next to a windowed interior wall in the home’s main living space. The windowed interior wall, plus the more casual indoor-outdoor furnishings and potted palm, gives the room a stronger connection to the outdoors.
9. Cape Cod Charmer With a wood-paneled vaulted ceiling, windows looking out to leafy views and glass doors opening up to an elevated deck, this Cape Cod, Massachusetts, sunroom by REFINED has a lot of features to love. The house serves as a weekend and summer home for a family, and the interiors have a laid-back coastal style, with splashy blue-and-white ikat prints and beachy accents.
8. Modern Treehouse Wood paneling on the walls and ceiling plays off canopy views to make this Minnesota sunroom by Hartman Homes feel like a treehouse for grown-ups. The recessed lighting, gas fire feature, sconces mounted above the mantel and plush rug help ensure that the space feels cozy after nightfall.
7. Sunny Courtyard Nook Even a smaller sunroom can be a sought-after spot for working from home or relaxing with a book, as seen with this glassed-in area leading to a courtyard, in a London home by Jo Cowen Architects. A chair and ottoman, plus a side table for resting a cup of tea, invite one to put up feet, enjoy prime garden views and catch some fleeting London sunshine. Framed botanical prints reinforce a connection to the garden, and the mirror, glass ceiling and doors make the small space feel expansive.
6. Mountain Refuge This sunroom for a mountain home leans into winter in a different way: embracing snowy views and the feeling of being cozy indoors. The Scandinavian-style space, by Mary Best Designs, includes pale wood and beige furnishings, leading one’s attention out to the landscape. A wood-burning stove with logs at the ready and a chunky knit throw on the sofa boost the hygge factor and encourage feelings of coziness and contentment.
5. Tropical Vacation This colorful sunroom in New York by Home for Zen feels like an escape to the tropics — an illusion that’s most welcome in the middle of an East Coast winter. Large windows in sunrooms let in an abundance of natural light, making them ideal spots for growing sun-loving houseplants, as seen here. Potted ficus, rubber plant, bird of paradise, ferns and bromeliads create a jungle-like feeling here, reinforced by a wall covered in a tropical leaf print.
4. New England Nautical Retreat Many of the elements in this Rhode Island space by Evergreen Building Systems are what sunroom dreams are made of. The lacquered wood ceilings, jute rugs, white wicker furniture, anchor-print pillows and antique clock all come together for a classic New England coastal look. While there’s no substitute for those ocean views, one could adopt some of the room’s nautical style elements to bring the feeling home.
3. Cozy Cottage This bright sunroom by Paul Corrie Interiors exudes old-fashioned romantic charm. White wicker furnishings (complete with a wicker planter box) and floral throw pillows set the scene for enjoying afternoon tea. The slate floor, cozied up with an area rug, adds an outdoor element to the indoor space. Tip: Radiant underfloor heating can make sunrooms warm and inviting even in the middle of winter.
2. Patterned-Tile Paradise Stone wall cladding and blue-and-white floor tile add outdoor elements to this breezy sunroom in Australia, by Ginardi. Pulling in the same tile and stone used for the porch and outdoor patio on the property helped blur the line between indoors and out. Just imagine throwing open all of the sunroom windows to catch the breeze through the treetops.
1. Elegant Deck Conversion This bright sunroom in northwest Washington, D.C., was added by InSite Builders & Remodeling in a space that used to be an elevated deck. Unlike the deck, the enclosed sunroom can be enjoyed no matter the weather. The furnishings and interior details include both rustic (like the stone ledge above the fireplace) and refined (like the yellow-trimmed Roman blinds and blue-and-white ceramics), establishing a sunroom that feels like a more relaxed version of the home’s elegant interiors.
Blurred Indoor-Outdoor Boundaries The whole point of sunrooms is to have a room filled with sunlight and views of the outdoors. But the expanses of glass in this conservatory blur the indoor-outdoor boundary even further. At first glance it’s hard to tell if this is an outdoor porch or an indoor room thanks to the high ceilings, walls completely composed of windows and brick wall. Style note: Even just one geranium in an inexpensive terra-cotta pot adds loads of old-fashioned charm to a sunroom.
This sunroom also blurs the lines between indoors and out, thanks not only to the floor-to-ceiling windows but also to the copious use of plants. They add layers of color, texture and life. Style note: That thick rug is an unexpected move for a space with an outdoor feel. It adds warmth, color and visual interest.
Sun Control At certain times of day, the glare in a sunroom can be relentless. Houzzers were drawn to this sunroom’s bamboo blinds, which filter the light and add a natural texture to the room. The stained-glass transom windows, pendant lights and round dining table were also a hit. Style note: The cozy wide daybed in the corner is the perfect sunroom napping spot.
Hamptons Style This home is in Minnesota, but the color palette of light, creamy white and indigo, the coastal references and the chic use of patterns recalls the look that’s come to be known as Hamptons style. It gives this sunroom a sophisticated beach vacation vibe. Style note: Midnight blue walls make the bright white trim paint pop.
Located on Burt Lake in Michigan, this sun porch by Edgewater Design Group contains features we’d expect to see in a lake cabin — knotty wood, a stone fireplace, even wooden water skis. But lovely upholstery and modern windows elevate the typical rustic cabin look. The neutral color palette of the furniture maintains the relaxed feel and puts the focus on the blue of the water and the green trees outside. Style note: The ceiling fan recalls a steamboat’s paddle wheel.
This sunroom addition designed by Cielo Home Interior Design gave the homeowners a lake-cabin feel on the back of their suburban Colonial-style home. Key cabin elements are the mix of woods and stains, the stacked stone fireplace and the warm red-and-cream color palette. Style note: The porthole window over the fireplace is a clever architectural move. Also, check out the room from another angle to see the handy passthrough to the kitchen.
1. Comfortable seating. The ultimate sunroom acts as a second living room. It need not scream wicker. You may bring in upholstered seating, plush pillows and throws, indoor-outdoor rugs and occasional tables that you would think to use inside. A proper sunroom has electrical outlets to support floor and table lamps as well.
4. Privacy shades. Sunrooms get sunny, of course. They tend to boast floor-to-ceiling insulated glass windows and doors. Even if you have high-quality windows and doors, the space may still get overheated. Curtains or shades are must-haves to make sure that you don’t overheat as you browse home design photos and drink iced tea on a lazy afternoon.
Tays designed an L-shaped built-in bench for two sides of the table. It has custom cushions with leather straps that attach to custom metal bars crafted by Kreitz.
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