Sunrooms can be a perfect little addition to your home. They’re also exceptionally versatile. They’re a great way to extend your living area, without the hassle of another full room. They can also be used as a playroom for the kids or even a study nook. Alternatively, they can be a sunny retreat with some comfy couches and relaxing décor.
Whatever you decide, the top benefit is all that natural light that comes in.
Here are some tips on making that sunroom a beautiful, functional space.
Bring the outdoors in
While not everyone has the desire to be outdoors at all times, the idea of nature does appeal to many. That’s the beauty of a sunroom, really. Use the area to bring elements of your outdoor landscape inside. While your furniture doesn’t need to be weather resistant (you are indoors after all), it can still allude to the outdoors. In terms of paint colour, you can really go either way. Match the outdoor area with some lovely earthy, neutral tones, and then dress up the furniture and accessories with colours, or choose a bold, bright colour to bring a sense of sunshine in. Whites and yellows seem to be the most common – bringing a sense of warmth and comfort to the room.
Choose furniture carefully
If you’re creating a second living area in your sunroom, whatever furniture you choose, it needs to be arranged correctly. Just like in your family room, where the furniture is arranged to a focal point, in most cases a television, in the sunroom, ensure the furniture is arranged towards the windows. This means you can enjoy the serenity of the outdoors. It’s also key to arrange the chairs and couches to encourage conversation. There’s nothing worse than having to strain your neck just to make eye contact.
When it comes to choosing the actual pieces, it really all depends on where the sunroom is located. As with most rooms, the feel of the sunroom should flow comfortably from whatever rooms are around it. If it looks onto the backyard, consider furniture that evokes a sense of nature – wicker, rattan, timers and other natural items. If you’d prefer to see your sunroom as purely a second living space with no connection to the backyard, remember to choose fabrics that won’t fade in the sun. Also, whatever you choose, make sure it’s comfortable and practical. You want to use your sunroom after all.
If you’re thinking you’d prefer to use the sunroom as a study area, again, it’s all about positioning the furniture correctly. For some, having the desk facing the outdoors inspires better work. For others, it’s just a distraction. This is a highly personal decision so make it wisely and carefully.
Be flexible
Ideally, a sunroom will serve more than one purpose. This is so you can enjoy the room and natural light as much as possible and in many ways. For example, some sunrooms serve as both a second living area and a second dining area. If you’re fortunate enough to have a big enough sunroom, this is most definitely encouraged.
Alternatively, it can be a lovely play area for your kids, and also serve as a comfortable spot to escape when they’re not home. Of course, this requires organisation and some excellent storage solutions, but there’s nothing stopping you from creating a unique play area for them, using rugs, boxes and an excellent wall unit, coupled with a beautiful daybed or reading nook for you.
Remember the windows
As much as you want to let the sunshine in, you also want to be able to block it out when it gets too hot or if you want some privacy. Of course, the key here is that they look good, match your furniture and are easy to use. Remember, a key to a sunroom is its large windows and lovely natural light and it’s important to keep this in mind. Also, consider how to improve the energy efficiency of your sunroom.
Bamboo blinds are a good option as they tend to work nicely within an outdoorsy space. Of course, you also have the shutter option that can be slid to one side when not in use. And finally, there’s the curtain route. If going this way, opt for light fabrics in terms of colour and material. This lets some natural light in while still cooling the room down a tad and giving you a bit of privacy.
Décor is key
The first thing to remember when choosing the décor and accessories is that the landscape outside is the room’s shining feature. There’s no need to fill the room with things – it will just take away from the beautiful view. With this in mind, keep plants to a minimum as too many will bring people’s attention inside when you really want them looking out the windows. Be careful not to clutter the space with too many accessories. Keep cushions to a couple per couch with a lovely big rug to warm the room up, some gorgeous pendant lights and maybe even a fan to ensure the room is kept cool.
Regardless of which route you go, the key to giving your sunroom a makeover is understanding its purpose and designing for that. Always be aware of what your needs are and decorate accordingly.
A great way to allow natural light into your home without letting in any pests is to have retractable and pleated insect screens for all doors and windows. Contact us today and get a free onsite quote.
