How to create a sunroom

Spring, summer and fall all provide ample opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors, but such chances are few and far between once winter settles in. Though the cold may compel the masses to huddle up inside, there’s still a way to take in the great outdoors on cold winter days and preserve the outdoor feel of the warmer months.

It might not prove an exact substitute for summer nights around the firepit, but a sunroom affords homeowners a chance to enjoy the outdoors regardless of the weather. Sometimes referred to as “all-season rooms,” sunrooms can make for a great retreat on quiet summer mornings or crisp autumn afternoons. Sunrooms can be treated as blank canvases, which makes decorating them more fun. But a few tricks of the trade can help homeowners turn their blank canvases into welcoming spaces to take in all that nature has to offer throughout the year.

• Define the purpose. Home experts recommend homeowners decide how they want to use the sunroom before they begin decorating it. When the weather gets too chilly to dine outside, will the sunroom serve as an alternative dining space in the same way patios and decks do during the warm weather? Or do homeowners want to turn their sunrooms into reading rooms? Though it’s possible to make sunrooms multipurpose spaces, it may be hard to create a relaxing vibe in rooms that are too crowded with furnishings or too busy. Defining how the space will be used also makes it easier when shopping for furnishings.

• Define when the room will be used. In addition to defining how the room will be used, homeowners should give ample consideration to when the room will be used. A year-round sunroom will need to be heated, while a three-season sunroom likely won’t require heating. Cooling might be a concern on hot summer afternoons, but many homeowners will likely spend such days outside anyway, so cooling the room may be as simple as installing a ceiling fan and ensuring windows can be opened to let fresh air in. Homeowners who want a year-round sunroom should install insulated glass to keep the room even warmer when the mercury dips.

• Opt for bright colors. Bright colors can make sunrooms feel all the more inviting and make for a perfect match with all the natural light already in the room. Renovation experts note that white walls and ceilings can maximize the warm illumination of the natural light that will be pouring in from the floor-to-ceiling windows. Brightly colored cushions, pillows and area rugs with similarly hued colors and patterns can add visual interest and texture to a sunroom.

• Make use of a view. Homeowners needn’t direct too much of their focus on decor if their sunrooms come with a view. Art on the walls and other decorative items around the room are less important if a sunroom affords a view of a field or a lake or dense woods that attract local wildlife. In rooms with a view, arrange furniture so residents and guests can comfortably look outward and take in all the surrounding landscape has to offer.

Sunrooms are a great place to take in nature no matter the weather.

— Metro