I was recently in Maine visiting family. Like always, I did my duty as a loving niece and went around to each of my aunts and uncles’ houses for a visit. My aunt Linda had recently moved and it was my first time seeing their new home. As I received the tour there was a clear winner as to my favorite spot in the house, the sunroom.
The sunroom at my aunt’s house is set back off the kitchen and is surrounded by three walls of windows. They have a small backyard that abuts a wooded area behind it. The sunroom, to me, was the perfect place to curl up with a cup of coffee or a good book, relax and enjoy the natural beauty beyond the windows.
Sunrooms make great additions to the home because you can enjoy them, and the changing seasons, all year round. Take Maine for instance, it has a beautiful summer. When I visited my aunt, all the windows were open, allowing a nice breeze to go through the room and into the rest of the house. Unfortunately, Maine weather isn’t that spectacular all year round. The winters are cold, very cold, but that doesn’t mean that my aunt won’t be able to enjoy the sunroom. The windows will definitely be closed tightly, but it will still be a great place to enjoy the surroundings. Who doesn’t love to curl up and appreciate a good snow fall in a sunroom?
When having a sunroom designed, it’s important to tell your designer how you intend to use the space. Is it something that you want to enjoy all year round or just during the nicer months? Some people may think of sunrooms and think of rooms that they can’t use all the time, and that is true in some cases. If you want to use the space all year round, make sure your builder knows this so they can use enough insulation to ensure the room stays warm efficiently in the cooler months.
Flow in and out of the sunroom to the rest of the house is also an important piece of design. If the intension is only to use the space a few months a year, it may be OK if the space is a little more closed off from the rest of the house. If the space is going to be utilized all the time, you may want to have a wide doorway that provides a seamless transition.
At Sundance of Philly, we aim to design and build custom sunrooms that fit the clients’ needs and budget. The existing home is a major part of that design, not only do we want it to flow nicely, but we take into consideration any way that the new home could be affected. For example, if the sunroom is more of a closed off space it may decrease the amount of light going into the rest of the home.
Finishes are important to design as well. Our goal is to make the sunroom seem like it was always there. Colors, architectural style and textures are a great way to make the whole space cohesive.
If you are interested in learning more about sunroom design or any other outdoor living structure, please contact Sundance of Philly.
