22 Sunroom Ideas to Brighten Up Your Home
Make it the most used room in the house.
A sunroom is an indoor room, usually set with multiple windows to maximize natural light and showcase views of the outdoors. Typically referred to as “the three-season sunroom”, it is designed as a distinct room from the rest of the house, often physically separated by sliding patio doors or French doors. A sunroom, also frequently called a solarium, offers a shelter from any potential adverse weather conditions, without removing the access to the views of the outdoor space.
Adding a Sunroom to Your Home
Surprisingly, sunrooms are affordable. They are actually one of the most cost-effective home improvement projects. Besides being more affordable than traditional room additions, sunrooms offer more versatility and they're easier to maintain. They also give your home additional resale value in the future. With several benefits to having a sunroom, continue reading our guide for more sunroom ideas.
Outdoor Living
Sunrooms exist in a happy medium of an indoor and outdoor living space. The open concept and ample sunlight gives you the feeling of being outside, while still having the luxury of air conditioning and window screens. This kind of limbo living space gives you the flexibility to create an area that functions how you want it to, be it decked with durable outdoor-style patio furniture, or luxurious indoor fabrics and materials. These are some sunroom ideas that do both.
1. Indoor/Outdoor Dining Tables & Sets
Whether you’re hosting guests or just having everyone around for breakfast, enjoy the sunroom as another space to gather and eat. Depending on the formality of your room, you can choose from indoor or outdoor dining sets.
In addition to a space to eat and entertain, decorate your sunroom with other furniture that can double as indoor and outdoor pieces. Items like couches, sitting chairs, or even coffee tables can encourage the flow of your home right into your sunroom
Given the use of outdoor furniture, it’s important to maintain comfort. You’ll want to pad the often rougher outdoor materials with something comfortable, but still durable to the pervasive sun. Choosing furniture cushions specifically made for outdoor furniture can help increase the longevity of the pieces.
Add comfort to your sunroom with accent pillows to join your space’s furniture. Determine if you want a cozy indoor throw to use while you nap in the sun, or if you want an outdoor option that will withstand the room’s ample rays.
While the main feature of the sunroom is, of course, the sunlight, at times it can be too much. Control the amount of sunlight that comes through your windows with blinds. Choose window coverings that are effective and suitable for the amount of sunlight the room gets with materials like a roller shade made of vinyl or bamboo blinds.
If blinds aren’t blocking enough, or even blocking too much light, you can swap them out for a window treatment option like curtains. Go with something light and gauzy to let in just enough light for your taste.
If your sunroom features a door to your outside space, a rug is your first line of defense from tracking anything back inside the house. While the sunroom can also support indoor furniture, an outdoor rug would best suit the floors to withstand the potential foot traffic and dirt.
If you like spending time in your sunroom during the winter, but hate the drafts that come in through the windows, opt for an electric fireplace for a heat source and added ambience. These fireplaces can be small like a side table, or be mounted on a wall.
In the other seasons, if you find your sunroom feels stuffy, but it’s too hot to open a window, you can offer a reprieve with a fan. Choose a portable tower fan for something subtle and out of the way. If you want something off the floor, you could also wire in a ceiling fan for a constant breeze.
Looking for a work from home space that doesn’t have you staring at a wall? Move your monitor to the sunroom. Since it’s inside, you don’t have to worry about you or your technology overheating, but it still offers you unrestricted views of natural light. You won’t have to sacrifice your setup with outdoor furniture, simply designate an area for your desk and office chair and get right to work.
Create your own private space to curl up with a good book while basking in the light of your sunroom. Collect wall-to-wall bookcases and claim your favorite spot with your own cozy throw blanket.
Utilize your sunroom as an extra space for entertaining. If you’re hosting a party, or having friends over for a playdate, outfit the sunroom with funky seating to encourage people to spend their time somewhere there other than the living room or their bedroom.
12. Swing Benches
Add a movement piece like a rocking bench or suspend a two-person porch swing from the ceiling, if your sunroom can support it.
For a single person, you can add a rocking chair to the space. The relaxing movement of the chair will pair nicely with the outdoor views and a cup of coffee in the morning.
A hip alternative to a rocking chair, a swing chair and stand is sure to be a popular seating accessory.
As a plush option, you can add a papasan chair, single or double in size. These chairs have the flexibility to function as indoor or outdoor seating depending on the frame and cushion materials such as wicker or UV resistant fabric
To create a more casual and outdoorsy feel, you can cast a hammock and prop open a window. If your sunroom ceiling has the acceptable support, you can hang up either side of the hammock, or opt for an indoor hammock that includes a stand.
Spread yourself out on a single, cushioned chaise lounge. This piece functions beautifully in a sunroom without taking up as much space as a couch, but offering far more legroom and support than just a chair.
While being indoors has its benefits, there are several instances where you would want the space to have a feeling of synthesis with the outdoors. Below are some sunroom ideas that allow you to combine the elements of both.
18. Plants
Find ways to integrate the feeling of outdoors with spots of greenery throughout your sunroom. You can hang basket planters from beams, or on walls. Or, since it’s indoors, if you want something with less maintenance, just fill your planters with faux plants.
For plants that are more accessible than being hung, you can decorate your sunroom with plant stands and tiered platforms. Create a unique visual scape with different heights and sizes that support plants as small as succulents or as wide as ferns.
Personalize your sunroom even more with pots in bold colors and materials. If you’re using faux plants or greenery, use their planters as a way to incorporate more character into your space to have your sunroom looking lively all year around.
If you prefer to get your hands dirty with some live foliage, then transform your sunroom into a space to prep your plants that’s not in the hot sun. Devote the space to an indoor gardening hub complete with a potting table station and other indoor gardening features like grow lights and gardening tools.
Unlike an outdoor option, installing a hot tub in your sunroom offers you far more privacy plus the ability to use it more comfortably year round. Be sure to check with the compatibility of your sunroom for installation.
Having a sunroom is an invaluable asset to your home. Make the most of the space with sunroom ideas like these, or get creative with your own design plans.
