Meet Your Next Home Improvement Project – The Sun Room!

Fall is just around the corner and if you’re already thinking about how much you’re going to miss your summer lifestyle, there’s a great way to enjoy sunshine all year round in the comfort of your own home – with a sun room! Also known as a solarium or conservatory, a sun room allows you to take advantage of our mild winters and plentiful sunshine throughout the fall, winter and spring. Here are some tips for planning and designing your home improvement project.

What is a sun room?

Essentially, this is a room that is all or mostly glass, offering uninterrupted views of the garden at every turn and allowing sunshine in throughout the entire day. While glass walls or huge windows are a must, many solariums go even further and have glass ceilings as well. These spaces first started appearing in the 17^th century and were used in hospitals to help patients soak up the warm rays. They became popular in homes, hotels and public buildings around the 19th century, when steel and large panes of glass became easier to manufacture and therefore more affordable.

As a more functional version of a screened-in porch, a sun room lets you enjoy the light, warmth and scenery of the outdoors without the wind, chilly weather or bugs – making them ideal for anyone who enjoys nature and wants to bring more of it into their everyday life.

What are the different styles of sun rooms?

The sky is the limit when designing a sun room, as the only requirement is that it brings in lots of natural sunshine through windows and glass panels – the rest is up to you. For the most part, these spaces are treated as an extension of the home in the form of an enclosed outdoor space and can include anything from seating and play areas for kids to bars and full outdoor kitchens.

Tips for designing your sun room

• Location: Positioning your sun room is the first step, and you should focus on an area that gets plenty of natural light throughout the day. Because of all the glass, these rooms usually offer little in the way of privacy, so it’s a good idea to pick a spot that is sheltered from your neighbors and the roadside. With so many windows, it’s also a good idea to place your sun room in a way that captures the best views. Northern exposure sun rooms will get the least sun and be partially shaded through most of the day, while eastern and western exposure sun rooms will get good morning light and afternoon light respectively. Southern exposure sun rooms will get the most sunlight daily and throughout the year and may need cooling over the summer months.
• Purpose: These spaces are highly functional and adaptable, so consider what you want to use it for early on in your design process. It could be a sitting room, an entertainment space, a dining area, a kitchen extension, a home office or even a greenhouse. For many homes, this room also has multiple functions, so different functions have to be planned and drawn out to ensure that enough space is dedicated to each section.
• Style: Natural materials are recommended for sun rooms as they bring the outdoors and indoors together beautifully. Sturdy, low-maintenance floors (for example, polished concrete or natural stone tiles) look great and are easy to clean even when garden debris are tracked in. A great way of adding texture and designating spaces is with area rugs or decorative floor tiles. Patio furniture and outdoor appliances are also usually recommended to keep that outdoors atmosphere and are a great choice if you want the space opened up with stacking doors during the warmer months. However, sun rooms are so well protected from the elements that comfortable indoor furnishings are just as suitable if that’s what you prefer!
• Color: While natural, earthy colors are fantastic for these spaces, remember to tie them in with the rest of your home. Keeping a neutral base in grey, white or browns is recommended by designers as it gives the garden and views the chance to really stand out. If you usually go for bolder colors, then accessories like rugs, pillows and throws in your preferred pallet will bring them together seamlessly. Having a neutral pallet also allows you to change your décor for the different seasons, keeping your space fresh and interesting through the year.
• Seasons: The sun room is a space you want to use all year round, and that means planning for colder seasons. You won’t want to cover up all that glass and that can make the space colder in winter and on chilly evenings, so installing wood burning stove, fireplace or underfloor heating will be needed to keep the space warm and cozy. The type of glass you use in construction will also determine how warm you space will be, so it’s best to go with clear insulated glass and storm windows (if necessary). In the summer, sun rooms can become pretty hot and uncomfortable, so you’ll need some extra features to help cool the air and keep it flowing, like fans and stackable doors or shades that can block out certain windows. This way, you’ll be able to transform a weather-tight room into a patio space with ease to create a comfortable space even on the hottest days of the year.

A sun room is a fantastic project for almost any home in Dallas or anywhere in the greater Texas area, ensuring that you make the most of our wonderful weather and add value to your home!