Sunroom Ideas: The Complete Guide

Do you know unique sunroom ideas creates one of the most charming open spaces?

Imagine waking up to direct sun rays without having to leave the comfort of your home.

Just having one of the best “indoor-outdoor” healthy and conducive space.

Well, today’s guide, I want to take you through some of the most popular sunroom enclosure ideas.

From designs, decorations, material, etc. – I mean you’re going to learn about virtually everything you need to know about sunroom designs.

Let’s dive right in…

What is a Sunroom?

A sunroom or sun lounge is an enclosure structure, with a sunny exposure.

I know that may sound a little complex.

So, let me put it this way.

It is a room built or with large windows to allow sunlight into the room.

Here is exactly what am talking about:

Sun room enclosure

Sunroom enclosure with a pool

Of course, there are those without swimming pool such as this:

Sunroom enclosure

Sunroom enclosure

As you can see, it allows for the enjoyment of the surrounding landscape while sheltered from adverse weather conditions like rain / wind.

The room can be built detached from the main house or integrated into the primary building.

A sunroom can also be referred to as solarium, sun porch, sun parlor or conservatory.

It all depends on your preference or geographical location.

Obviously, you’re curious to know the various sunroom ideas I have in store for you.

Sure, but first, let me show you why you need a sunroom enclosure.

Benefits of Sunroom Enclosure – Why Do You Need a Solarium?

They offer space.

A space you can use to put up furniture or grow indoor plants.

This space can be used for relaxation or entertaining guests.

But, that’s not all.

Below are some of the benefits of the enclosures.

Sunroom enclosure

Sunroom enclosure – Photo courtesy: Patio Enclosures

  • Sunroom is a perfect choice if a house owner is looking to add space. They are a great way of expanding without going through a long and expensive addition.
  • Sunroom enclosures offer additional spaces to the house. They can be used as a playroom for the kids. Besides, sunroom enclosures can also act as TV rooms if fitted well with comfortable furniture and a TV.
  • Sunroom enclosures are more versatile as a space in a modern house as compared to other spaces.
  • Are easy to maintain spaces; this is because most people prefer them as ‘’empty’’ spaces.
  • Some sunroom enclosures can be used to nurture and grow garden / indoor plants. The sunlight, with the water and other nutrients, are beneficial to plants growth.
  • They provide aesthetic value to the homes. Who wouldn’t find a sunroom enclosure beautiful? They transparent material offers a spark and sleek look to the property.
  • Can act as a primary source of heat. You can achieve this by ensuring maximum radiation through the glass or polycarbonate windows. The heat can be used to heat water if the enclosure is over a swimming pool.

Sunroom enclosure for pools

Sunroom enclosure for pools

To enjoy all these benefits, you should consider certain aspects.

In fact, even as you evaluate various sunroom ideas, there are critical aspects must consider.

This way, you can get the best sunroom design idea, within your limited resources.

Let’s quickly go through what you should consider.

Considerations When Choosing Sunroom Design Ideas

Let’s be honest…

There are many factored that will determine whether to choose sunroom design idea “A” and not “B”.

Here are important factors to consider when choosing a sunroom design idea:

· Enclosure materials

Most of the enclosures are made of see-through material.

This can be glass or polycarbonate for example.

Glass is known to be heavy and expensive.

Polycarbonate, on the other hand, is affordable and versatile.

It can be made into various shapes. Polycarbonate material has greater thermal insulation power.

The latter can be a preferred choice for sunrooms that require warmth like swimming pools.

Also, there exists glass with Low emissivity (Low-E) in their coating.

The Low- E filters harmful UV and infra-red while letting in the natural light through.

From experience, I will recommend polycarbonate material for the glazing material without thinking twice.

You will get value for your money – imagine it can serve you for more than 25 years.

Besides, it can with withstand 900kg load distributed within the 1.5m radius and wind speed 230km/hr.

And by the way, if you want to learn more about this material, here is a complete guide for you: Polycarbonate Sheet Bible (Be an Expert in 100 Minutes).

Polycarbonate sunroom enclosure

Polycarbonate sunroom enclosure – Photo courtesy: SunShield

Now, when it comes to the structure you can choose wood or metal.

Well, wood brings a natural feel around the sunroom enclosure.

It’s a good idea, however, I will recommend extruded aluminum for the structure.

Extruded aluminum forms one of the best structures for sunroom enclosures.

However, all these will depend on your budget.

How is that possible?

· Budget for sunroom design ideas

Depending on a homeowner, you can go for simple sunroom designs that require fewer materials and input during construction.

Or, you can use luxurious material and sophisticated designs.

You can make sunroom enclosure from hundreds to thousands of dollars.

As rule of thumb, you should choose a sunroom design idea depending on your personal needs.

That way, you will get one that meets your budget.

If you leave in places like the U.S.A., you can use Home Advisor Website to get the estimates.

Alternatively, simply contact the Sunroom manufacturer.

For sure, you’ll get an accurate estimate.

· Window Frames Material

Well, you can choose from a range of materials for your frame.

In most cases, people choose the same material for both structure and window and door frame.

However, there are people who choose different materials.

Of course, each material has its pros and cons.

Take, for example, wood is also desirable for the window frames because of its durability.

It, however, needs extra care to prevent rot and frequent vanishing.

You can also choose extruded aluminum for this.

· Space available

Availability of space is very important.

If you are considering an isolated sunroom or one enjoined to the main building, you should look at the space you have.

Is it your back yard or an extension of your porch?

For an isolated case, you may need to choose a location with enough space.

This will allow room for movement around and into the sunroom.

With all these in mind, let’s move to what you’ve been waiting for – sunroom design ideas.

Sunroom Ideas – What is Your Best Option?

Let me take you through some of the available sunroom ideas in the market.

This can help you decide on what sunroom ideas you can settle on.

1. Standalone Sunroom Ideas

Standalone sunroom enclosure

Standalone sunroom enclosure – Photo courtesy: Craft Bilt

A sunroom does not have to be necessarily attached to the main house.

As you have seen by now, sunrooms are living spaces that bring more life and add value to what is already there – the house.

A stand-alone sunroom is entirely separate from the main structure.

They can be used to enclose a pool, this can provide privacy to the pool and also provide security.

Accidents of cases of slip –offs and drowning are then minimized.

You can also use them as gardens or greenhouses, depending on your taste.

2. Wall mount sunroom ideas

It is one of the most popular sunroom designs we have.

As you can see below, it is similar to building an outdoor living room.

Only that in this case there is a wall and windows or doors enclosing the space.

These sunroom windows are made of clear glass as opposed to frosted glass to enhance visibility.

But, with the growing popularity of polycarbonate, it has become a perfect material.

It can act as an enclosure to admire the great outside as well as prevent yourself from the harsh weather conditions.

Wall mount sunroom enclosure

Wall mount sunroom enclosure – Photo courtesy: Global Spec

One of the features I admire more in this idea is the way the sunroom design seamlessly blends with the home’s architecture.

You can also throw in blinds to shield the sunlight if you like.

3. Retractable / Telescopic Sunroom Ideas

A Retractable sunroom is a screen living room installed on the concrete foundation that can be operated manually or using a remote.

The retractable sunroom idea is ideal for homeowners who want a flexible time of spending time outdoors and outdoors.

Retractable sunroom - Photo courtesy: Roll a cover

Retractable sunroom – Photo courtesy: Roll a cover

With a retractable screen system, you can enjoy protection from insects and other pests by drawing the screens walls down.

Or you can choose to leave the screens up, creating an open-air patio that is ideal for entertaining guests or family.

The major materials used for the screen is polycarbonate panel or double glass pane.

To make the screens easy to pull down or open, a pull chain mechanism can be incorporated during its construction – for convenience.

In some cases, you can find a button or a remote to help in opening and shutting the screens.

Retractable sunrooms are ideal and affordable options of adding leisure to your home without the hassle of conducting major constructions.

4. Sunroom ideas with fireplace

There are many sunroom ideas with fireplaces to choose from.

They can be floor-to-ceiling, traditional wood burning and ultra- sleek ones to environmentally friendly ones among many more.

The choice of a fireplace is dependent on where one lives, the available space and other factors.

Fireplaces usually become the focal points of a room, so you ought to be careful when choosing so that they don’t upstage the space.

Sunroom with fire place

Sunroom with fireplace – Photo courtesy: Decoist

If you are serious on watching the stars and sky, or even enjoying the sunlight and its warmth, a smaller fireplace will fit in so well.

A tile flooring will go well in protecting the floor, where the fireplace has been built.

5. Sunroom ideas with plants

Plants are often a feature that’s frequently associated with sunrooms and are part of the décor of a sunroom.

Sunroom with plants

Sunroom with plants – Photo courtesy: HANNE MADE

Plants you put indoors can do well because of the maximum sunlight they receive.

The floors have to be slanted to direct excess water to the central drainage system.

Glass or transparent polycarbonate roof panels are highly recommended to allow maximum light overhead.

Adding plants to sunrooms doesn’t mean flooding the entire place with green.

Too many green plants can take away the beauty of the room.

Point to note that some indoor plants do well with medium to bright light, others need much lower sunlight.

So apart from light, keeping the right heat and humidity of the sunroom is important in maintaining the health of these plants.

From the orchids, passion flower and succulents, there are a variety of plants you can choose from.

6. Sunroom ideas with hot tub

You have had a long day, fatigued and need to relax, maybe thinking of having a log bath.

Your sunroom with hot offers a perfect option.

You are picturing a bath outside, but you have privacy concerns – prying eyes from the neighbors.

Or the downpour and the insect bites…

Sunroom enclosure with hot tub

Sunroom enclosure with hot tub – Photo courtesy: Simply the Best Conservatories

Worry no more, you can have or create a hot tub enclosed in your garden thanks to the existence of sunrooms.

First, you should figure out why you need the hot tub experience.

Are you using it for relaxation, family, privacy or the appeal that sunrooms bring to spaces?

After answering this question, you can now choose a design that suits your needs.

Having a hot tub in a sunroom will not only give you an all-year, all-weather experience but also the space to enjoy your privacy without enduring the weather elements.

7. Sunroom wall ideas

The sunroom wall can be made of glass screens, polycarbonate or any other material.

It will depend on how you want to blend it with other architectural structures.

\"SunscreenSunscreen enclosure with polycarbonate wall

Sunscreen enclosure with polycarbonate walls – Photo courtesy: Suncoast Screen Enclosure

If you’re thinking of a 3- season sunroom /wall mounted one or it can be an all polycarbonate material or glass.

Even standalone are perfect when it comes to this.

The truth is, a wall for a sunroom is what makes it appealing to the eye.

You can opt to have sliding drapes or retractable mesh screens.

This can be pulled down to shield the late afternoon sun.

Wood and glass wall

Wood and glass walls – Photo courtesy: Patio Enclosures

Where there is a wall, you can try incorporating colorful wall decorations like some striking paintings, ornamental wall hangings or photos.

These will give the guests something to be amazed by other than plain walls/glass.

8. Sunroom window ideas

The type of windows you choose for you sunroom depend on a number of factors.

First, decide on how you want to use the space.

Is it a home office, indoor garden, social gathering or if unattached from the main house, is it a swimming pool?

\"SunroomSunroom window designs

 Sunroom window design – Photo courtesy: Lifestyle Remodeling

Second, consider the climate of the area.

Third, the direction the sunroom will face and the time of the year you will be using the sunroom.

When scouting for designs, bear in mind that sunrooms should feature walls that have windows.

This is to bring in as much light as possible.

Besides, it makes you feel like being outside.

An idea that I can pitch, instead of designing your sunroom to have windows and one door leading outside, design it to have walls of French doors.

This will allow you to open the doors and let as much sunshine in as compared to what the windows would have offered.

The following are some of the types of windows you can consider:

  1. Hinged windows
  2. Sliding windows
  3. Fixed Windows
  4. Double hung windows

9. Sunroom decorating ideas

All if not most sunrooms have perfect lighting, thanks to the natural sunlight.

So in decorating your sunroom, focus on what can you add to space.

You can add a fireplace at one of the corners.

This can add more warmth in winter seasons.

A fireplace can be placed by the walls of the main house if it’s a patio or in the living room.

Sunrooms add more to life and they give us an outdoor feel, so to brighten this add colorful flower pots for your indoor plants.

Sunroom enclosure decoration

Sunroom enclosure decoration – Photo courtesy Amukraine

You can also add window treatments which can act as shields.

You can go for the cattle ranch shutters which are more popular or the Hard Wood Blinds which are readily available.

The wood is liked as it offers a natural feel and may blend with the wood floors.

When decorating, I would advise that you absorb the designs of the main house in your décor.

10. Sunroom ideas with pool

An enclosed swimming pool allows you to enjoy swimming all year round, day or night, raining snowing or windy.

So when the weather turns chilly and you still want to swim, you can go ahead and still enjoy the comfort your pool offers.

That’s the joy of owning a high enclosure pool, for example.

It enhances privacy as one swims.

Sunroom with a pool

Sunroom with a pool

Incidences and accidents are avoided as the pool is safeguarded.

Having a pool in a sunroom reduces instances of leaves and branches falling in water and the frequency of cleaning it up.

This kind of pool saves you money, energy and time.

They may be attached to the main house or built as a standalone, but regardless of how they are built, they will always retain the pool water heat.

Loss of the pool water by wind accelerated evaporation is also minimized, this helps reduce the overall costs of maintenance.

11. Vintage sunroom ideas

Vintage sunroom enclosure

Vintage sunroom ideas – Photo courtesy: Decoist

So the above picture shows an image of a vintage sunroom design.

From the picture, you can feel that old, back in the day, retro feels- from the pieces of furniture, the wall hangings, the chandelier, floor and throw.

At times, potted plants on display can also help in enhancing the warmth.

Vintage pieces and details help celebrate authenticity to some people, a feeling that comes out during the fall season.

The furniture in vintage sunrooms are statement pieces, they are adorable and fine

It’s a good idea for a change.

A vintage sunroom offers a traditional interior that is comfortable and cozy.

12. Tropical sunroom ideas

Tropical sunroom ideas

Tropical sunroom ideas – Photo courtesy: Architectures Ideas

Tropical sunroom is an eco- friendly space that brings the natural environment not only to our doorstep but inside our homes.

In this sunroom, one has a one on one experience with nature through some of its notable features.

Some of them include:

  • Presence of plants which exude life
  • All glass roofs – this is to allow as much sunlight as possible hence no need to use bulbs and in the long run reducing costs.
  • With the rising cases of lifestyle diseases, you can opt to practice organic farming in the comfort of your sunroom.

The tropical sunrooms are an environmentally friendly option, and with the need to go green and save our environment, I bet you can opt for this.

13. Trendy sunroom ideas

These are sunroom that incorporates modern and current designs.

They come out as edgy and cool.

Trendy sunroom ideas

Trendy sunroom ideas – Photo courtesy: Ontario Servers

Contemporary pieces used in their décor give the sunrooms a unique feel.

14. Roofing ideas for sunrooms

The choice of your roof should depend on:

  • Locally available materials – what roofing materials are there in your country?
  • Your budget –this will determine the kind of materials you will consider to have when constructing a sunroom.
  • Structure

You can choose from any of these roofing ideas:

Sunroom roofing ideas

Sunroom roofing ideas

  1. A Single slope roof is attached to a much taller wall for easy work during construction and to use fewer materials.
  2. Gable roofs have a more traditional look and allow for more ventilation and space with cathedral style ceilings.
  3. Solid roof is generally a regular style of roofing, matching the roofing style of the rest of the home.
  4. Curved eave is a type of a sunroom roof that curves over the corners of the room instead of coming to a junction. The corners are formed by using a carved pane of glass.
  5. Straight eave roof has the roof panels and the top of the walls meeting at the end forming a junction.
  6. A cathedral roof has a slanted roof style similar to the straight eave. But the topmost is normally capped with one or more flat panels that create the vaulted, cathedral appearance.
  7. Mansard Roof is the most popular when it comes to enclosure roofs. The roof slopes upwards on all sides and has a flat level midsection. Because of its design, it seems more open and gives an impression of more space.
  8. Dome shape Roof also creates a sense of open space. Its architectural design makes it very appealing. The roofs can resist wind and weather storms throughout the year

15. Sunroom furniture ideas

There are a wide array of furniture ideas you can choose from when your sunroom has been finished.

Sunroom furniture

Sunroom furniture – Photo courtesy: BHG

You can turn your sunroom to be the heart of your home, multifunctional and versatile.

This space can be an entertainment area, reading room, living room, dining space or even a gym spot.

It is how you arrange your furniture to suit your needs that matter.

The following are some basic pieces of items you can have:

  • A cozy armchair or sofa where you can sit and enjoy the warmth of the outdoors. This can be added with a padded bench.
  • A slender/small table that occupies less space without overcrowding your sunroom.
  • A shelf unit for storing books, magazines, and any reading materials. A storage cabinet, on the other hand, can be used to store dishes and napkin if the sunroom is a dining area.
  • You can consider adding Benches and stools if you have a sunroom as a garden, pool or tub.

16. Conservatory sunroom ideas

Conservatory sunrooms bring in ample sunlight and liven up the home as they offer wall to wall windows and skylight.

Conservatory sunroom enclosure

Conservatory sunroom – Photo courtesy: Simply the best Conservatories

Conservatories can range from simple to elegant depending on your choice.

i. We have the Victorian conservatory that has a vintage allure that seeks to imitate the timeless Victorian Classic Design.I t is known for its elegance.

ii. The Gable conservatory is known for its magnificence. It has a Georgian Era look and a classic design. It is unique as most homes hardly try it.

iii. Others include the Georgian conservatory, roof lantern conservatories, customized conservatories, wooden conservatories, and commercial conservatories, among others.

Conclusion

Your selection of sunroom ideas is greatly influenced by how you intend to use it, how you feel about it, the climate of your area, the side of the house it will be located at, time of the year you intend to use it among other factors as seen above.

Sunrooms, as you have seen, are sun soaked spaces that enhance energy productivity, creativity and overall wellbeing of people.

You should yearn and get one.

If you don’t have any ideas, contact us now.

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