Porches

Porches »

Top Ideabooks

Appears in

Outdoor Living

The Sunporch: A Room for All Seasons

Embrace the outdoors while staying sheltered from the elements with a bright, lounge-ready sunporch

Becky Harris

Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected." I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia. I've been writing about design online for quite a few years over at Hatch: The Design Public Blog.

Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta... More »

A sun-drenched room filled with expansive exterior windows goes by many names: sunporch, sunroom, solarium, Florida room, sun parlor and in some cases even conservatory. Conservatories often had glass roofs and served as greenhouses or orangeries as well, but the definition has become squishy over the years. A sunporch is protected from the elements more than a screened-in porch is because it has windows that close. While older sunporches are typically three-season rooms (not having insulation or HVAC systems), newer sunporches are often built to be inhabited year-round. Whatever you call this light-filled room, it's often the most popular space in the house. Decide if converting an existing porch or adding a new sunporch is for you.

by Tara Seawright »

Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »

In a small cottage where space is tight, a sunporch may serve as the only dining room.

by Giannetti Home »

Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »

In warmer climates, like that of Southern California, a sunporch is a year-round room. This extensive system of French doors and transoms allows diners to have a full view of the surrounding garden and yard.

by LKM Design »

Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »

A long enclosed porch has plenty of room for lounging and dining. Try defining the spaces with an area rug or two.

by Crisp Architects »

Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »

A brick floor adds a rustic touch that articulates the room's place between fully enclosed and open to the elements.

by Martha O'Hara Interiors »

Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »

Just because a sunporch is often a three-season room, there's no reason to limit it to outdoor furniture and forgo cushy indoor-style upholstery. This elegant room works for formal and casual gatherings.

by Amber Ranzau »

Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »

In fact, a sunporch will protect more refined woods and textiles than an open or screened-in porch, so you can furnish it with more formal and delicate pieces.

by Whitten Architects »

Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »

The best of both worlds involves a
sunporch surrounded by screens in the summer ...

by Whitten Architects »

Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »

... swapped out for glass windows in the winter.

by Jeannie Balsam LLC »

Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »

A sunporch is a great opportunity to let your "I love cottage style" flag fly. Oversize checkerboard painted floors make this porch a playful standout.

If you're looking for more indoor living space around your house, consider closing in an existing open or screened in porch and turning it into a sunporch. If you want to show off in front of the neighbors, call your renovated room a "conservatory."

More: Wraparound Porches | Sleeping Porches | Screened-In Porches | Modern Porches | Banishing the Bugs | Dining on the Porch | Color on the Porch | Small Porches

Browse more traditional home design photos »

Comments

Show 1 more comment

Timeless Wrought Iron The first dining room/sunroom is super cute. Curious if all of the fabrics used in these spaces are fade resistant.

11 months ago · Like ·

Casart Coverings I live in a home that began its life as a barn on a working farm. One side of the original wrap around outside area was screened in to become a porch when it was converted to a home in the 50s. We added a series of 3 paneled glass sections with 2 sliding panels to still have the function of a screened porch in pleasant weather and the comfort of an enclosed area in cold and hot weather. It's very rectangular but is multi-funtional with areas for dining and both large and small seating. We've even set up a ping pong table there and on a rainy day, it's a favorite place to stretch out on one of the sofas and listen to the rain drops falling on the roof.

11 months ago · Like ·

patscats2 Love, love, love, sun porches, screened porches, any big porches where you can put comfortable furniture and plenty of plants. One day I'll get around to finishing mine.

11 months ago · Like ·

Conservatory Craftsmen Or you could go with an actual Conservatory! Very informative article with great pics! We have found over the years our clients are looking for a versatile space for growing plants or adding more living space. The outcome is a room they live in more than they every dreamed! I'm sure the same is true with all of these gorgeous sunporches.

11 months ago · Like ·

Becky Harris Timeless, great question! As far as I know, I don't think the Missoni fabrics come in fade resistant on that chair. That is a really good point, fabrics will fade on a sunporch, as will artwork that is not protected by museum quality glass.

Casart, I LOVE ping pong! I've been trying to figure out what to do with my shed and that would be a great thing to do out there.

Conservatory, I love a real conservatory - though it does always make me think of Colonel Mustard with the rope...

11 months ago · Like

Becky Harris Thank you Cynthia! I love the way Simon Doonan and Jonathan Adler have integrated a ping pong table into their NYC home:

http://personalityispreferred.blogspot.com/2011/07/jonathan-adler-ping-pong-tables.html

becky

11 months ago · Like

Charmean Neithart Interiors, LLC. Hey Becky. Can't decide which I like best, Simon's ping pong table, his retro vans, or the dog's name. BTW...read his book, you'll laugh yourself to sleep. Here you go...
http://www.amazon.com/Prescription-Anti-Depressive-Living-Jonathan-Adler/dp/0060820535
Best. Charmean

11 months ago · Like

Becky Harris Charmean, that is my favorite design book to actually READ, it's so darn funny.

11 months ago · Like ·

sortie We have a beautiful, all season sun room in Newfoundland, Canada.

8 months ago · Like ·

La Lune Collection Beautiful sunrooms, Becky - here's another that I love, from Andrew Maier Interiors in Locust Valley, NY, featuring La Lune Collection furniture.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/La-Lune-Collection/282223088462464