Would you consider painting the walls to lighten the look?

I think if I did that, I wouldn't be living here anymore!!
The pine has darkened over the years - and it has a dull varnish on it - I have thought of that as well, but it would be a no-sale here! I've got to think of other options.

Paint paint paint. I'd take a creamy white to that paneling, and the fireplace. It will look much lighter and brighter in there if it's painted.

I want that room! Beautiful!

Even if you can't paint the wood, how about the brick? A creamy white? I think if you did that it would really change the look of the room and the wood. Then I'd refresh the black on the fireplace and someday when the stove needs replacing, maybe a cream enamel, or a wonderful green enamel?

To me, your sunroom has a Northern vibe, due to the warm wood tones, brick, and black woodstove. But the white window and door trim has a more summery feel. I suspect the trim color is factory installed, but if not, I think a darker trim would coordinate better -- at least if you want to keep the Northern vibe.

Either way, you might consider woven shades, and new fabric for the pillows and dining seat cushions. A floor-length tablecloth in an interesting fabric would be nice too.

Charming room...so lucky to have it!
If you can't paint creamy, then why not hang creamy sheers? To not block the views, get mini rods and hang the sheers in the corner between the 2 windows and doors etc. Maybe get lighter lamp shades and add some prints on the wall, also. Finally, try a fun area rug. :)

I think you've got 2 competing looks, i.e., tropical furniture vs north woods. I think you need to pick one or the other.

I think you want elements in the room to keep to the overall feel. I'm not always a fan of that color wood, but in your case, I agree that the wood walls, brick, floor and stove give you a northern cabin-in-the-woods look, and very succesfully, too. Painting the walls and brick white or adding pale-colored sheers would be mistakes IMO. Sheers in winter usually add to a cold feel. So, too, can white/pale walls, especially without fabrics to soften the space -- white in tropical or subtropical areas looks bright and cheery, but white walls in northern areas in winter often look cold and uninviting. If you can paint the white trim a dark color, that would help to unify your room and warm it up.

Instead, I would try warming up the room (all the while keeping to that northern look) with area rugs, patterned curtains (with large patterns, not tiny), and a couple of pieces of warm, colorful art on at least some of your blank wood walls. In fact, for art, how about a quilt or two? You can keep the curtains open for the view, but they would help to hide the white trim (assuming you can't paint the trim.)

I think all those elements also reduce any "blah" effect of all the neutrals/naturals in your room -- brick, wood, floor material. That's what we're doing with our sunroom. This room is almost 30' long, and it has bluestone floors and one long wall is stone. We'd painted the other walls a neutral mushroomy color to coordinate with the stone, but the effect was dull. So we added a large blue rug (a Gabbeh) and changed out art that was primarily black and white for more colorful pieces. What a difference, and we haven't even gotten to curtains yet!

Also, don't forget that a rug or curtains can be changed if you don't like how they look. But what if you were to paint the walls, only to find out not only that you still didn't like the room, but that you preferred it as it had been???

Thank you all for your thoughtful replies.
Painting is not an option - neither the walls nor the brick. The brick is antique reclaimed and the stove was the heat in DH's grandparents' home, so while I appreciate the beautiful stoves you suggested, Olychick, it's not going to happen. The stove is from the late 1800's. Also, I cannot paint the trim on the doors or windows. That is vinyl or metal or something - but part of the window.
So that leaves me with Gracie01's smack in the head - which I should have already known - I have two competing looks going on --- but is there a way to integrate?? Thank you for the suggestions, Loribee and Lynxe.

We already know the walls, floor and fireplace have to stay as is (and are really not as dark as the pictures show). And yes, this is a "northern" home - northern Ohio to be specific. All of the plantings surrounding this room (the beds are at winter rest in these pictures) are lush greens -mainly ferns.

Lynxe, you described the room perfectly - blah!
I appreciate your suggestions and want to get more specific.

1 Can I keep the furniture and somehow blend that in to the look? Perhaps completely different covers for the cushions and pillows? If so, what would you suggest?

2 How exactly are you picturing window treatments - just on the windows, on the doors as well?? What kind of window treatments??

3 Can I incorporate more plants and still maintain that cabin look?

If I could somehow keep the bones of the furniture, everything else could go - cushions, rug under the coffee table, etc. If I need to start completely from scratch with the furnishings, it may have to wait a while (maybe a long while). Thanks again.

My first thought is in line with what Gracie said-- two competing looks.

I think an "easy" way to solve this would be slipcovered furniture. I'd get something nice, cozy, and woodsy for the fall/winter, and then change them to something light for winter/spring. I'd have no rug for the warm months, but put something down for the cold ones.

We have IKEA slipcovered furniture-- first I didn't like it, but now I find it supportive. If you are OK with getting a set used on Craiglist, it would not be very expensive. New white slipcovers are very inexpensive-- for a white sofa cover, it's $49. You could spend that on a pillow alone!

no-green-thumb,

It took my a while to figure out what is wrong. I like everything you have on its own, but not together.

Could you treat the furniture as "bent twig furniture"? You can google images. Definitely change out the tropical cushions. A tablecloth for the glass table too. More "rustic" pieces, i.e., for your plants, lamps.

Why not start with new cushions and a rug, and see if that is enough of an improvement? I think you should pick up a color from the bricks for your cushion covers, maybe a nice dark red. I would put a cloth over the table as someone else suggested, because that area looks very summery & outdoors with the glass top. If that's not enough, how about spray-painting the wood part of the furniture black?
p.s. I love the paneling - if we could afford it our entire cabin would be paneled in knotty pine!

Gracie -- I have been looking at that room for 20 years and never figured it out! When we built it, we knew we wanted to accommodate the stove. Then as I thought "sunroom", I thought tropical. The cushion covers are the third set I have had on -- I have hundreds of ferns outside, which is why I thought to bring the outside in with the fern pattern on the cushions.
I could just never figure out what was "wrong".
Cabinbuilder - Thank you for the compliment. I, too, love the pine - although it has darkened much more than I ever thought it would. The ceiling goes up to a peak, probably about 16' up. I would really like to avoid recovering the cushions, but I think it will be my Spring/Summer project.
I do wonder if a dark red would be too dark. I will need to start looking at fabrics. Thanks a lot for your thoughtful ideas.

Upholstery does seem to be the main item to change since the architectural elements will stay as they are. Perhaps bring some of the white window frame into your fabric choices. I like the idea of a tan/white suzani print for you sofas, with related but different tan/white fabrics for dining chair cushions, sofa pillows, and perhaps a table cloth for your table. Not sure that you need, but woven shades would further tie in that color scheme. If the color scheme is too neutral for you, you could add a colorful trim to tablecloth or window shades, piping on upholstery or throw pillows, etc.

A little of suzani pattern shown on your sofa:

I'm thinking some yellow. Splashes on a pillow or covers, etc. I think it would brighten it right up. I'm not a yellow person, but that's what I'm thinking for that room.

Do the cushions have removeable covers? If so, maybe take a stab at dying them.

We bought a ridiculously expensive set of resin wicker sunroom furniture a few years ago, but I decided I really wanted a long sofa to stretch out on. Our set was discontinued (of course), but I found this rattan number on Craiglsist for under $50.

I painted the frame a bright white and dyed the covers a solid colour. Here it is in the sunroom:

Our sunroom faces south-west, so the dyed cushions have faded quite a bit after a couple of years. I will probably dye them again this summer.

Good luck!

Carrie

PS - our "high" today is -30, so I'm having a very hard time thinking about spring!

Let's see:

1)Restain the furniture a much deeper richer brown.

2)For winter -- add a braided rug with lots of red. check overstock.com

3)For summer -- switch to a large sisal rug

4)Yes -- re-do the cushions with a deeper garnet red fabric on the cushions.

For fabric ideas -- check out fabricguru.com

5)For summer -- switch to creamy basic white cotton duck slipcovered cushions.

6)Add painted short bookcases under the windows -- and add lots of colorful plant pots and plants

Thank you again for your ideas.
MJLB, love the visual - and the idea of bringing some of the white from the window frames.
Sameboat - I am not a yellow person either - but maybe.
Carrie -- -30! -- and we always get the Canadian air - we have been up and down all winter - currently we are down, cold and snow.
Teacats - great suggestions, I will see how I can make the furniture darker.

I have a lot to think about. I keep staring at the room and trying to get visuals in my head. I think I can work with the bones that I have. I am thinking roll-up shades on at least the four doors. I won't use them, but they will cover the cold, bare feeling.
This will be a process but I now have a lot of great ideas and am grateful to all who took their time to respond. Thank you!

I think your sunroom is so cozy and woodsy and just goes beautifully with the wooded yard. We have a large screened in porch with a similar view.

During the winter/Christmas time, I wrap my porch couch and chair cushions in vintage green/gold/red Christmas plaid tablecloths (by the time I finish tucking and pinning, they look upholstered). I had big burlap pillows on the couch that go nicely with our large sisal rug - all looking natural and woodsy.

I put galvanized buckets of fresh pine boughs setting about (our neighbor has a lovely, huge pine tree and lets me cut branches)...sometimes I add magnolia leaves and baskets of pine cones on the coffee table.

A fresh Christmas tree or 2 with white lights and a big wreath with a flannel black and red buffalo check bow hanging on the door...I was sad to take it all down after the Holidays.

I would definitely change the cushions. For summer/spring, add solid neutral colored cushions, and 18 to 20" pillows in a mix of summer patterns and colors. The ferns and hanging plants are beautiful.

I'd love to have your pine walls. I'd add a cozy darker rug and roll-up matchstick blinds and call it beautiful.

Cat - that sounds just beautiful. Do you have any pictures you could post?? Please, please, pretty please!
I love the room. We added it in 1989 and at the time I knew even less about decorating than I do now. I wanted the large doors to let the light in - I should have had a different trim instead of the white. DH was so very happy that we could use the stove. He fondly remembers it in his grandparents' home. It was in sort of a hallway between the living and bedroom areas and pretty much heated the whole house. In fact, when we use it, we sometimes have to open the doors, it gets so warm.
After we built it, I guess I just thought sunroom = tropical and went that direction.
I am so excited to now have a diving board for making changes.

Your room is beautiful! Your view is lovely. You have wonderful, quality elements. I wouldn't paint anything in there either!

I echo the sentiments expressed here telling you to go with what you have! It's marvelous!

Tropical themes aren't making it in there. Think "woodsy!" Woodsy, woodsy, woodsy! Get Florida out of your mind. What you have is far more interesting & appealing imo, than the iconic "Florida room!" To me that's been over done & can be too formulaic & blah.

There are lots of great suggestions specified here. Cattknap has some interesting thoughts.

Would also like to say to Carrie: The total transformation of your furniture is remarkable! GREAT job! Beautiful!

no-green-thumb....I have so few Christmas pictures from this year. My husband took cell-phone pictures of our decorations and they are really horrid pictures! He doesn't understand that you can't stand in front of two French doors and take pictures of the outside without the doors being the main thing you see, LOL...so sad.

I'm leaning towards a Canon Rebel camera...still doing research. I promise to post pictures this coming Christmas (I'll take the pictures! :-)

Anyway, you have a really unique and beautiful room, I'm anxious to see what you do with it.

Carrie - I too love what you have done - gorgeous!

Even lousy pictures would be appreciated!!
My DH never, ever touches a camera.
It will be awhile before I do anything -- lots of thinking to do.

no green thumb, Firstly, your room is lovely,
I love the bricks and stove.
I know what you mean when you say painting the
room is not an option. My DH said the same thing.
We had tongue and groove cedar for many years in
our family room. Like yours, it darkened over the
years. I wanted to paint it and DH said, this is something
for your next husband to do! LOL!

Well, then my girlfriend did her pine in her family room,
she white-washed it with light beige paint. It looked
awesome and then my DH agreed to do it.

We watered down (a lot)beige paint and applied it with a rag.
The paint is workable as your doing it, cause if it gets
applied to heavy you just use a wet rag to remove it.
It's hard to describe -- but the wood tone shines through
the paint and it made a big difference in the room.
It also blends mush better with the rest of the house
that we painted beige.

We originally white washed it about 14 years ago, and just
last winter did a light fresh go over with a light touch.

One more thing...do you sew? Those cushions would be
easy to recover.

If you do a google search for images for

log cabin sunroom

there are some fun pictures to provide ideas.

Here is a link that might be useful: log cabin sunroom

I have a friend with a sun room much like yours, with the knotty pine walls. She went with a warm, cozy feel instead of the bright, tropical look. Braided rugs, more log cabin/lodge type fabrics, books. It's my favorite room in her very beautiful home, probably because it's such a great place to curl up and read. I'm not normally a big fan of the lodge/log cabin look, but I love her sun room.

LOL Joanne - I can't even go there right now! Maybe someday. I just wish the pine had not darkened so much.
Hilltop, I will check out that link --- and Daisy -- I think that is where I need to go - warm and cozy. It has gotten so that I don't even like to go in there anymore ----

I have an old red tablecloth -- and wrong red I know - but I snapped a few pix. I don't even think the rattan is screaming tropical when the covers are different. Yes, Joann, I sew and the cushions on there right now are the third set. If I weren't so lazy, I would put zippers in each to be able to change for the seasons - right now, I would like just one set. It is a big job, but doable.

The dark red is really beautiful and goes well with the pine - love your copper tub!

Thanks -- the boiler is an antique. I had it refinished many years ago and they lacquered it. I know that destroys the value - but at least it stays shiney! The top does not fit -- grr -- my mother insists it is the correct top -
and of course, I didn't see the gloves on top when I took the picture.
I think I need a dark, rusty red - more yellow in it than blue. I am even thinking something chenille-like - not chenille, but something with texture. I hope JoAnn's will be my friend when I start looking!
I was so surprised to see the big difference when I put the cloth on - and I think it works well with the furniture frames as well.

I like a deep color (red, rust, etc.) for the winter, but not for the summer. I think it would likely fade from the sunlight too.

I love the dark red - beautiful with all the green plants and outdoor trees...you could accessorize with some fun prints or solids for pillows and a rug - turqoise, yellow, red print on a white background.

This is a fun print for summer:

Here is a link that might be useful: pillow

I do think a rug (darker than your floor) under your furniture grouping would help ground your seating area....there are lots of great outdoor rugs on the market but even in indoor rug might work.

Mjlb, not worried too much about fading. The room is pretty shaded - probably gets more light and sun in the winter without the leaves on the trees.
I am thinking about white covers for summer and red for winter, but also thinking of just doing one set (time constraints) - and then changing out pillows and accessories.
Catt, I love that pillow you linked to --- kind of what I had in mind to bring down some of the white from the window and door frames - and agree about the rug. The one I have there now just blends in with the floor. I also think it needs to be larger.
I have tried other furniture arrangements over the years and will do so again, but the one there now seems to work the best.

You mentioned trying different furniture arrangements....Have you tried your table in the opposite corner with the chair/small table on the wall with the heater/air conditioner? Then your other furniture could be against the wall on the other side of your room. Can you tell I do not like furniture on a slant? Corners are bare, but you do have some beautiful plants. Wish I had a room like that.....I love the red and think a colorful rug with red in it will "kick" your room up a notch.

with all the red, pink, and orange tones in your room, I'd go with rich green fabrics for furniture, etc.