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lesley_wise

Awkward Sunroom Addition

9 years ago


Would love some ideas on how to make the sunroom addition not so awkward. We just bought this home a few years ago and have been slowly trying to transform it into what we want. The porch was converted to a sunroom at some point and the original exterior doors and windows still remain here in the living room. It makes it nearly impossible to arrange furniture in this space. After trying every single configuration, I decided to treat the double doors as though they don't exist. I'd love to remove the doors and install sliders but not necessarily in the same space they are currently in. Would love any and all suggestions for this space!

Comments (26)

  • 9 years ago

    I cant get a good sense of the configuration. Can you take more photos? Do you need all that furniture? Could you do with removing the brown sofa from the room?

  • 9 years ago

    It's really our only lounging/TV room so the furniture isn't really excessive for how we use the space. It's just such a terribly laid out space due to the sunroom addition and the placement of those pesky doors.

    Please ignore the painters tape. I feel like painting faded orangey-oak woodwork is a never ending task here.

  • 9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I think I would try putting the sofa at an angle in the corner opposite the fireplace (not ideal but not a lot of options). It will obstruct the walkway if you put it opposite the fireplace wont it??? If that is the case, try it at an angle. Put the white chair where the brown sofa is and put the brown sofa where the white sofa is. But that might not look much better.

  • 9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    When I say I've had this furniture everywhere, I honestly mean it's been everywhere. What are your thoughts on the wall leading to sunroom? Drywall over most of it and install sliders on one end?

  • 9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I would not drywall over it. Honestly I think you have a lot of furniture in that room and they are all really big pieces. That rust chair looks minature because all the other pieces are so big. I love the windows in the room. I think the amount of furniture is the problem. Also the rolled arms take up a lot space visually. Even if you kept seating for the same number of people but replaced that brown sofa with something smaller it would be more workable. But I am no designer, I just know what looks good to me. The professionals could probably tell you an arrangement that would work.

  • 9 years ago

    Can you provide dimensions for the space? A floorplan would really help, too.

    Initially, I think moving the tv down to the corner right of the firebox would be a good start if it will fit in that corner.

    After that, a diagonal layout might possibly work:

    2013 St. Jude Dream Home · More Info

    pretend the striped chair near the fire is your tv, the two chairs together are your loveseat (or the red chair, if the loveseat is too long to function in that spot), and the single chair is your white chair. If your white sofa is too long g, the loveseat could be used instead, with a chair on each side. Your dimensions might require everything scooting together a bit more. Or it might not work at all.

  • 9 years ago

    I see ilikefriday and I had a similar thought and that you don't feel it would be feasible. I would not consider drywalling over the window, as that won't help your furniture fit properly in this room and will make it very closed off. Sliders from one interior room to another are awkward to me, too. You could consider having the French doors permanently open. I would buy new furniture first.

  • 9 years ago

    I probably could eliminate a few pieces from the room. I think I was a little unclear though when asking my questions. I'd love thoughts on how to rework that sunroom wall of windows and doors. I'd like to find a way to make that addition not look so much like an afterthought. Maybe I should make that whole wall into sliding glass doors?? I love the photos of furniture placement and I'll definitely give it a go as well. I tend to move furniture from room to room frequently so that's an easy one.

  • 9 years ago

    I love that wall of windows and it does not look like an afterthought to me at all. I would leave them as is but if you want a change then I suggest painting them a realy funky color (though I think you just painted them white). Paint all the moulding around the windows and doors a deeper color of blue from your dresser or even black to tie in those black and white stripes on your walls and pillows.

  • 9 years ago
    Perhaps one couch (floating) at an angle a bit closer to the TV and a chair? You may be able to get a 2 person (counter height) cafe table in the back corner? If not the console at the back corner would be a nice vignette. Lots of possibilities and a beautiful space. Maybe some beautiful floor pillows for the kiddos to lounge that you can move to more aesthetically pleasing area when room not in use. The windows are gorgeous.
  • 9 years ago

    I sympathize. Is natural light and the view important to you? If not, I would drywall some of that expanse. I don't believe you should have to live with the previous owners "dream room" that is not to your liking and not functional.


  • 9 years ago
    How about a wall of sheers.
  • 9 years ago

    Does the door in the hallway go into the sunroom? Do you use the door in the living room to access the sunroom? Based on the pics you have posted, I would relocate the door to the far side of the brown sofa nearest the hallway door and leave a wall of windows for light. I would also try and reconfigure the furniture, though. I don't think a sofa backed up on the window wall looks the best.

  • 9 years ago

    I did a little rearranging and stuffed some of the excess furniture elsewhere! How does this furniture placement seem to flow? Should I take out those windows and replace with sliding doors? Thanks for all of the advice thus far, keep it coming!

  • 9 years ago

    It looks much better. You should leave the window as is.

  • 9 years ago
    As Reagan said, OP Take down that wall.

    Remove the doors and make it one large room. That's what I did.
  • PRO
    9 years ago

    We had the same dilemma. We removed doors and made an openings ( some kind of arch) and got the second A/C unit for this huge room.

  • 9 years ago

    Would love to see pics of your spaces after the wall was removed!

  • 9 years ago

    Posting to follow.

  • 9 years ago

    Maybe instead of the white and brown sofas next to each other like that, replace them with a L shaped sectional?

  • 9 years ago

    Why replace the windows with anything? Open up the two rooms. Is there a step down or not? That would be my only issue with combining them into one room.

  • 9 years ago

    No step down, it's just not heated or cooled and poor insulation. Truey, I do have a white sectional in the sunroom, I've moved it between these rooms a few times. Maybe I'll give it another go! If I do leave the windows, I'm certainly going to replace those doors with something else. They are the original exterior doors and they open into the living room and not to the sunroom. Maybe I should replace with French doors that swing into the sunroom? What about window treatments for that window wall?

  • 9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    If not properly heated and cooled, how much use do you get out of the sunroom? I'm thinking the wise, long-term and re-selling decision would be to get it insulated, heated and cooled. Then you can eliminate all the windows and doors between the two rooms. You're unhappy with this because the previous owners did the deed here. Don't pass on their mistake to the next owners. Fix it for you and for them.

  • 9 years ago
    Yes deco, it must be properly insulated, heated and cooled - otherwise its wasted real estate.
  • 9 years ago
    So I think you're saying that the 'sunroom' is really a spring and autumn room? Not really usable in the more extreme seasons? Question- Do you need the space? The wall of windows may have more value and purpose to you if they actually gave you a view. Your last arrangement with the windows clear of furniture made it a more comfortable room to enter, so if you don't need the sunroom and it doesn't offer all year usable space, could the extension be pared back or removed, or improved to give back some of the windows walls original purpose? I fear that if you close it up with drywall you will have a dark, longer room with only a tv as a focal point.