The Sunroom’s Initial Charm and Challenges

The renovated sunroom, a bright and inviting space.

When we first saw the house, during an initial walk-through illuminated only by our cell phones (as none of the lights were functional), the sunroom immediately captivated us. It was an intriguing space filled with windows – despite the fact that many of the frames had significant holes, seemingly chewed by animals, large enough to reach through and feel the outside air.

We were drawn to the room by the promise of sunlight and cheerfulness that it held. We envisioned it as a perfect play area for our children. Today, it remains their favorite spot, where they love to climb onto the bench, observe the world outside, and scatter their toys across the floor. It’s undeniably a great room, but from a design perspective, it presented quite a challenge.

The sunroom on the day we closed on the house, showing the original condition.

Our first step was to remove the old tiled ceiling. Over the following months, we installed a new ceiling, added overhead lighting, and replaced the dilapidated windows with new, energy-efficient Anderson windows that matched the original design. Of course, we also gave the entire room a fresh coat of paint, dramatically changing the feel of the space.

Installation of the new Anderson windows, a crucial step in the renovation.

New windows completed, transforming the look and feel of the sunroom.

Choosing the Perfect Paint Color and Addressing Design Challenges

The sunroom after the initial renovations, including new windows and paint.

We wanted the walls to have an ethereal quality, so we selected Sea Salt (SW 6204) by Sherwin-Williams. This color evokes the perfect blend of the ocean and the sky, creating a soft and stunning atmosphere that distinguishes the sunroom from the rest of the house.

Selecting the perfect shade of gray to complement the Sea Salt walls.

Like many rooms in our home, the sunroom is almost entirely surrounded by windows and half-walls, which makes it difficult to hang artwork or arrange furniture effectively. Its long and narrow shape also poses a challenge for rug placement, and no matter how we arranged the furniture, the room always seemed divided into two distinct halves.

Emily Henderson’s expertise has been invaluable in brainstorming layout ideas. However, the room’s unique challenges led us to postpone the final arrangement until she could be present to guide the process. This final transformation will be a surprise for all of us!

The Working Mood Board

Our inspiration board, guiding the design choices for the sunroom.

Unique Finds and Custom Solutions

We stumbled upon a pair of Knoll Bertoia chairs on Craigslist, which I had admired for years. At just $200 for the pair, they were an incredibly lucky find, but they needed some work. The finish was chipping, and rust was beginning to form. We located a local sandblaster and powder coater who restored them to their original glory in just a week. Now, they look brand new, and I absolutely love them.

The restoration process: from Craigslist find to sandblasting and powder coating.

Emily also recommended FLOR tiles, which have made a significant difference in defining the space. They allowed us to create a custom rug that perfectly fits the unusual dimensions of the sunroom. We chose the Vintage Vibe tiles and are impressed with their durability and softness.

The sunroom featuring the ‘Vintage Vibe’ FLOR tiles, creating a custom rug solution.

We also ordered custom cushions for the window bench to add softness to that corner and installed roman shades on all the windows. Initially, we had curtains in the room, but they felt too bulky and made the windows seem heavy. The new flat-panel shades from Blinds.com fit neatly inside the frames and don’t add any unnecessary bulk.

The sunroom already receives plenty of natural light, but we plan to add table lamps for decorative accents and soft, ambient lighting. Here are some of the options we considered:

Our choices for table lamps to add soft lighting to the sunroom.

Functional Possibilities for the Sunroom

We are considering three primary functions for the transformed sunroom:

1. Library: We love the idea of filling the room with books. We’ve considered installing floor-to-ceiling bookshelves on the one full wall, but the adjacent half-wall limits the depth of the shelves, requiring either small books or a creative storage solution.
2. TV Room: Initially, we placed our television against the full wall, but this only allowed two people to comfortably watch a movie at once. This arrangement quickly became impractical as more seating was needed.
3. Play Room: Perhaps the most practical option is to embrace the sunroom’s current use as a play area. We could add a table near the bench and low storage units along the full wall, with a small seating area beneath the high picture window. The Bertoia chairs would be perfect with a side table between them.

The anticipation of the final reveal is incredibly exciting, and we can’t wait to share the completed sunroom transformation with you on Emily’s site in a few weeks!

While we wait, take another look at the mood board and consider pinning it for your own inspiration! Also, be sure to follow us and Emily on Pinterest for more design ideas.

The finalized mood board, reflecting our vision for the sunroom.

Related Room Transformations

Explore the other room transformations we undertook with Emily Henderson:

• Our Living Room, Styled by Emily Henderson
• Our Dining Room Makeover with Emily Henderson
• Designing Our Master Bedroom with Emily Henderson