Sunrooms are one of the most popular ways to add space and value to your home while increasing your family’s enjoyment. A sunroom lets you experience the beauty of the outdoors without subjecting yourself to harsh temperatures, inclement weather or hungry bugs.
Are you in the process of finding a contractor for remodeling your porch into a sunroom, or considering a brand new sunroom addition on your house? Follow these tips to help ensure you end up with a sunroom that suits your design tastes and your lifestyle.
How Will You Use Your Sunroom?
To determine the best kind of sunroom design, it’s important you first think about how your family will actually use your sunroom. Is it a place you want to sit and quietly enjoy the views and natural beauty of your property? Are you looking to create a dramatic dining area? Or is it a space that you want to set aside for children or grandchildren to have an open area to play? The way you want to use your sunroom will have an impact on not only the size of sunroom you add, but also its location and style.
Determine the Best Room Size
Once you’ve defined the purpose of your room, you’ll want to give some thought to how big you’d like your sunroom to be. If you’re converting an existing porch to a sunroom or want to know how to add a four season room to a deck, your existing footprint will help inform the size and shape of your sunroom. However, if you’re building a completely new sunroom addition, the dimensions are completely up to you and your budget.
If you’re looking for a cozy reading nook or an intimate dining area, a smaller sunroom may make sense. But if you want a space where you can entertain family and friends while enjoying spectacular views, a larger sunroom may be your best choice. Your Orren Pickell Building Group design team has decades of experience with custom home additions in Chicago and the North Shore, and will make recommendations for your sunroom size based on your home’s current layout and your goals.
Go Subtle or Bold?
Another design consideration you’ll want to keep in mind is how you want your sunroom to fit in with the rest of your home. Do you want it your new sunroom to mimic the current architectural style of your home, or are you looking to create a room that really stands out? Are you interested in creating a sunroom space that looks like it’s always been part of your home, or would you prefer your new sunroom to be a focal point of your indoor living space? The choices you make here will ultimately influence the style of sunroom you select and the building materials that are used.
Maximize the Value and View
When determining the location for your new sunroom, make sure to not only look for a spot that will give you the best views, but also consider the sun’s pattern on your property so you can maximize natural light. If your home has a spectacular view in one area—perhaps you built on the lake and have amazing water views, for example—you’ll naturally want to position your sunroom in a way that allows you to optimize those views without creating a visual distraction from existing rooms in your home. Your Orren Pickell Building Group design team can assess your property and make suggestions for the best sunroom placement.
Interested in a custom sunroom addition for your home in Chicago or the North Shore? Get in touch with the Orren Pickell Building Group for a no-cost consultation.