40 Beautiful Sunroom Designs (Pictures) – Designing Idea

Most people just cant get enough of the sun. It uplifts spirits, help us get that glowing sun-kissed tan, and can make even the bleakest of home spaces feel roomy and bright. In interior home design, using natural light the term most commonly used is daylighting not only has numerous aesthetic benefits. Research has also proven that daylighting has a surprising amount of health benefits as well.

The Benefits of Sunrooms.Sunrooms are structures that are integrated into or separate from a main building that primarily have two uses sunlight and views. Theyre most often found in homes, but, as well be covering later on, theyre also integral parts of many offices, restaurants, and other buildings.

The 1960s saw a sharp spike in construction companies offering enclosure systems for patios and decks. As building technologies advanced, the sunroom as we know it today slowly emerged. The contemporary sunroom now comes with different forms of framing systems, glass types, wall and flooring materials, and choices of stylish furnishings.

The price of a Sunroom varies depending on several factors. Sunrooms are going to set you back a reasonable $360 per square foot. This is working under the assumption that carpenters will charge $70 an hour, electricians will charge at the $65 $90 per hour range, while painters will charge around $20 to $40 per hour.

For more complex structures, you might need to hire other professionals such as interior designers, architects, or engineers. Keep in mind that more hires also means a higher cost. Some states or cities will also require you to secure certain building permits for sunroom construction, so theres also that to consider.

Average prices for full-enclosure sunroom structures will cost upwards of $15,000. Of course, as with all construction jobs, a big part of will depend on the types of materials and construction systems you might prefer. Going for a wooden framing and glazing system will have vastly different price ranges than say, PVC or aluminum framing.

You could also go with pre-fabricated sunroom additions that, although initially more pricey, will ensure quality, straight from the factory, and state-of-the-art building materials and will have a shorter installation time. With all the savings from possible man hours and construction and labor costs, pre-fabrication might be a more economical solution. This is going to cost around $22,000.

Other factors to consider are whether or not youll be adding the sunroom as an attached structure to an existing wall or as an addition to an already existing porch or deck. Wall demolitions and subsequent retrofitting will cost time and money, but might just provide you with the sunroom that will be worth that extra effort.

For a clearer view of your options, a good rule of thumb would be to always ask for estimates. Ask from your local laborers, designers, suppliers, and hardware stores. A good understand of all your possible cost options would help you prioritize what you would really want from a sunroom, which will in turn save you a lot of money in the long run.

Sunrooms can generally be grouped according to their intended usage throughout the year.

Some homeowners would prefer using their sunrooms in three of the four main climatic seasons. Winter is generally too harsh of a season for their use of the sunroom, and so theyre fine with utilizing the space during the spring, summer, and fall months. Sunrooms used during those three more comfortable months are called 3-season sunrooms.

Other sunroom designs, on the other hand, have employed sufficient weatherproofing strategies and active and passive HVAC systems to make it so that they can be used by homeowners and their guests all year round. These are called 4-season sunrooms.

The main differences between these two types of sunrooms lie in their climate control the types of glazing they use, insulation (or lack thereof) in the ceilings and walls, as well as HVAC systems.

3-season sunrooms, depending on their size and complexity, will cost about $10,000 to $70,000. 4-season sunrooms, with their more stringent weatherproofing design considerations, will cost a bit extra at $20,000 to $100,000.

The choice of furniture for sunrooms will, as with all designed spaces, depend on its intended use.

Typically, sunrooms are used as hospitable accommodation spaces for home guests. In cases like that, sofas and lounge chairs, side tables and coffee tables are usually what can be seen decorating the room the typical fanfare for contemporary living areas.

For office sunrooms, tasteful choices of arm chairs and work desks will be expected. For play or lounge rooms, day beds and carpeted floor areas are often used as well.

Whatever the choice of furniture may be, extra care should be taken in ensuring that furniture materials can take the constant exposure to sunlight in a sunroom. Try to avoid any woods, paints, or other materials that might have an adverse reaction to constant sunlight exposure.

At times, discoloration and material deterioration occur due to UV radiation. A good workaround for these types of materials are effective UV coating finishes or windows that have UV-protection capabilities.

Sunroom furnishings give an extra bit of accent to the space by providing it with character and aesthetic style. This coastal sunroom design uses weave sofas and lounge chairs as well as bright splashes of red and rich orange on the throw pillows and sofa blanket cover.

As an interior space but also, in a sense, an outdoor space, sunrooms have the unique privilege of being one of the select few spaces which can accommodate almost any type of flooring finish. Depending on the type of subfloor system and construction, one could choose to use stone tiles, ceramic tiles, wooden flooring, or carpeting.

For simple flooring needs, sunroom additions will need minimal site preparation before construction. For more complex or structurally demanding flooring such as heavy or dense stone tiles or solid wood floor boards, foundation slabs or flooring joist systems might be needed.

As with the furniture choices, keep in mind the copious amounts of heat and UV rays the room will be getting from the sunlight.

For most homeowners with home-improvement ambitions, sunroom additions are a popular choice for really upgrading the value of a living space.

Typically, additions such as these are added to already existing decks, porches, or lanais. However, it is not uncommon to see sunroom additions made from the ground up. Granted, there will be extra cost considerations for flooring systems, possible wall demolitions, and renovations to the existing adjacent spaces, but for the most part, the extra comfort and space from a new sunroom is well worth the extra budget.

For ground up sunroom constructions, a popular choice is the use of prefabricated sunroom kits. Although a bit more pricey than on-site construction, sunroom kits offer all the best, factory-tested materials and enclosure systems, as well as boasting significantly less installation times than on-site builds.

Most of these sunroom kits are DIY, giving you an option of building it up yourself to save on labor costs.

Ease-of-construction is a big factor in the design of these kits. They use easily handled glazing and framing materials such as PVC or aluminum frames. These lightweight framing materials are a breeze to build up and install but also provide durable and low-maintenance structural support to the windows and roof of the sunroom.

Most sunroom kits can be installed onto already existing terraces, balconies, or verandas to great effect. Their glazing and the types of glass the use often create greenhouse effects and can be utilized as passive heating systems for the home.

The most common uses of sunrooms are as entertainment or lounge spaces for homeowners and their guests. As such, sunroom uses vary from living areas to small dining spaces, lounge areas to view decks, and even playrooms to cozy reading nooks.

Homeowners and designers can choose to go creative with the style or taste of aesthetics in home sunrooms. Coastal style chic with navy blue and white color palettes are popular choices for many sunroom living rooms.

Modern living room stylings can be used in many contemporary living room sunrooms. The modern and comfortable furniture in this stylish sunroom really make the space.

One can choose to let sunrooms act as entrance vestibules for side or back entrances of the house. It serves as a nice transition space between the outdoors and the interior private spaces of an abode.

Other than as living rooms, home sunrooms can also serve as spaces that cater to the younger members of the household. Letting children play in a sunroom playroom with their toys and rubber floor mats help them soak in a healthy amount of sunlight and help the children feel relaxed and be in high spirits.

This sunroom serves as a nice view deck of the backyard garden. It opens up directly onto the outdoor hallway which really gives you a nice vista of the surrounding flowers and landscaping.

Coastal style sunrooms feel at home, as the name implies, in coast-side houses. The ever-popular navy blue and white color palettes have complementing hues with the picturesque views of the beach and sea.

A small sunroom with corner window seat is perfect for one that might prefer to use it as a cozy spot for reading nooks or as an intimate lounge space. These seats give you nice views of the outdoors and are perfect for quite evenings alone with your thoughts.

Patio sunrooms are dedicated spaces for lounging or accommodating guests. These come in the form of either separate structures from the house altogether or side wing extensions with large floor spaces.

These types of sunrooms typically have more complex ceiling and roof designs. A lot of them use obscured or low-E glass panels to let in as much light as possible while keeping out UV radiation. Others employ high vaulted or paneled ceilings for aesthetic value and air space.

Vaulted ceilings, slate floors, and stone fireplaces are perfect for 4-season patio sunrooms. These serve as cozy little respites from the harsh colds of winter, while giving you amazing view all around.

Tall cathedral ceilings, bright and rosy furniture and furnishings, and picturesque views from surrounding picture windows are always an amazing combination for any patio sunroom.

Although typically used as living spaces, sunrooms are also often used for working or office rooms. Sunrooms are especially useful for desk work that might need plenty of natural light. On the other hand, good outdoor views and an open, airy feel does wonders for any office workers productivity and well-being.

Another great benefit of a sunroom home office is the ability to quickly transform it in to a double office. A sunroom typically has a floorplan that allows one to set up a working area on either one or two of the free walls. This layout is ideal for couples who share an office or desire an fresh space for contemplation or creative work.

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40 Beautiful Sunroom Designs (Pictures) - Designing Idea