Sun Porch Ideas

Sun porches are sometimes ignored by homeowners and used as storage spaces. Other homeowners take full advantage of the extra space and create cozy living rooms out of their sun porches. Sun porches are seasonal rooms, however, and careful consideration must be taken when decorating them. Allowing for varying degrees of temperature when choosing what goes into the room will allow you to enjoy your sun porch for years to come.

Window Treatments

Choosing the right window treatments for your sun porch depends in part on how you are going to use the porch and where you live. In many climates, the sun porch can be used year round as a living space. In others, it may get too cold or even too hot for full-time use. The right window treatments can go a long way in extending the life of the items in the room as well as allowing you to use the room more often than not. To cut down on sunlight, use opaque shades that dim the room but still allow light and breezes to enter. If you want as much sunlight to enter the room as possible, choose sheer, airy curtain panels and leave them open. High-quality wooden, slatted blinds work well to block out sunlight entirely but can be opened to let in the light when needed.

Floor

Sun porches tend to have unfinished floors. If the floor is concrete, the simplest way to decorate it is to paint it. You can also place an all-weather rug on top of the concrete. Wooden sun porch floors can be stained or refurbished to remove splinters. Avoid carpeting your sun porch. Not only will the carpet fade in the sunlight, but it will detract from the homey look of a sun porch. In addition, many sun porches are not watertight. Carpeting can easily mold in such situations.

Furniture

Furniture in sun porches needs to be sturdy to survive the extremes in temperature and humidity that most sun porches endure. Wicker is popular, attractive, and can be easily cleaned. Use thick cushions to make wicker furniture more comfortable, and remove them from the furniture during those seasons when the porch is not in use. Create a comfortable seating area on your sun porch where you can casually entertain or enjoy a cup of morning tea with the newspaper. Include a loveseat, chair and coffee table or end tables. Sofas are usually too large for most sun porches and will overwhelm the space.

Plants

Put plants on your sun porch. Sun porches by their very nature receive a lot of sunlight. This makes them an idea place to grow plants. Houseplants and seasonal annuals will all thrive in the warm, greenhouse-like environment of a sun porch. Consider creating a growing area on your sun porch where you can grow herbs and start seedlings to be planted later in your yard. Any greenery in your sun porch will add to the cozy, casual feel of the space.

Accessories

Cozy up your sun porch by adding other accessories to the room. Adding a water feature, such as a small tabletop or wall fountain, will create a relaxing environment and enhance the natural ambiance created by the plants. Sun porches are also a fun place to display other wall art pieces such as metal sculptures. Decorative and functional barometers and thermometers are also interesting conversation pieces that can enliven any sun porch.

References

• Decorating Tips for Your Front Porch or Sunroom

Resources

• Before and After: Sunporch