How to Design a Three Season Room

Use your three-season room as a parlor, craft room or dining area.

Unlike regular, four-season rooms, three-season rooms do not need to have a foundation, electricity, plumbing or insulation. That maximizes space and lowers your budget, permitting you to splurge on furnishing. Since these rooms are only used from spring to fall, comfort in warm weather and using natural light should be your primary concerns during construction regardless of the purpose of the room. Let furnishing and decorative accents define the functional purpose of the space.

Instructions

1. Decide what the purpose of the room will be. Its position relative to the other rooms in the house, the amount of light, slope and other conditions should be based on the way the room will be used. For example, a greenhouse requires special insulated windows, and a dining area should be placed near the cooking area.

2. Determine where the three-season room will be added. Place the room on the side of the house that receives the most light to make the most of light and radiant heat. Or set the room on the side of the house that is least visible from the road, taking advantage of existing structures and coverage to provide privacy.

3. Use flooring that is suited for the use. For example a cream-colored carpet is suitable for a sitting area but not a summer craft room.

4. Paint the walls and window frames; warm colors such as yellow, orange and red will reflect light and increase the visual warmth of the three-season room, while cool colors such as blue and green will absorb more light darkening and lower the temperature of the room.

5. Furnish the room for the intended purpose. Use wood or fabric furniture. Avoid metal furnishings, which will hold heat, and plastic, which may melt.

Tips & Warnings

• Lawn furniture can be used indoors and has the advantage of being water-resistant and fade-resistant.

• If the room will provide a secondary entrance into your home, make a small area for taking off shoes and catching mud.

• Use a garden organizer to hold books, dishes, craft supplies or spare linen.

References

• "Porches and Sunrooms: Planning and"Remodeling Ideas"; Roger German; 2005
• Good Housekeeping: Sunroom
• Log Home Living; Outside Influences; Murray Arnott; 2002
• United Stateds Department of Energy: Color and Heat Absorption