When most homeowners start dreaming of their very own sunroom, they most likely see a calm oasis at the end of their current home; a space apart from the rest of the house which they can fill with nice pieces of furniture and which will be used to relax and possibly entertain. However, the reality of a sunroom can often feel different, as it’s tough to reserve such a light and bright space for the infrequent times when you want to relax or have guests. It makes sense therefore to have a multi-purpose sunroom to help you get more use out of your new space.
Each homeowner’s requirements will be different depending on what other rooms and spaces they have available in their homes, but some of the more common sunroom purposes include:
- Guest bedroom – one of the easiest multi-purpose sunroom transitions to manage is to transform the space into a guest bedroom. The two biggest issues to tackle is how to store the bed when it’s not in use, and how your guests will store their clothes. The answer to the first to use a sofa bed, which hides away easily when not in use. When installing a Desert Sun Patios sunroom, we include a solid factory-made wall board on one wall that is floor to ceiling and is 48″ wide. This way, a cabinet or closet can be installed against the wall and will allow your guests to keep all their items together.
- Home office – the large amount of natural light and picturesque views out of the windows make sunrooms a common place to host your home office. Managing the transition from calm relaxing space to a working office can be tough, but the key here is hidden storage for files, books and desk items. These could be as simple as bins on a cube bookcase, or bankers boxes on the top of a cabinet. The desk itself can be made to feel like a natural part of the room by using it as display space for photos or memorabilia.
- Dining room – the addition of more floor space to your home means you can create an atmospheric dining space which will quickly become your family’s favourite place to eat. You will want to buy a dining table that extends in the middle and with leaves at either end, and make sure the chairs are comfortable enough to be used by guests when the room is in its natural state.
The hardest part to get right for any multi-purpose sunroom is the decoration. It’s often best to decorate for the original living space, and use soft furnishings, lighting and small objects to help make the transition to your new space.
Thanks for pointing out that sunrooms can also be a dining area that your family can use as a place to eat. My husband and I will make sure to consider hiring a contractor that can install a sunroom for us. Our dining area in the house is getting too small for our big family, and we want a place where we can be comfortable while eating.