Summer is always the best season in Calgary. The warm sunny days seem to last forever, the steady breezes seem more manageable and there’s always the knowledge that the cold winter months are a long way away. This makes it essential to spend as much time out in your yard as possible soaking up the rays and creating your Calgary summer memories. However, all good things must come to an end, and it’ll be fall before you even begin to realize it, with colder mornings and evenings and the change in weather patterns. However, it doesn’t need to be the end of your summer if you have a sunroom.
Make the most of your day
A sunroom offers you many great ways to extend your summer into fall (and beyond)! Sunrooms offer a great hybrid between being outside and staying in, giving you the views and warmth of outside without the bugs or the wind. They also offer a quiet space away from the rest of the house to relax in, making them an ideal place to extend your summer. To do this, use your sunroom throughout the day to maximize your favourite summer experiences
- Sunrise breakfast – one of the best things about summer is the early morning warmth, and there is nothing like eating your breakfast outside as the sun rises over Calgary. As fall comes, it’s easy to let this tradition slide away, but you can recreate the magic by putting a pop up table next to your favourite sunroom seat and watch the sun rise from the comfort of your sunroom. You get the added bonus of later sunrises and your sunroom’s protection means that this could be a year round way to start your day.
- Siesta time – there’s nothing quite like a summertime nap outdoors. Whether it’s keeping half a sleepy eye on the kids or simply drifting away to the sounds of the birds and insects in your garden, it’s a very peaceful way to relax after lunch. Again, this tradition shouldn’t end with the change in season, and indeed your sunroom makes an even better place for your afternoon relaxation as you can shut the door to the rest of your house and find a playlist with your favourite soothing sounds.
- Cuddle up under the stars – many glorious summer days are rounded off nicely with a cuddle with your favourites around a campfire under the stars. The cooler fall evenings can push people inside, but you can still find time to end your day like this in your sunroom. If you have a built-in fireplace, you can move the furniture to recreate the campfire circle, but if not, some warm blankets and cups of hot cocoa will give you that satisfying end to the day.
The trick with using your sunroom in these different ways is to be mindful and thoughtful about how you’ll extend your sunroom this summer. This means planning out opportunities to use your sunroom rather than just falling into the same routine each day. Using holidays as a way to get people together in your sunroom is a good option, as is hosting parties and game nights so that your sunroom gets used all season long.
Keep your summer decorations going
How your sunroom looks is as important as how you use it. You can use your sunroom decorating skills to keep summer in your sunroom well into the fall months. Try some of these simple decorating tips to extend your summer sunroom:
- Go green – plants are always a great choice in your sunroom at any time of year, but they are particularly reminiscent of summer. Whether it’s a big potted fern that sits next to the external doors, or a series of smaller hanging plants that dangle in front of the windows, you’ll get that summer feeling with a sunroom full of greenery.
- Add a mirror – as the summer months come to an end in Calgary, so does all that glorious sunlight. However, you can maximize the last long days by adding a mirror (or several!) to your sunroom. Popular options are a series of smaller mirrors on the side walls that will reflect more light in, or a big signature mirror on the external wall of your home (preferably with a vintage or ornate frame) that will make your whole sunroom feel bigger and warmer.
- Change the artwork – many sunroom owners will change their soft furnishing and shelf decorations depending on the season, but you can get a bigger summer effect by changing the artwork as the season draws to a close. One way to extend your sunroom summer with artwork is to pick out key colours from your garden (greens are obvious, but look at the colours of the fall foliage for other inspiration). Another option is to choose artwork with summer themes, such as beach paintings or brightly lit photos. In any case, you can use your wall spaces to keep your summer season going.
If you’re looking for ways to keep your summer warmth going into the cooler months, you can try a few simple switches in your furnishings. Firstly, swap out a thinner rug for a thick pile rug (or add one to your bare floor!). The longer threads will capture and retain more of the sun’s rays and you’ll also enjoy the warmth under your feet, especially in the cooler mornings. Secondly, invest in either thick drapes for your windows, or thick inserts to go behind your regular curtains. Not only will these trap the heat that comes into your sunroom during the day, but they’ll also make your sunroom feel cozy throughout the winter months. Finally, add blankets and some more throw cushions to help everyone transition from summer to fall as slowly as possible.
It’s clear to see that a Desert Sun Patios sunroom will help you keep those summer vibes all fall long, so call today to start your extended summer vacation.
