It’s common knowledge in the city that summer is the best season in Calgary. In part this is due to it’s seemingly fleeting nature – all too soon do the temperatures start to dip and the leaves start to fall, but Calgary residents know to make the most of these short warm months. However, humans are not the only creatures who love the warmer temperatures and long sunny days. Bugs and city dwelling critters come into full force in the summer, often spoiling those long summer evenings out in the garden. It’s hard, therefore, for Calgary citizens to balance their desire to be outside all summer long with the need to protect themselves from the less pleasant parts of summer. This is where a sunroom is the perfect compromise that allows you to live your best indoor outdoor lifestyle.
How to live outdoors inside
A sunroom is the perfect Calgary home extension. It easily fits on top of your existing deck or patio, so doesn’t require a huge a mount of heavy earth moving machinery or planning permission, but still creates a good sized additional room on your house. If you choose a three season sunroom, you don’t even need to worry about additional heating costs, as the sunroom will use the natural warmth from the sun’s rays and the energy efficient windows to keep the room comfortable well into the evenings.
A sunroom lets you take advantage of the Calgary summer by allowing you to feel like you’re living outside while allowing you to stay inside. To make the most of this overlap, try these strategies:
- Face the windows – most people will face furniture towards the middle of the room so that everyone is looking at each other in social situations. However, by turning the couches towards the windows, you’ll get the full effect of the big windows and a more intimate feeling as you’ll only be able to talk to the person next to you.
- Avoid screens – while it’s tempting to install fly screens and open the windows to let the breeze in, they will darken your windows and make you feel caged in. If you’re desperate for moving air, consider installing a ceiling fan if you have a gable roof, or a portable floor fan if you have a flatter studio style roof.
- Turn off the lights – summer is full of sunlight, and your sunroom should be positioned to take maximum advantage of the sun’s rays all day long. Keep the artificial electrical lights off for as long as possible so that you can truly experience the movement of light and shadow throughout the day in your sunroom.
An overarching goal for taking full advantage of summer with a sunroom is to spend as much time in the room as possible. This means that you’ll need to plan how you will use the room carefully before you start to decorate. The most common usage is for a formal (or informal!) entertaining space, but a dining room or home gym will also get plenty of use throughout the summer months.
