You love the look
and feel of your sunroom décor, but you also know it’s not the most comfortable
room in your home. It’s either too hot, too cold or too drafty. Heating and
cooling the room makes your energy bills go crazy, and on some days, using the
room isn’t possible at all. Is it possible to extend the use of your sunroom
without spending a fortune on furnishings, or ripping it down and starting all
over?
Heating and Cooling
One of the
biggest challenges in sunroom décor and design is making the room comfortable
on a year-round basis. The sunlight that benefits your space in the winter is a
disadvantage during the hottest summer days. Insulating drapes, blinds and
ceiling fans provide adequate, low-cost cooling during the summer. You can also
purchase a through-the-wall or window air conditioner, and skip costly central
air.
The winter is
more problematic, but with a media
cabinet with a fireplace, you can instantly heat your sunroom without
costly construction expenses and hassles. You’ll also enjoy having television
and sound in your sunroom, which invites your family to use the room more
frequently.
Choosing an Area Rug
Many sunrooms
feature stone or brick floors that look beautiful and provide an interesting
transition from the interior to the exterior of your home. Beautiful as they
are, they’re also cold and not very welcoming. Add an area
rug to your space to keep your toes toasty during cold winter months. You’ll
also cut down on dirt and dust, and make the sunroom feel more like a room and
less like an afterthought.
Choose a color
scheme that complements the rest of your home, especially adjacent rooms. Your
sunroom should feel like a natural extension of your interior.
Consider Exterior Solutions
Trees make an
elegant solution to part of your sunroom problem. Not only are they beautiful
to look at, but their shade also reduces the amount of solar energy that gets
trapped in your home. A few well-placed trees not only protect your home, but they
also add beauty and value to its exterior. Flowering trees, such as dogwood,
cherry and magnolia, are particularly beautiful in spring. Evergreen trees are
excellent if you’d like additional privacy on a year-round basis. Don’t forget
to plant the trees far enough away from your exterior so their growth won’t be
a problem.
Another option is an awning. Extending an awning over your exterior window provides a blanket of shade that prevents too much sun from entering your windows. Some awnings are permanent, while others are retractable. Retractable awnings can operate manually or with an electronic crank.
Need Help?
Don’t ignore your
valuable sunroom space because you’re not sure how to manage the air
temperature. Visit Just Cabinets, Furniture & More for more information on
getting the most out of your sunroom.
