A Place in the Sun
by Maryann Fisher & Photos by Decorating Den Interiors
It’s a fun challenge when a client calls and says, “We’ve added a room and need you to come over and finish it.” After finding out what room has been added, I need to know how the room will be used. Getting to know the family and their lifestyle helps me come up with suggestions for them. After the room’s function is determined, the product selection is made to best accomplish their goal.
This was the case with the addition of the featured sunroom. The client’s home sits on a beautiful wooded lot and the sunroom was added to give them a space to enjoy nature’s beauty. The clients decided that they wanted furnishings that could be multi-functioning, since their appreciation of the view was enhanced when the construction was completed.
After talking with them, I learned that their grandchildren visit often and they wanted to keep an area clear to set up a train or building blocks. Leaving a clear space did take square footage away from the long and narrow space, but we could make it work.
To enjoy their morning coffee, a small breakfast table and two chairs with comfortable upholstered seats were placed diagonally in the far corner. A faux tree was placed behind this table to visually soften the straight lines of the corner.
By placing a three-cushion sofa against the home’s stone wall, they were able to face the back yard and the incredible view. Using a solid textured fabric on the sofa allowed a bold tropical print to be used to coordinate with the other upholstered pieces, and a cocktail table with a glass top is available to hold drinks and snacks. Below the glass top, a storage bench with the patterned fabric is visible through the top. This bench was selected for three purposes: the casters on the bottom make it easy to move toward the sofa to put your feet up; or push it to the opposite side for additional seating; and storage for toys and games.
On top of the wall-to-wall neutral carpet, an area rug in the cool multi-colors of the room anchors this central seating area.
On the bottom left of the photo, a swivel glider is used as a reading chair with a floor lamp providing additional lighting.
The area that was left clear for the trains and building blocks is out of the photo, below the swivel chair. If needed, this chair can swivel to provide supervision and they can also enjoy watching their grandchildren play with their toys and games. There wasn’t a need for any type of blind to provide privacy or light control, but leaving the windows bare made the room feel unfinished. With the depth of the windows, I was able to inside mount woven wood valances. This option didn’t take away from the view and actually enhanced the white trim against the deep aqua-green paint color.
Generally, you expect a lighter paint color for a sunroom. Rather than choosing a neutral color from the stone wall, I chose the deep aqua-green paint from the colors in the upholstery. The depth of the wall color enhances the white trim around the doors and windows.
The use of rattan furnishing not only fits the décor, but also fits the space better. Upholstered furniture has the added depth of the back. The rattan with a framed back is not as deep.
