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Each week, Mansion Global tackles a topic with an elite group of designers from around the world who work on luxury properties. This week, we explore how to design a sunroom. Aluminium Timber Composite Windows
A sunroom is a great multifunctional space that can be used all year long. With so much potential, pinning down the right style of furnishings and plants can get overwhelming. Everything from room size and shape to views and temperature can factor into what will ultimately be the best fit for your sunroom.
“There is a delicate balance in pulling it all together,” said Ashley Yeates, founder and principal of Monterey, California-based interior design firm AYI & Associates. “I start with lighting and select fabrics that will not fade or absorb moisture. I have found seasonal plants allow a room to embrace seasonal changes, as does changing the pillows and rotating accessories.”
Whether you’ll be embracing your sunroom as an entertainment space, a nook for gazing at sun rises and sunsets; or a room solely for your plants to thrive, here are some pointers and tips to help utilize the space to its full potential. Knowing your intentions and preferred decor style should guide your furniture and plant choices.
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“You must first determine what the sunroom is used for; whether it is a lounge, an entertainment room or a home office. After the purpose of the sunroom is determined, it will be more appropriate to choose the type and decoration of the furniture.
“The choice of furniture can affect how some plants are incorporated. In terms of style, modern stylish furniture is more suitable for some snake plants and succulents, while for traditional classical furniture, ferns and ivy will appear more harmonious. From the perspective of the ratio of furniture to plants, the size of furniture should be in harmony with the size of plants. If the furniture is too big and the plants are too small, or if the plants are too big and the furniture is too small, the sunroom will not look good.
“Adding different colors to the sunroom will bring you surprises. Whether it is sunny or rainy, natural light is abundant in a sunroom. In such an environment, the characteristics of various colors can be displayed vividly. Soft, natural tones will create a more relaxing environment, while brighter ones will feel vibrant. Textiles like light, solid-colored pillows and rugs will make the environment feel cozy and textured.”
—Yama Jason, interior designer at Parlun Building in Guangdong Province, China
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“I start all designs by working through a furniture layout. A sunroom often has more than one function. It can be an excellent sitting room for reading, an additional eating area that plays double-duty for breakfast and coffee in the morning, or even a place where a musical instrument is displayed and played.”
“Once the furniture layout is finalized, you can layer plants around the furniture, utilizing different heights and textures to add visual interest. We also like to use one sizable sculptural tree in a sunroom. It draws your eyes and serves as a living work of art.
“Pay particular attention to how much direct sun there is throughout the day. Sun-loving plants are better if your room gets total exposure for most of the day. Think Mission olive trees, cultivated by Spanish missions in California in the late 18th century, or the Zamioculcas zamiifolia, a tropical perennial native to Eastern Africa.
“For sunrooms, it’s crucial to utilize indoor-outdoor furniture, which is often an organic material, to help embrace the exterior. Sunbrella materials allow for transitioning from the outdoors and have developed over the years to look like indoor fabric but with the durability of outdoor upholstery.”
—Ashley Quinn, vice president of creative services at Interior Marketing Group in New York
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“Incorporate elements like cozy armchairs or sofas, slender tables, shelf units for storage, and benches or stools for additional seating options. Adding colorful flower pots for indoor plants can also brighten up the space and add a more personal touch. Functionality, comfort and aesthetics are the triad to live by when styling a sunroom.
“Some of the most beautiful plants for sunrooms are orchids, passion flowers, succulents and ZZ plants. However, unless you are the ultimate plant lover, choose furniture first and then consider how plants can enhance the sunroom’s overall design. Changing a plant is a lot easier than changing a couch.
“Sunrooms often have direct sunlight, so it’s important to choose plants that can thrive in such conditions and not get burnt. You also need to consider the heat and humidity levels as well, since sunrooms have big variations seasonally and even just between the day and the night.”
—Milly McEwan, product and design manager at RJ Living in Victoria, Australia
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