The Sunroom I Always Wanted!
For a while now, I’ve been wanting to give my sunroom a bit of a refresh. I just never really got around to working on this project. But that all changed recently, and I’m in PURE LOVE with how it looks and feels now! Before, this room was a typical sunroom, I had some really cool, vintage wicker furniture in here, and well this was where most of my houseplants lived.
Before . . .
Why I Redesigned the Sunroom
This space has been everything from a catch-all to a storage unit. And during the height of the pandemic, my sunroom quickly became where I taught my virtual Zumba classes - it’s ultimately where I had the most space to dance around without running into or sweating on furniture. But after building GYMIV - which I STILL have to write about - there was no longer a need to conduct classes in the sunroom, and it was time to reset this room to its original purpose. Now don’t get me wrong, the sunroom has always been one of my favorite places to chill out! But with an increase in work over the year and a new vision of how I desired to live in this space, it was time to breathe new life into my sunroom. Like, I needed to create an elevated experience in my sunroom! I wanted a place that felt like an oasis . . . somewhere colorful, plush . . . the perfect place to fully rest.
After . . .
The Timeline
I’d already had a majority of the pieces for this room, like the sofa, the chairs, and the light fixture. A couple of months ago I found the media cabinet, coffee table, and rug - all from HomeGoods. From a few previous design jobs, I’d already had the planters and vases in storage - so styling the room was going to be a breeze! My most recent finds were the additional artwork from both Frances Berry and Shelby Ash Brown, as well as the desk - since I’ll work in here sometimes. My office chair lives here temporarily, as it’s from my living room’s bar area.
Overall, I’d say the refresh took three months - mainly due to, you guessed it, my projects, and the only true difficulty we faced was getting the light to work!
Backstory: the previous owners falsely wired the fan that was once hanging. For YEARS I searched for a switch that would turn that fan on - especially during the summer months! Thanks to my uncle (who’s an electrician) the real issue was discovered . . . the wires were simply stuffed into the ceiling - meaning it wasn’t really connected to anything! Through conduit pipes, my uncle ran the electricity from what was once the porch light (this used to be a patio) to my new sputnik fixture!
Have I mentioned midcentury modern is my favorite style and is the base of my home’s design?
Layering in the Personality
As with any space in my home - and with client projects - it’s important for me to layer in color, texture and culture; everything that gives a room its personality!
The Ekaabo Chairs by Albany Park are made from velvet, Ankara print fabric, these chairs reflect my heritage and were a great way to bring in a punch of color. So two birds, one stone, right?
Artwork is another way I like to layer in personality. I love bright art with movement! And after a studio visit with Frances, the perfect piece presented itself, combining all the room’s colors and even mimicking the disk shapes in the chair’s fabric! This piece was a MUST!
Plantlife: my sunroom faces the south, making it the perfect home for all of my tropical plants! And since sunrooms are typically where homeowners display their favorite plant babies, I filled this room with my favorite fiddle leaf fig - Felicidad - a couple of pothos variations, a lovely bird of paradise (from Ikea), and a few other of my favorite plants.
Photography: Kim Thomas | Planters: Black and cream - Golden Hour | Tan - Hilton Carter x Target
My Rules of Thumb for Adding YOUR Personality in Your Home
Fill your home with what you love. Trends in design will come and go, but your home is forever. So why not curate its vibe with the items, colors, and textures that truly reflect who you are?
If color makes you nervous but you still want to give it a try, start with a neutral base in your furniture and/or choice in furniture. From there, add accessories - pillows, art, vases - in the colors you want to highlight in the room.
Don’t be afraid to not love it at first. The beautiful thing about our homes is just that - they’re ours! So if you don’t like something about a space, you can always edit the look until you absolutely love it.
For example, I’d purchased some art from a popular decor store to hang near the bird of paradise. But something just felt off and since it wasn’t from a local artist - I try to buy only from local artists or small businesses - that particular piece threw the entire space off for me. So, I switched it out for the Frances Berry piece and the flow was restored.
Photography: Kim Thomas
How this Room Feels Now
Now when I step down into my sunroom, I feel a sense of calm, of joy, of happiness . . . the perfect place to kick my shoes off - especially before stepping on this rug - and putting my feet up to enjoy time with friends, or in solace to give thanks for the completing the project . . . to give thanks for another day to enjoy life.
Future Plans
A little later down the road, like in 2022, I plan to create a walkway from my office by taking out the first of the two windows that look into the sunroom. The furniture layout will switch up a bit. However, as my design business and team grow, I want this room to perform double duty by becoming the common area just off the office; a place where we create and brainstorm together, then go back into the office to execute our brilliant ideas! And once work is over, I can come back here to enjoy the rest of the day as the sunlight from golden hour dances around the room. Don’t you love that visual?
Sunroom Items
If you’d like similar items for your sunroom, living room, or home in general, check out the links below! (Some of the items will be exact, the others will be from similar sources).
Sunrooms can be as casual or formal as you want them to be. It all depends on how you love to live in your home! I hope this post inspires you to curate an unconventional space in your home exactly how you see fit!
