As the name of my blog indicates, I spend a lot of time thinking about home. Of course, my Heavenly Home is the one that is eternal, so that’s where I need to lay up my treasures, and that’s the one I’m striving for. But in the meantime, I have been given this tiny piece of the here-and-now—this home on the edge of town, this family, this neighborhood—in which to serve Him. And, though this is in the earthly realm, I want the things that happen here to be investments in the Heavenly realm.




Friday, July 1, 2022

The New Sunroom


It was a long time coming, but I am finally ready to share our new sunroom with you! The work is finished, loose ends are tied up, and we have been enjoying our new space for a few weeks now. We couldn't be happier with how it has turned out! 


In February, I told you about our plans to convert our screen porch into a four-season sunroom. (You can read about it in ~this~ post.) It was (by far) our biggest house project of the year . . . and one of the biggest since we have lived at Pineapple House. It took months to find a contractor, more months to wait for materials, and then more months to wait for that one window that was the wrong size. And then after the contractor was finished, there was lots of painting, as well as some finishing touches that we wanted to add. 

Ron got started on the painting while Bekah and I visited Kati in March, even though that window was not in yet. On Ron's vacation week in April, his brother Max came to help paint, which was a huge help because Max is a retired school teacher who now has a painting business. Bekah and I also helped. So. Much. Painting.

The window finally arrived at the beginning of May, and our contractor came back and completed the job. Woo hoo!

When we returned home from our visit with Kati and family in May, we made a detailed list and we (mostly Ron) attacked those remaining items. There were many: hang the new chandelier and wire it to come on with the switch, hardwire the fans to take them off the switch, finish painting, make the countertop, modify a couple of corners we didn't like, add molding to the closet. But we were so ready to be finished and start enjoying the room!

It took about a month to tie up all of those loose ends, but we did it! 

Today, I will give you a look around. I hardly know where to start! 



Let's start at the general plan.


We wanted lots of light in the room, with as many windows as possible, as tall as possible. Our contractor recommended ten 5-foot windows. (If the windows were any taller, we would have had to get ones with tempered glass to pass code, which would have increased our cost significantly.) 


We chose double French doors. They are pretty, let in lots of light (are you sensing a theme here?), and can be opened wide if necessary. As a bonus, I like the sightline from front door to the back yard. 



Ron also asked the contractor to build six-inch walls for added insulation. 

We had a ductless mini-split installed for heating and air. I kind of hated to have it on the brick wall, but there was no other wall that could accommodate the unit. I'm getting used to it, especially since it does such a fabulous job of heating and cooling our sunroom quickly! 


Ron replaced the two small ceiling fans with two slightly larger but lower profile fans without lights. 


We painted the walls in Antique White (color match of an old Valspar color) and all that trim (around the ten new windows, the French doors, the door into the living room, the built in closet, the serving cabinet, the crown molding, the baseboard, and the picture window!) in Simply White by Benjamin Moore. It was a lot of painting, but I think I said that before. 



The Sitting Area



We kept our wicker furniture, but purchased new cushions. We chose navy (so they would not show dirt) Sunbrella® (to resist fading). We reused these ticking stripe pillows purchased years ago at Lowe's on clearance at the end of the season. I like how they look with the navy cushions. 


We also purchased a Ruggable area rug for the sunroom. We wanted something that would be easy to clean if there was a spill or a mishap because we plan to have gatherings and people (including children) and food in this room and we don't want to be overly worried about clean up. That said, I wanted something pretty to anchor the sitting area, and I was picturing an Oriental-style rug, so I chose this Verena Amber Red Rug in a 5' x 7'. I am happy with the choice. I love how the colors play off the navy cushions and the brick floor! 


This sitting area is Manzy's favorite! He enjoys the comfy loveseat, and he loves the deep window sills (Thanks, six-inch walls!) where he sits to watch the birds. 
 




The Dining Area 




We are happy to be able to use this table that has history! It is a table that Ron made using boards from his parents' chicken house.

Yes, the table has history. Not only did it come from family property, it was our kitchen table, our party table, our homeschool table, and our craft table for many, many years in The Farmhouse. Our kids grew up around this table! When we moved to Pineapple House, it wouldn't fit in the kitchen and we put our bigger table in the dining room (Ron made that one too), but we just couldn't get rid of this piece of family history, so we put it out on the porch. I'm so glad we did because it is perfectly at home in the new sunroom! 


One of my inspiration photos (you can see it ~here~, near the end of the post) made me envision a chandelier over the table in the sunroom. After much angst over exactly where to hang it (and after asking every person who came into our house for a couple of months), we hung it directly in front of the picture window into the living room and set the table below it. 



And speaking of the picture window, we decided to take off the large glass panel that covered it, remove the storm windows from the two smaller windows, and paint it all Simply White. It had been painted green because it was technically part of the exterior of the house, and I hadn't planned to change it. But it dawned on me that it would no longer be "exterior" and of course it should be the same color as the rest of the trim. It really opened up the room visually! 




The Serving Area 



First of all, I am so glad that we put a window in this area. We had considering letting that space become part of the wall, but decided that we'd appreciate the extra light in the serving area. And even though that ended up being the troublesome window that held up the show for several months, I feel that it was a good call. 


Because we went with six-inch walls, the rolling serving counter no longer fit into the original space. Ron cut it down by one-fourth and built a new countertop for it. We had planned for him to build a new countertop for the server, even if the room had remained a porch, so that was not a problem. He used the same chunky old pine wood that he had used for the kitchen table (and for the Farmhouse island), and I think it looks much better than before! 


The wall behind the serving counter had been vinyl siding. The contractor suggested that we make that area a traditional wall (again, thinking new interior space, not exterior). He and his employee spent most of a day taking off vinyl siding and clapboards and 1x6 boards. At the end of the day he told us, "Your house is built like a tank!" That's good to know!

I am looking for a pair of sconces to hang on either side of the window, but I am not in a hurry. 

We decided that the tall storage closet would look better if it had a more built-in look, so we sketched and planned until we came up with a simple design to bring the trim to the floor. 




Not technically the serving area, but near it . . . 

We painted the door into the living room Simply White. 

And we're still using the cabinet that was in The Farmhouse living room. Ron made it from old wood and I think it looks like an antique. We use it to store serving pieces, vases, and the like. I recently found the sailboat at one of my favorite antique stores. 





(Whew, this was a   l o n g   post!)







We are so thankful for this new room! It adds square footage to our house, but that's not what I care about. I am so excited to have added function and flexibility in Pineapple House! 

And if you have questions that I have not answered (although I feel like I must have told you everything!), feel free to ask them in the comments section.


38 comments:

  1. Did you keep the oar on the wall décor? It all looks great but I can see what you mean about the heating cooling unit.......but in this case maybe function over fashion wins! It would for me.

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    1. We didn't want to rehang the oar above the window, but thought about propping it in a corner of the room instead. But when I retrieved the oar from the basement and brought it out to the porch, I realized how LONG it really was. It was way higher than the ceiling, so no propping! Yes, function over fashion definitely wins in this case!

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  2. What an accomplishment! Ron is a talented cabinet maker and your contractors did a great job. Serious clapping 👏🏼 for the painters, too. Plus the designer (mostly you) deserves high praise. The mini-split fits in so well that I did not notice it until you mentioned it.

    I am supposed to be getting one here as well because another year of those oil prices will wipe out all available funds. Laurel thinks I am being "ghosted" because our calls to the contractor are being ignored. We shall see. I think all such projects are an exercise in patience these days.

    It all looks amazing and will be such a welcome additional space with your growing family. Warm congrats!

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    1. Thanks so much, Vee, for all of your applause and kind words! I love that you love it!

      "Ghosting" seems to be the way to do business these days. (We had two such contractors before the one we used! The third one was a charm!) Why can't people just be straightforward?

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  3. What a wonderful light filled room! You have done a nice job of combining wood and white paint. You all work well as a family in making your house a lovely home. Thank you for sharing.
    Also, so sorry to hear about Ryan and his family moving. You'll have to figure out more guests rooms in your house now. Plus, it's another place for you to visit!

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    1. Thanks so much, Melissa! Who knew that we'd spend most of our married life doing house projects? Not I! (Ron had the vision, but it took me a while.) But that's what we've done and now it seems "normal," and it's lots of fun making a space your own.

      We were just talking this morning about guest rooms. Our thinking caps are on . . .

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  4. What a beautiful room! I love all the light, and your choices for paint, chandelier, etc. are perfect. Blessings and many years of memory making there!

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    1. Thanks so much, GrammaGrits, for your kind words and blessings! (Light is important to me . . . and even more so as I get older!)

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  5. It is simply perfect! You'll never regret this project! It is so wonderful!

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    1. Thanks so much, Deanna! I am so grateful that our dream for this room was able to happen!

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  6. I cant imagine a more perfect space. How well you have planned, and executed, it all .A real family room.

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    1. Thanks so much, Barbara! We are completely happy with the results!

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  7. This is just beautiful!! Congratulations!

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  8. You have created such an amazing space! Bright and cheerful, warm and welcoming all at the same time. You'll enjoy making so many wonderful memories with your family and friends for years to come - thanks so much for inviting us in!

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    1. Thanks so much for visiting, Linda, and for all of your kind words!

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  9. Cheryl, I have been eagerly awaiting the finished sunroom, and this post did not disappoint! It's so beautiful, absolutely perfect.

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    1. Jean, I remember your comment about loving the screened-in porch, so I am thrilled that you are pleased with the new sunroom! Thank you for your kind words and vote of confidence!

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  10. Incredible and so beautiful. I can well imagine the joy this new space is bringing to you and all your family and guests. Love, love it! So glad you shared it with us so we could celebrate with you! xo

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    1. Thank you for celebrating with us, Brenda, and for your kind words! We are definitely feeling "joy" in this space. I only wish we could share a cup of coffee/tea and a scone in the new sunroom with each one of you!

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  11. A great plan and a successful completion to the project. It is such a great extension to your living space and I know your family will enjoy this space for years to come. Love how the 'old' pieces fit so well in the space. The room brings the outside in with comfort and protection from bugs and such. :) Looking forward to the next family party with photos of you using this room. Happy July 4th weekend to you!

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    1. Oh, you will definitely be seeing some people photos in the new sunroom. In fact, we have a few already. Maybe I'll work on a post this week . . .

      Thanks for visiting and for your kind words, Ellen! Lack of bugs, and lack of heat and humidity, are high on my list of benefits!

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  12. Your new room is gorgeous! What a wonderful use of the space. I'm sure you will enjoy it.

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    1. I just found this comment in my spam folder. That has happened with several comments lately. Such a mystery to me!

      But . . . thanks so much, Kathy! We are enjoying it already . . . so glad we were able to make the change!

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  13. What an absolutely lovely space. So happy for you and the family.

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    1. Thank you so much! I appreciate you being happy for us!

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  14. You guys did a wonderful job on this beautiful space!!! I love that most of the furniture has such special meaning and made by your handy Ron. I adore the paint colours, the navy and ticking fabrics and oh that rug!!! This will indeed be a special gathering room for friends and family. Well done!

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    1. Thanks so much, Rosella, for your kind words! I, too, love that it has Ron's touches! "New" is good . . . but so is "old," so I am glad we were able to have both in this room.

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  15. What a beautiful and functional room, Cheryl. You did such a great job of thinking through and carrying out your plans. It's wonderful to have a talented and hard-working husband like Ron (I have one, too, but his name is Tim). You'll enjoy using that room so much!

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    1. Thank you kindly, Lorrie! Indeed, we are blessed with our Rons and Tims!

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  16. Oh Cheryl, the finished sunroom is just gorgeous. And it will be even more enjoyable than the room you already enjoyed. I have a question about the mini-split. We had to replace our furnace and air conditioner in May and while we were getting quotes from the contractor, we inquired what a mini-split would cost to have installed in our sunroom. We were told a number around $6,000. We were stopped in our tracks, not knowing if that was reasonable or not. In the end, we decided against it because we just couldn't justify that price at the same time we were paying for an expensive furnace and AC replacement. Curious if you'd be willing to share some details about yours. I think it looks good on the brick wall, FWIW. Feel free to e-mail me at the link in my blog profile if you'd prefer to respond that way. Okay... going back to look at your pictures again. :)

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    1. First of all, thank you for your kind words about the sunroom, Becki! We have enjoyed it so much already, and it will be so nice to have another room to use in the wintertime too.

      About the mini-split . . . ours was markedly less than $6000! I can see how that price would be <> when you're already spending money for your main HVAC. I will email details to you . . .

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  17. I love this room! The details are wonderful. I bet you can't wait to be a hostess in this space.

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    1. Thanks so much, Audrey! You're right . . . I am looking forward to hosting many gatherings in the sunroom! As a matter of fact, we've had a few gatherings here already. I may do a post with some people-in-the-sunroom pictures!

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  18. Oh Cheryl, your new sunroom is gorgeous! I love all the beautiful windows. I'm always amazed at the talent of you and Ron. How very special that Ron has made so many pieces for your home and this room. I love that he used wood from his family home.
    I almost missed this posting and I'm so glad that this one didn't slip past me.

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    1. Thank you so much, Martha Ellen! We are so pleased that we decided to put in all of those windows . . . it is wonderful and so cheerful to have that much light! (I crave light more and more the older I get.) And yes, it is quite special to have wood/pieces with family history.

      It's always good to have you visit!

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  19. I came over from Creekside Cottage. Your beautiful space is stunning. You alll worked so hard to create it just the way you needed it. I am so happy I stopped by. I also love your C A T . I say that because we have one just like that and our 3 year old grandson calls him C A T! I have not blogged much as we have had company and also a few other things going on. I am happy to know you and I am following you here too. HAve a wonderful rest of the week and thank you for sharing.

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    1. Thank you for stopping by and for your very kind words! I love that your grandson calls your cat C A T! ♥

      As for blogging . . . I blog far less frequently than I used to, and it's the same making comments. Is there more to do now that all of my children are adults and now that I have grandchildren . . . or is it that I am slower? I think both!

      Again, thanks for visiting Thinking About Home!

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