Beyond the Basics - a happy place

Sun rooms are my favorite part of just about any house I've ever stepped foot in. They are usually very cheery spaces with light colors and sunlight beaming through the windows, warming up the entire room. These rooms  typically overlook the back yard or other beautiful view and are spaces used for relaxing, visiting, or quiet conversations.

I believe the best way to enjoy these spaces is to open up all of the blinds, shades or curtains. Let the sun shine in and bring the outdoors in! Bring in some of the outdoors all year 'round. When trees and flowers are in bloom, snip some from your yard or garden to use for decorating. During the fall, use accents in the gorgeous, rich colors of the outdoors that will tie in with the changing season. And in winter, bring in some pine cones, holly or even some bare branches to accessorize with.

Decorating with natural materials will also help to give your space an outdoor feel. Seagrass, sisal, rattan, bamboo, stone and organic cotton are some of the popular choices today for window and floor coverings and furniture.

I like to think of my sun room as my vacation room at home. While my husband enjoys any room where there is a TV, the sun room is my little retreat where I can hang out with a cup of coffee and a book and escape for a little while. And I will never put a TV in it! :-)