Bringing nature into the home is an effective way to redesign the feel of a space while adding a warm, earthy charm. In particular, using light to transform living spaces through sunrooms can expand not only the area of a home but also its alignment with the nature around it.
With a vision to harness her space’s natural beauty, homeowner Jody Flynn
Photos courtesy of the Cleary Company
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found inspiration for a sunroom with the Cleary Company. Together, they completed a full sunroom addition in August 2022 and made Jody’s visions come to life.
This 485 square-foot addition as originally a patio space with a gazebo-like structure.
“The sun came in on our yard and patio really hard, so we’d sometimes pull down the shades on the side,” Flynn says. “But when it was windy, the shades would fly in, so it just wasn’t really working. It was time to do something about the patio.”
Katie Florjanc, who works for the Cleary Company and was the head designer of the project, worked to maintain the natural, sunny charm of the space while helping make it more functional.
“Originally, there was a pergola-like structure, and the way the sun came down made it possible for them to use it, but it didn’t provide enough coverage. We used a lot of that footprint for the sunroom, and we were able to maintain the paver patio to the side, so they still have a nice cozy area outside or inside,” Florjanc says.
The new space features detailed shiplap beams on the ceiling and Cambria quartz countertops with a fire pit patio, a beverage center and refrigerator. The windows line the room, letting in sunlight from every direction throughout the day and are key to creating a warm, earthy and welcoming feeling to the area.
Flynn wanted to incorporate her family’s visions into the new shared space as well. With four children, she wanted the space to be functional for the whole family and become a place where the kids can convene even after they head to college.
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To create this kind of gathering space, she included a swinging chair, which was part of her daughter’s vision for the room, as well as a game table.
“We’re a big games family, so we made a table where we could play a lot of games,” Flynn says.
The new room has become a natural addition to the home with many access points to the original space.
“Maintaining those connections created a nice flow for the family to still have guests over and either enjoy space outside or in the sunroom without it feeling too disconnected,” Florjanc says.
The sunroom also has served as a gathering place for recent family milestones, including part of Flynn’s daughter’s wedding celebrations.
“They loved the sunroom so much that, when it came to her getting married, my daughter said, ‘Mom, I would like it if my bridesmaids could spend the night at our house and get ready for the wedding in the sunroom.’ So, for the wedding, the sunroom was the space,” Flynn says.
Flynn’s family also celebrated her father’s 90th birthday in the sunroom.
The new addition has become a special place for the family.
“I love being out in the sunroom. It’s exactly how I wanted it, and it’s become such a vibrant room. I can’t say that there is anything I would have done differently,” Flynn says.
Ria Akhilesh is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
