Designing a Sunroom That Chases Away the Winter Blues
Cold, dark winter days often have a way of making you feel like your energy has gone into hibernation. Fortunately, having a sunroom can chase the winter blues away. Imagine staying in a room where the walls are windows, flooding the space with natural light and offering a front-row seat to a beautiful landscape from the comfort of a cozy armchair. With the right design and the best sunroom builders in Colorado, you can harness the mood-boosting benefits of sunlight and invite the outdoors in without the chill.
How Does Sunlight Fight Winter Sadness?
Spending time in the sun offers various health benefits, especially during cold, dreary days. Serotonin is a natural mood-booster that helps you feel calm and focused, and the brain produces more of it when you’re exposed to sunlight. This helps reduce the risk of seasonal affective disorder and depression. Getting some sun also helps the body produce more vitamin D — another essential component linked to mental well-being.
Light regulates the body’s internal clock or circadian rhythm. Getting bright light exposure during the day can help you feel more alert and rest better at night. It leads to more regular sleep, which lowers the odds of depression and its symptoms.
Sunlight is even more valuable to those with limited access to it. For example, a study conducted with operating room nurses who worked in windowless rooms in high-stress operations revealed that those who accessed daylight often reported better mental health than those who didn’t.
Your natural predisposition to being a morning or evening person is known as your chronotype. If you’re a night owl, the positive effects of sunlight are especially pronounced for you. A study found that the odds of depression for this chronotype get lower by 7% for every additional hour of daylight exposure. That means you can significantly support your mental well-being by increasing your time in the sun.
Essential Elements of a Winter-Beating Sunroom Design
Partnering with the best sunroom builders makes it easier to build the perfect space to soak in sunlight. All you need is the right design. Consider these features to create a sunny, indoor retreat.
Maximize Every Ray of Light
A sunroom aims to blur the line between indoors and outdoors, so its structure should be designed to capture as much daylight as possible from every angle. Consider floor-to-ceiling windows to create a panoramic view or large sliding glass doors you can open on warmer days to connect the space to a patio or deck.
Explore different roof styles. A soaring cathedral roof with glass panels can create a dramatic, open and airy feel. Alternatively, a solid, insulated roof with multiple large skylights can provide a cozier, more room-like feel while still flooding the sunroom with overhead light.
Cultivate a Cozy, Warm Atmosphere
Be intentional with your colors and furnishings. Choose colors that will reflect and amplify the natural light. Consider warm whites, creamy off-whites, soft buttery yellows or even the pale blues of a clear winter sky. These shades will make the entire room feel bright and more spacious. Avoid dark, heavy colors that absorb light, as they can make the room feel smaller.
Prioritize comfort when choosing furniture to build the ultimate retreat. Look for a deep, plush armchair with a high back perfect for reading and a comfortable loveseat or a daybed that you can curl up on for a nap. Add a small side table to hold a warm cup of tea and other items.
Create a cozy atmosphere by layering different textures. Warm up the floor with a thick, high-pile area rug and drape a chunky knit throw blanket over the back of a chair. Add a variety of pillows in velvet, faux fur or linen to complete the comfortable, lived-in look.
Bring the Outdoors In
Take home some plants. For a bold, tropical statement, consider a large fiddle leaf fig, a bird of paradise or a monstera. If you want something low-maintenance, a resilient snake plant or a collection of cacti and succulents is perfect.
Enhance that “outdoors-in” feeling with natural materials. Consider a coffee table built from reclaimed wood, armchairs made of wicker or rattan, and coasters cut from slate or stone. These elements help blend your sunroom with the natural world just outside the glass.
Finding the Right Partner to Build Your Denver Sunroom
Your sunroom’s success depends on the quality of its construction, so look for the following qualities when comparing the best sunroom builders in Denver, Colorado:
- Deep experience: A company that has been in business for decades has proven its stability and expertise, especially if it has an excellent reputation.
- A strong local portfolio: It should be able to show you examples of projects completed in Denver, proving they understand local building codes and climate considerations.
- A full-service, turnkey approach: The ideal partner manages everything from design and permits to construction and cleanup, saving homeowners from coordination headaches.
Build a Cozy Retreat With Colorado Sunroom and Window
As one of the best sunroom builders in Denver, Colorado, Colorado Sunroom and Window ticks all the boxes. With over 40 years in business, it has a time-tested process and a deep understanding of what works in the state.
This family-owned brand has an in-house installation team, which means it has full control over the quality and craftsmanship of the final sunroom. It’s also a full turnkey enterprise. There’s only one point of contact managing the entire project, from the free design consultation to completion.
Colorado Sunroom and Window is home to expert designers and installers of four-season sunrooms. It can provide a wide range of styles to match your home’s architecture and your specific needs. The company can set up various sunroom types, including straight eave, cathedral, conservatory, hampton room and custom designs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are the answers to common questions about sunrooms.
Can You Use a Sunroom During a Colorado Winter?
Yes — if it’s a four-season room, which is built with thermally engineered frames and high-performance glass. Advanced materials like foam insulation are crucial, as they help maintain stable indoor temperatures while reducing energy consumption. They ensure the space stays cozy and comfortable even in winter.
How Much Value Does a Sunroom Add to a Home?
While market conditions vary, homeowners can typically expect a return on investment of between 20% and 50% of the project’s cost upon resale. The value increase is due to sunrooms being desirable, year-round living spaces, which is a factor in how properties are appraised.
Sunrooms are also a unique feature that makes a home stand out to potential buyers. They can create an emotional connection, potentially leading to a quicker sale at a better price.
How Long Does the Construction Process Take?
Building a sunroom typically takes a few weeks, depending on the project’s size and complexity. It’s generally faster and less disruptive than a traditional home addition because much of the structure can be prefabricated.
Create Your Year-Round Oasis
With a thoughtful design and the right team, the perfect, sunny retreat is well within your reach. Invest in your home’s value and your overall wellness through one of the best sunroom builders in Denver, Colorado. Imagine your next winter not as something to endure, but as a cozy, light-filled season to be enjoyed from the comfort of your personal oasis.
- by Matt Watts
