How much money are we talking here? :-) I'm going to take the billionaire approach.

If it's sky's-the-limit, I'd see about knocking that wall between the porch and the dining room down and opening up that entire area, then putting a full bank of doors w/screens along the entire deck. I'd even extend the interior outward by a few feet.

I'd take the carpet and tile up and put down a rustic wood floor.

My parents have almost that exact layout in their house.

The screened porch gets a fair bit of use and they have it set up with a wicker love seat, coffee table, and a chair, plus a side table to hold drinks trays and such and a cupboard for storage. The space feels cozy and the seating is very comfortable.

The back deck gets much less use by people--it is smaller than yours. They have the grill out there and two comfortable chairs. And they have bird feeders. They have woods behind them and draw a lot of different birds, which they can watch through the windows.

@tibbrix: Knocking down the wall and extending, strikes me right now as a little scary. We've had a few occasions in the past where scary ideas start to make more sense over time, so we'll let the idea simmer in for a while and see if that happens this time (and can be done within a budget we can handle).
We've been talking about putting in wood floors for a long while now (the rug is very, very old), so it's just a matter doing it at this point.
@missymoo: re: sofas and coffee table in the screen room. My wife suggested this repeatedly, but I've resisted. I'm outnumbered now and am beginning to relent :)

I agree w/missy. That would be a great spot to sit and read or just enjoy your beautiful view w/out the bugs. If that bar set is teak, it weathers pretty well, but I'd put a good wax on it. Don't know where you live. Is that room heated? If so, that would be my favorite room.

We have a screened porch and a " deckette" ( just big enough for the grill) :)

We practically live on our screened porch! We have a 60in round table with 4 chairs. We eat our meals there all summer long. There is also a wicker set....settee, chaise, rocker, regular chair and ottoman, small side tables, etc. We have a ceiling fan, outdoor table lamp, area rugs on the painted wood floor.

We have a wooded setting and a decorative pond/stream. People are drawn to the porch. When entertaining, everyone stays on the porch or goes outside. You will find the same to be true when you make the porch more inviting.

Our children were toddlers when we built this house. It was a great place for them to play " outdoors".

We have a screened in porch in our lake house and we keep it very casual and comfy. I think upholstered chairs and a sofa are the most comfy way to go, indoor outdoor if you like them. We put four Dutailier rockers and they form a little circle around a coffee table. I also have a sofa and two chairs. People are nuts about them. People love to rock on a comfy chair. The secret is comfortable chairs. Lots of people think of wicker on a porch and I was one of them did the whole thing in a charming wicker (old) look and was never comfortable as I didn't like the feeling of wicker on my arms, I prefer soft so I sold it all and did it right. We also put wooden blinds up for when the sun is too strong. We have Douglas fir floors and I had them coat it with boat varnish so it's water proof.

I am in love with screen porches! I would definitely go with the comfy seating.

I would not incorporate the screen porch into the house because they serve a very different purpose than an indoor space and allow you to spend time "outside" at your vacation home in the worst of weather and bugs.

I would squeeze as much seating as possible in there though! So although I agree with "as comfy as possible" I wouldn't use OVERSIZE upholstered pieces so much as moderate or apartment size pieces.

I would also be tempted to throw a couple of poufs in there that could be used either as footstools when there are just a few adults hanging out, or as seating for kids for games night.

Some photos that struck me

Agree with Missymoo's recommendations completely. And at a party put the bar out there......no more people congregating in the kitchen.

While 'deep seating' is all the rage with current indoor-outdoor living, please be aware of the disadvantages. If you live in the dry west, where rainfall is scant, there may be no problems.

However, my family all live in the Mid-west, where rainfall happens spring/summer/fall. Rain is often accompanied by wind, and even with screening, you may well end up with soaked cushions! Be mindful of the direction of prevailing wind. I have friends and neighbors who must regularly remove cushions and stack them close to the house whenever inclement weather is on the horizon. This effort can get old very quickly.

The issue is minimized with some of the HUGE covered patios with fireplace/kitchen/etc often pictured in photos, but in the real world, those deep cushions take a long while to dry... no matter what the ads state!

Thanks everyone for your perspectives. Our home is in the Adirondacks. Wind and rain has never been a problem in the screen room, but we can get cold, harsh winters. While we were there just this past February it had gone down to 18F below zero at one point. I'm sure that's not a problem for outdoor sofas and chairs, but after a winter storm we can get a few feet of snow on the deck. I shovel it first chance I get since I'm not sure if the extra weight can compromise it over time. Perhaps not but I don't take the chance. For that reason I'm a little hesitant to get very bulky or heavy deck furniture that would be a hassle to move during season changes. I'd imagine though there are a lot of options?

I shovel around my furniture but also take the cushions in when not in use.

My deck sank a bit this winter from the weight of the snow! Thankfully, it's ground level.

I would keep the deck furniture light. Sling is great stuff. Comfortable, dries quickly, stackable, easy to move….

I think what would invite me into that room would be to have nothing in the middle of the room. It's so small that I think I'd do built in seating along the far wall - opposite the dining room sliders, wrapping as far as possible around the other two walls. People can sit or lounge or even sleep there. Have stackable moveable tables to use as needed for placing drinks or food - keep it casual. Maybe have some other seating, settee or rocker to the right as you enter, if there is room.

We have six rocking chairs on our porch, and guests always head straight for them. We also have a wicker couch and chair, but they don't get used as much. The rocking chairs have been an excellent investment. I think people flock to sturdy, comfortable furniture. A circle of rockers with a cocktail table in the center would be very nice in your screened room.

Your pub table would be better out on the deck. A couple of gliders would be great for sitting and taking in the view, and maybe a kid-sized table for your little ones. A big umbrella for some shade, some strings of outdoor lights on the railing, and some planters full of flowers would all make it more inviting.

For the winter, just scoot it all up next to the outside wall of the house, and cover it with a tied down tarp.

First, you are so luck to have such a wonderful getaway vacation home! It is on a beautiful lot.

I agree with missymoo as well, and also what Olychick said. Something about that table smack dab in the middle of the room seems to block entry into the screened porch. I love the idea of a sofa against the wall, something like what robo posted with some comfy cushions and arms, and a chair for reading with a footstool that could also double as an extra seat. Add a small cocktail table you can also use for a tray of snack food. The bar cart is also a great idea. Encourages people to gravitate to where the food and drinks are. You could also string up some lighting along the perimeter and it would look very inviting.

Do you get a lot of sun on the deck? It looks shady so I would think a new round table with chairs for seating would be fine and then move your grill & the pub table out there. You can get some pretty nice chairs that swivel and rock. I have also seen some benches that double as storage for the cushions so that might be an option if there is room. That would keep cushion maintenance down for you when you aren't there.

Can you change the door so the entire opening can be open?

I agree that the room could use some softening. I think the table just blocks out the whole room and doesn't read come in and sit down.

I would use a soft couch and chair. Add a side table and a lamp or two. I 'd add a rug to ground the room and make it more comfy. It is a lovely home. Welcome to Gardenweb!

Another member updated her sunroom/ porch. It is larger than yours but shows what some simple things can do to make it look stunning. I adore her space!!! Take a look at the thread.sunroom/porch

From the dining room, It would be more inviting for guests to see a seating arrangement on the porch vs a dining table. On my screened in porch, I have a sofa (love to nap on the porch), 2 comfortable chairs, coffee table, garden stool and an indoor/outdoor rug to break up all the wood. Don't forget the accessories: pillows, candles,, light weight throw for chilly night). FYI: In the winter, I store the cushions inside the house and cover the faux wicker furniture ( less cleaning in the spring).

I love screened porches! I agree that some comfortable outdoor lounge furniture would make your porch very inviting. Also, I recently added "drapes" to my porch in an attempt to soften and make it more inviting. The builder's built the wall too high and it has never felt right to me. I found the idea on Pinterest to use painter's drop cloths (~ $10 each) and metal conduit as rods with clip rings to attach the drapes! Very easy and cheap! The porch isn't perfect but it feels inviting and like an extension of our house in the warm months. I do take my cushions to the basement in the winter and I wash the drapes in bleach twice a year.

Our screen porch is 12x16 and includes a four piece wicker set and small round table with 2 chairs. Also a repurposed dresser with a tv on it. We spend all summer out there and just love it! I agree that the table blocks the entrance and would be better placed on the deck. Screen porches are wonderful places to spend the spring, summer and fall. Please let us know what you decide.

mbntn74: What is that on your floor? It looks great. We are looking for an alternative to the treated wood floor we have currently.

justretired-It is wood looking porcelain tile. Best thing we've done out there. Zero maintenance besides hosing it off in the spring (our floor does have a drain in the middle of the room) and sweeping or vacuuming throughout the summer.