Love your inspiration photo.

What happens with heating and/or cooling in the master BR if you open that up?

Many of the newer homes in the metroplex have the patio under the roof like that last picture, but in our area, folks are adding the roof/lanai/pergola etc. I just feel that our yard isn't big enough to add a pergola type structure and it would block the sun light that filters into the sunroom, family room, ktichen and nook, and master bedroom.

Good quesiton, the sunroom certainly buffers the outdoor temperatures from the other adjoining rooms. All the windows facing the sunroom are exterior windows, cheap aluminum builder grade. Would like to upgrade the nine windows/doors facing the sunroom. I'm not an HVAC expert by any means, but I think that we might see higher bills but it might be a non-issue since we are heating and cooling the sunroom. There are four windows and the huge patio door in the sunroom, compared to the nine windows/doors that would be exposed if we ripped it out. Is this what you mean?

I love three or four season porches and see them, usually, as an asset. I see one of your issues as the room not being very inviting: the furniture doesn't face the view; the room is minimally furnished and looks to be a repository for miscellaneous items; a piece of exercise equipment serves as a coffee table. If you use it for exercise, do it up and put all your equipment there, maybe with a mounted television, some bird feeders outside, to watch tv or nature while exercising. Or, make it a room of respite, with a small bubbling table top fountain, a bookshelf of books or magazines, whatever elicits a feeling of calmness in you or your family. I would invest in a new door, discover a function not already duplicated elsewhere in your house, and enjoy the "new" space.

My small sunroom is one of my favorite rooms in the house! I can bring in lots of large pots from the terrace to winter-over, so it's a place for sun and greenery on a crummy winter day. I have wicker on my sun porch - it's airy in the summer and just fits, even in the winter. I recently put beadboard on the ceiling and painted it Haint Blue. I love my sun porch!

In your situation, I think I would prefer homework to be done on the sunporch than my dining room table! Can you set up long tables out there - build in a long desk?

Is it very buggy where you live? We have a screened in porch room because you can't even think about sitting outside when mosquito season starts. Do you eat out on the patio? Seems like it might be awkward to get to the patio from the sunroom if it opens off of a bedroom? We live out on our patio in the summer, both to eat and to relax. But YMMV. Can you get to the sunroom from any other room? I'd think about also re-purposing the patio space and connecting it better with the sunroom. How do you envision using both spaces, the sunroom and patio? One option, since it is off the bedroom, is to turn it into a screened in sleeping porch with maybe one of those swings that converts to a bed, or even a futon, which is what we had on our sleeping porch. Then maybe a little coffee bar and bistro table and chairs at one end, or hang a hammock . . . I dunno. The first thing is to think about what you might do in those two spaces if you could redesign them. How about a fire pit area with seating around it for the patio? I had one on my last patio space, lots of fun but not used all that often. Or would you like a tiki bar? ;)

You have a big family, right? And if the kids are heading off to college, then in the next few years, chances are good they will start to settle down and marry...and maybe have children. If they live nearby and will be visiting often, would it be more beneficial to have this space as a covered porch area, or a sunroom? We like to visit friends that have a similar sunroom, and I agree that it makes for an ideal play space. But, if that won't be a need, then repurposing the space could make sense. Would this spot benefit from some skylights? I like the idea of patio furniture and an area rug, plants and a small fountain burbling away, but ymmv.

If you are not sure what you want the space for why not ask your teens? You only have a few years left so you could make it a meeting place for their friends. In my last house I had a beautiful carved 2nd hand slightly smaller than a standard sized pool table, a small sofa at one end and small but tall bar tables w/2 stools ( nice but 2nd hand) in two corners. Since I was limited on seating options due to a smallish room I put two ottomans facing the sofa with a narrow coffee table. That worked well because it didn't get in the way of playing pool. There was also chess boards and other board games. And, of course, a wall mounted Tv.

Once they move out sell it all and do something pretty for you.

Thank you for all of your comments. These wonderful ideas are giving me so much to think about. I would love to simply repair the door--I didn't even know that was possible. Who does that sort of thing? The floor in our sunroom is "Kentile" which is a hard, rubbery, impossible-to-clean fake tile. It needs to go as well. We have so many projects to do, all seem financially daunting, but we know that a non-functioning door is something that needs attention. We've lived with it for 17 years, it needs to be dealt with.

The pictures of the pool tables reminded me that I have always wanted a game table/chairs set somewhere in the house. We play a lot of board games and sometimes you want to leave them up when a break is needed. This would be a wonderful addition to our house. Would love wicker too, and plants. Can you grow herbs indoors?

I have a lot to think about. Thanks so much!

We had Kentile similar to yours in the kitchen of our former house. Veeery expensive, beautiful, but needed waxed to look that way, and never stayed that way very long.

We repaired the door ourself. They just lift out of the tracks.

My folks had a difficult floor on their summer porch. Dad bought two neutral indoor/outdoor rugs to put down, they can be hosed off if they get dirty, and they really "made" the space!

Can't really grow herbs in a shady spot, other than mint. But you could get a big planter to put out on your patio.

would love to simply repair the door--I didn't even know that was possible. Who does that sort of thing?

Just google "sliding door repair" for your area. If nothing comes up, look for glass repair and they'll be able to point you to someone if necessary.

You can do a lot to an existing slider. When I moved in here the carpet guy pushed hard on a sliding door that was pinned closed and managed to push the frame away from the glass. The repair guys came out and totally took the thing apart and put it back together properly and it wasn't that expensive--about $100 for the whole job, including new wheels, etc.

ETA Should have said that's if you don't want to do it yourself.

Skylights would be very nice, especially if they had shades so you could block the light when it was very hot in the summer. I like the idea of a game table also.

I would completely remove the huge sliding glass door and replace the sides with a half-wall or something similar to your inspiration picture that only comes up a foot or two from the floor with windows above. On the outside, don't worry about matching the brick, just use a hardi-plank siding or even vinyl siding that would blend with your brick or other trim. Then use a new full-glass French door or similar instead. You would still have the benefit of a lot of light on that wall but much better insulation. If you plan to re-do the floors anyway, this would be a great time to invest in this.

I agree with others that you could turn it into a wonderful room with new patio-type furniture and a more functional game space for your family.

There is no way I would ever do away with this sunroom, and I agree with the above posters suggesting improvements. I am a sunworshiper and would simply LOVE this room!

As it appears now, though, it looks as though it's been treated as a poor stepchild. Give it some attention and fix it up so it's attractive and comfortable. Fix the door, add rugs and plants, get some comfy new furniture. With your large family, I can't believe that no one would use it if it were fixed up.

I would take some of the money you would have spent on upgrading the windows and add 2-3 well-placed skylights that would strategically let more light into your interior rooms. While reading through your complaints (all valid) it seems a lot of them centre on dark rooms and removing the outer wall won't help with that...but skylights could!

Would adding laminate over existing flooring be doable?

If skylights are too $$, how about solar tubes?