So this is our house, sort of. We have made changes to the front (balcony off MBR, shed dormer in attic) but I don't think they are relevant to this exercise.

In this photo, the LR is on the left and that is where we would add on the sunroom.

This shows the elevation where the sunroom would go On the first floor, the cedar portion is 28 feet. The sunroom would be smaller than that. The two windows you see become french doors. The roof would be flattish. The new foundation would be stone and lattice, like it is now

And would you add a railing on top, and make another balcony on top?

This is a view showing the impacted portion of the floorplan. The new sunroom is the one shown w no furniture.

Below is a 3d view, as if you were standing in the bottom left corner of the verandah looking in. NOTE there are software limitations on my window choices, ability to show foundation and roof. (or maybe they are just my limitations, LOL)

And here is a view from inside the sunroom looking out toward the front of the house/verandah

So here are my questions:

1. I don't want the room to be too big. It has to be at least 22 feet if the two existing windows are both turned into doors. Would you just make it 24? Isn't bldg in multiples of 8 more efficient? I don't want to go wider than 14 because of trees, or narrower because of The Rug.

2. Would you make the addition cedar shake or all white?

3. These types of rooms usually have all the same windows on 3 sides. But we want french doors on the short walls, both back and front. Do we just put in windows that same size next to it? On the long wall, I think we can put different windows than the short wall? Maybe 5' casement 3' off the ground?

4. I think a flat roof looks best (built with an invisible slant for snow). Would you put a railing on it? Any other decoration?

Thanks!

Bpath, I was thinking about that, too. The views of the ocean from there would be terrific.

I don't have any input that is experienced or educated ... but I love where you are going and I suggest white for the sunporch vs cedar shake.

Mtn our previous house was a colonial, not Dutch but for this purpose, same difference. We had a porch off our LR accessed with 2 French doors flanking the fireplace. The porch had E. S, W exposure, windows on the S & W sides and a sliding door to access our deck on the E side. Windows were about 3' off the floor and large sliders. When open the room functioned as a screen porch, closed it was a 3 season room. We had large trees so dapples sun on all exposures spring, summer, fall and full sun in winter. On a mild winter day (meaning not a polar vortex!) the room was comfortable enough to sit out with a blanket and read. The room was considerably smaller than what you are planning but we still had 2 distinct areas - a dining table and a sofa and chair. We also used it as a sleeping porch on occasion. As for siding color you'll have to see mock ups of each to know - I think all white is a different feel than the cedar so depends on your goal.

Sounds lovely, DLM! And very similar. We would want this to be year round. Did yours have a heat source?

I’m trying to decide if I’d rather have the Connecticut house or Maine house. Might do a poll later.

1. Yes to the idea for 24' along the existing wall. However, I would think again about limiting yourself to 14' width. New trees can be replanted for future growth, while a too-small sunroom can't easily be remedied. (Perhaps you could fashion a briefly installed barrier 5 or 8 feet in from the current 19' living room to experience how narrow 14 feet will be, especially given the natural traffic corridor inside the sunroom along that wall with the French doors. Allowing for about 3' for traffic space, you'll end up with about 11' width for living space in the sunroom.) If you have the space (which appears to be the case in your photo), I'd actually sacrifice a few trees and go with a 24' x 24' room. Room for full-sized seating, game/snack table, statement plants, a beautiful multi-purpose room such a nice stately house deserves, and the rug will be able to "breathe".

You can replant trees, and then especially nourish them for vigorous growth; or, you may find you enjoy the more open and unobstructed view, choice TBD later.

2. Cedar shake IMHO would look best in that setting.

3. If you would consider #1 above, I would suggest bringing the knee wall along the far wall and around the far corners up to the the exterior double French doors. It's just great having long stretches of knee-wall for lots of easy-access outlets that can support multiple future use-cases.

Best of luck for a great project success!

Orginal sunrooms in 1920 houses were historically longer than wide so long and narrow is appropriate and fits the front elevation better than a square will. I love the idea of all french windows on the ling wall and doors on narrow walls. Differently cedar shake. yes to a railing i love that look!

Ours did not have a heat source. The house was built in the 30s with a full basement but the porch was over a crawl. We renovated and significantly added on to the house and left the sunroom as is. But on sunny mild winter days it would get warmer than the house and we'd open the doors to the LR. The people who bought from us did have the sunroom fully insulated and added to the HVAC. I've been back to see it and it's lovely. Ours was a 2 story porch, the upstairs portion accessed through 2 adjoining bedrooms and was likely a true sleeping porch originally.

My mother turned the terrace on our house into a sunroom. The previous owner of DD’s house added an outdoor living room between the family room and the pool. Mother put skylights in the roof of the sunroom over existing windows. PO of DD’s house did not. Because of the skylights, Mother’s addition had very little impact on the amount natural light in the family room. DD’s family room is like a cave. All of this to say, if you can, put skylights over each of the doors to the interior.

So how far out from the house would you be going? It looks like you have a slope down from the house which is going to make your stone/lattice foundation deeper/higher. Proportionally, can the house take that. I really can't tell. Unless you're bringing in fill to raise that slope.

Another 6ft over to the left from the existing verandah, whuch is 8 ft wide at that point . It is flat over that distance

I agree with bbstx. If you could put some skylights on the roof, the amount of light and sun makes such a difference.

I built one off our contemporary home in NY. Our house was on a hill and the sunroom was built next to our kitchen. We had sliders on all three sides and a deck off the room.

The sunroom faced South and because it was so high up, got sun from sunrise to sunset. It got hot in the summer months so we put a ceiling fan in the room. We did not have a heat source and it would get cold overnight but would warm up on sunny days.

We loved it. We used it all the time. Because it was off the kitchen, we kept the sliders open to the room and would eat there and entertain.

Of course, being a contemporary house, it would not look like what you are doing (which I think will look beautiful), but consider the use of skylights.

Jane

I'm torn. I love cedar shake and it will make the addition seem less like an addition. But the picture you posted is beautiful. Here is one with the cedar shakes that reminds me of your home. Having seen it, I'm now slightly leaning towards the weathered look.

This will be beautiful. Many of the gorgeous 1920’s homes in our area have this type of sunroom. I completely agree with Pal about the size…I think making it too wide would look off. I like all white, with a flat-look roof with railing. Not sure what is above that area on the second floor…but you could even make it a balcony up there. I bet the view would be amazing!

Some inspo pictures

From Crisp Architects

https://crisparchitects.com/renovations/sunroom-addition/

Flat roof, all white, short wallspace under windows.

One thing I think about a sunroom in a coastal home - can you/would you have fun with the ceiling and structure to make it look like an enclosed porch? To me that might mean wooden ceiling, even some interesting wall treatment (shakes?) might not be amiss to make the room look casual and enclosed. Indoor-outdoor feel. Maybe too kitschy.

Interesting treatments here with the window structure all white, but house cladding material on the walls below, I think I like the first pic better than the second.

I had never considered a sunroom/sunporch with a flat-looking roof but I see it's pretty common. I'd consider a pitched shed roof but maybe that is less classy looking.

Looking at the examples with and without railing...I kind of like the railing!

In your area I would probably do a shallow pyramidal roof and possibly the railing. The roof would look flat from most viewpoints.

I do think the roof should look flat, even if it is not (flat roofs and snow are not a great combo). Knowing what the salt air does to trim, I am tempted to forego a railing but I do think it can look very nice, so we will see. It depends on whether we make the roof accessible, too.

Robo, those are exactly what I am imagining, pretty much the standard 1900=1940 sunroom. And, GMTA on finishes too. We want it to feel like a screened porch that got converted. So yes to a wooden beadboard ceiling, maybe beadboard walls too (tho painted). And we have a place in our CT house where we expanded and we kept the cedar shake wall in the new room. Love that look.

Pal, thanks for the reminder on the Golden ratio! I will use that. I don't want the room to be too big and cumbersome. With the furniture layouts I am considering 14' will be enough.

Jojoco, dreamy house. I don't think I want a shed roof though, since no other part of the roof is that simple. Also, since the back screened porch is sort of white paneled, I am inclined to stick with that.

Jane, BBSTX,

I think what we might do, if it is possible, is build it without skylights (and without a rooftop deck and railing) and then, if it seems to make the LR too dark, consider skylights.

Smiling,

I have altered projects more than once to save trees! You can't replace 30 ft trees. In terms of furniture layout, 12' could work, 14' is perfect.

I know knee wall is more flexible/practical, but to me "the look" of these rooms allows little or no kneewall.

@mtnrdredux_gw I would really recommend consulting an arborist before you get too invested in saving those trees. Those white pines have a shallow root system, and what roots they have could be grazing the top of a granite ledge. Any work in the area may render them unstable, and it looks as if one is already leaning.

If you do not already have one, I can recommend Lucastree, in Falmouth.

Great idea local, thank you. I do have a gardener who is pretty knowledgable, but that may not be sufficient. We have cantilevered additions in our CT house just to save trees (successfully).