Sun rooms are difficult to heat and cool do IMO a vaulted ceiling makes thta even more complicated . Do have vaulted ceilings in the main part of the house? I am curious why this addition if you are now empty nesters . I do not love sun rooms they get hot in the summer and the windows all need solar shades if TV is going in there . I think for the few times you need 16 seats maybe what you have already would work.I am not sure where you live so this is just one thought I would do a multi level deck to enjoy all summer and maybe a top area screened but I live decks for entertaining outside and I live where that is possible from May to Oct. So maybe a bit more idea of what the main part of the house is like .

Patrica, Thank you for your thoughts. My husband and I moved to the current house a couple of years ago when we downsized from a large two story home. Our previous home had a sunroom and views of the outside from almost every room. Our current home is one level. We are outdoor lovers and our home does not have views that capture nature. The addition which we are calling a sunroom actually faces the northeast, not the west or the south which is more traditional for a sunroom.

The left side of the plan is directly behind our vaulted living room. So, the addition reflects the adjoining room style. The right side of the plan has a flat ceiling which mimics the kitchen ceiling. We currently have a deck where the addition will be located. We live in NC where there is heavy pollen in the spring coating everything. My husband also is bothered by bugs. Thus, a deck nor screened porch is not an optimal solution for our entertaining needs. We miss our views of the outside and we have a garden to view.

Since you want to know more about my house, I am posting a drawing of the house layout.

Layout

The ” I “ refers to an example of the entertaining that I would do in this room so that I won’t invade his space. I would like to invite a book club and the neighborhood women who like to gather frequently. Of course, my husband will have whatever he wishes. We are building it so he can enjoy the outdoors from inside.

Thanks for a pic with the TV in a sunroom.

Any ideas out there for a furniture layout for my upcoming new sunroom?

Can someone suggest a furniture layout for a family room that is 12’x15’ 6” using the floor plan above? Since the ceilings have different treatments, the left side is what I’m thinking about using as a sitting area. It is not a question of whether to build a sunroom/family room because my retired husband is slowly becoming unable to go outside and he loves nature. We have had a family/sunroom before and he misses it terribly. While I appreciate concerns of why build on to my little retirement house, the decision has been thoughtfully made taking into consideration the house layout and our needs and wants of how to live a good life as we age. Thanks

I prefer the stair to the left of the sunroom. You'll need that extra 4 feet of depth; 11 feet is too small to comfortably fit a sofa or even a good size dining table with comfortable walk-around space. A deeper deck, on the same plane as the rear bedroom wall, without a railing will give you better views to the backyard.

I don't think the different ceilings are a problem. They'll help define the spaces.

I doubt your husband wants his back to the view, so that leaves only the main bedroom wall for the TV. (Bonus: if his TV has a nice sound system, sound is much better in a flat ceiling area than a vaulted area.) Place a sofa facing the TV. Behind the sofa place your dining table centered in the cathedral ceiling space.

Maybe the display case will fit nicely between the living room windows. The vaulted ceiling will be pretty for a dining area with a chandelier? (We don't have sunrooms in my region, so maybe this is a multiple ceiling fans situation and not chandelier appropriate.)

I thought about putting a 48” round round dining table out the door from the kitchen since it would be closer to the food. It could also be used to play cards/games. You are right that my husband does not want to put his back to the view. Maybe a consideration could be swivel chairs instead of a sofa. Maybe the area behind the main bedroom wall would be for TV and the other side for reading and viewing the garden. We typically watch TV together, so we would not be in competition with each other.

If I use a deck on the left side, because of the height off the ground, railings are required to meet local building codes. For safety concerns, a staircase with a landing or deck is the reason for the inclusion. In other words, I dont want to fall down a full flight of steps.

of course there will be a railing on the left side. I suggest it is more desirable to have a deeper sunroom with no railing obstructing the view when looking straight out from the living room and kitchen.

grab some graph paper (free printable graph paper can be found online) and draw out the space. cut out pieces of paper to represent the furniture youre thinking of and move it around.

im very confident youll find you want/need that four feet of sunroom across the back.

@Barbara How are you feeling about your sunroom plan? If you’d to brainstorm i can help draw something up.

My husband and I have done what you suggested by drawing up some plans We have started with the smaller version.

Thank you for your offer of help. I think we are both realizing that we can’t get everything we dream of in the space as originally planned. He does not want to put a tv in front of a window because of the wiring etc. can be seen on the outside. He has mentioned also that with this size of room, it may be difficult to sit back far enough to view a TV. In terms of dining, since we seldom have a crowd for a sit down meal, I suggested that we not put a permenant dining table in. We can rent a table as the need arises and rearrange the room. If I can move my china cabinet to this space, it will open room in my 12x12 dining room so I can get a larger table in that room. If we use swivel chairs in the addition, we can easily turn the chairs for viewing or conversations.

The posted picture is the latest version of our possible furniture layout. Floor lamps would go on each side of the sofa. The door to the left of the sofa will be a door size window so no traffic will go in and out here. The coffee table will be a padded bench with a tray. This plan may still be too tight We would love to see your thoughts with the original size space or the larger version.

Great work! Is a larger sunroom with stairs on the left still an option?

Work has begun on the addition. We decided to go with the bigger layout. Here is the furniture diagram that we have at the moment. Glass walls will be on the left and behind the sofa. The adjoining space to the right will be open until we make a decision of whether it will be the dining room or a flex space. Any concerns with the furniture plan?