According to SFGate, “Though basic design principles apply when you’re furnishing a sunroom, your focus should be exterior rather than the interior. The windows are the natural focal point. Well-decorated sunrooms combine indoor comforts with the look and feel of outdoor living. The keys are maximizing the light and view and keeping the look comfortable and natural.”
Before shopping for rattan furniture, make a list of the functions of your sunroom. How will the space be used? Is the sunroom an extension of your living room? Then this space will reflect the same style as the other rooms. Is this space for your new dining room? A dining room needs a dining table and chairs. When company comes, will you adjourn to the sunroom? Then you will want comfortable sofas and chairs in colorful fabrics that are fade resistant. Some use the room as a sleeping porch or even guest room. In this case, you will want a daybed or chaise; both are ideal for afternoon naps. If your sunroom will double as a greenhouse, consider a potting table and flooring that is easy to keep clean.
SFGate, suggests simple, natural finishes and fabrics. All wood tones work but choose distressed, matte or satin finishes instead of shiny ones. Mix in a painted piece or two, and perhaps a bit of iron. Don’t buy a dozen matching pieces of twig furniture, but do include some outdoor-inspired materials, such as wicker, bamboo or rattan.
For upholstered furniture, from my years in the furniture business, I’m partial to Sunbrella fabrics. They are UV and fade resistant, mold and mildew resistant, easily cleanable with a bleach solution, and as for providing shade, they are high in UPF protection.
As for the style of furniture when furnishing a sunroom, I prefer wicker furniture. It is environmentally sound, beautifully crafted and comes in a variety of styles and finishes. Wicker is made from many types of sturdy plant materials such as rattan, bamboo, reed, etc. Rattan is a good choice because it is composed of solid fibers and not hollow like bamboo. Wicker reminds me of the beach and the waves lapping the shore, the smell of gardenias in the hair of natives, and sunny days in a rope hammock pushed by the breeze. The great thing is you can have all of that feeling in your sunroom right now.
You might be asking how you can do just that. When furnishing a sunroom, begin with your choice of furniture. There are many types of sturdy plant materials used in the making of wicker products: rattan, bamboo, reed and the like. Rattan is a good choice because it is composed of solid not hollow fibers like bamboo.
Now that you have imagined the functions of the room, and the furniture that will fit your needs, picture a room to relax, entertain, dine, and plant Hibiscus with the sun streaming in through the windows. You are warm as you look outside at the newly fallen snow and the deer tracks that were made last night.