The gas fireplace in this sunporch offers enough heat that this room can be used 12 months a year in Wisconsin. Black stacked stone offers a great neutral texture and remains visually calm enough to allow the scenery outside to capture attention. A comfortable black ottoman has casters below so it can be used for additional seating or pulled close to the sofa for lounging.

The challenge: to design and build a sunroom that blends in with the 1920s bungalow and satisfies the homeowners' love for all things Southwestern. Wood Wise took the challenge and came up big with this sunroom that meets all the criteria. The adobe kiva fireplace is the focal point with the cedar shake walls, exposed beams, and shiplap ceiling adding to the authentic look.

Four seasons sunroom overlooking the living and dining rooms.

Photo Credit: ©Alyssa Rosenheck

4 Season Porch Addition filled with light form windows and skylights. Ceiling with beams and ship lap, Marvin Ultimate bifold door allows for total open connection between porch and kitchen and dining room.

This sunroom is 14'x20' with an expansive view of the water. The Lumon balcony glazing operates to open the 2 walls to the wrap around deck outside. The view is seamless through the balcony glazing and glass railing attached to matching timber posts. The floors are a wood look porcelain tile, complete with hydronic in-floor heat. The walls are finished with a tongue and groove pine stained is a custom colour made by the owner. The fireplace surround is a mosaic wood panel called "Friendly Wall". Roof construction consists of steel beams capped in pine, and 6"x8" pine timber rafters with a pine decking laid across rafters. Esther Van Geest, ETR Photography

Copyright © 2012 James F. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.

Architectural Design & Architectural Interior Design: Hyrum McKay Bates Design, Inc. Interior Design: Liv Showroom - Lead Designer: Tonya Olsen Photography: Lindsay Salazar Cabinetry: Benjamin Blackwelder Cabinetry

This project was such an incredible design opportunity, and instilled inspiration and excitement at every turn! Our amazing clients came to us with the challenge of converting their beloved family home into a welcoming haven for all members of the family. At the time that we met our clients, they were struggling with the difficult personal decision of the fate of the home. Their father/father-in-law had passed away and their mother/mother-in-law had recently been admitted into a nursing facility and was fighting Alzheimer’s. Resistant to loss of the home now that both parents were out of it, our clients purchased the home to keep in in the family. Despite their permanent home currently being in New Jersey, these clients dedicated themselves to keeping and revitalizing the house. We were moved by the story and became immediately passionate about bringing this dream to life. The home was built by the parents of our clients and was only ever owned by them, making this a truly special space to the family. Our goal was to revitalize the home and to bring new energy into every room without losing the special characteristics that were original to the home when it was built. In this way, we were able to develop a house that maintains its own unique personality while offering a space of welcoming neutrality for all members of the family to enjoy over time. The renovation touched every part of the home: the exterior, foyer, kitchen, living room, sun room, garage, six bedrooms, three bathrooms, the laundry room, and everything in between. The focus was to develop a style that carried consistently from space to space, but allowed for unique expression in the small details in every room. Starting at the entry, we renovated the front door and entry point to offer more presence and to bring more of the mid-century vibe to the home’s exterior. We integrated a new modern front door, cedar shingle accents, new exterior paint, and gorgeous contemporary house numbers that really allow the home to stand out. Just inside the entry, we renovated the foyer to create a playful entry point worthy of attention. Cement look tile adorns the foyer floor, and we’ve added new lighting and upgraded the entry coat storage. Upon entering the home, one will immediately be captivated by the stunning kitchen just off the entry. We transformed this space in just about every way. While the footprint of the home ultimately remained almost identical, the aesthetics were completely turned on their head. We re-worked the kitchen to maximize storage and to create an informal dining area that is great for casual hosting or morning coffee. We removed the entry to the garage that was once in the informal dining, and created a peninsula in its place that offers a unique division between the kitchen/informal dining and the formal dining and living areas. The simple light warm light gray cabinetry offers a bit of traditional elegance, along with the marble backsplash and quartz countertops. We extended the original wood flooring into the kitchen and stained all floors to match for a warmth that truly resonates through all spaces. We upgraded appliances, added lighting everywhere, and finished the space with some gorgeous mid century furniture pieces. In the formal dining and living room, we really focused on maintaining the original marble fireplace as a focal point. We cleaned the marble, repaired the mortar, and refinished the original fireplace screen to give a new sleek look in black. We then integrated a new gas insert for modern heating and painted the upper portion in a rich navy blue; an accent that is carried through the home consistently as a nod to our client’s love of the color. The former entry into the old covered porch is now an elegant glass door leading to a stunning finished sunroom. This room was completely upgraded as well. We wrapped the entire space in cozy white shiplap to keep a casual feel with brightness. We tiled the floor with large format concrete look tile, and painted the old brick fireplace a bright white. We installed a new gas burning unit, and integrated transitional style lighting to bring warmth and elegance into the space. The new black-frame windows are adorned with decorative shades that feature hand-sketched bird prints, and we’ve created a dedicated garden-ware “nook” for our client who loves to work in the yard. The far end of this space is completed with two oversized chaise loungers and overhead lights…the most perfect little reading nook! Just off the dining room, we created an entirely new space to the home: a mudroom. The clients lacked this space and desperately needed a landing spot upon entering the home from the garage. We uniquely planned existing space in the garage to utilize for this purpose, and were able to create a small but functional entry point without losing the ability to park cars in the garage. This new space features cement-look tile, gorgeous deep brown cabinetry, and plenty of storage for all the small items one might need to store while moving in and out of the home. The remainder of the upstairs level includes massive renovations to the guest hall bathroom and guest bedroom, upstairs master bed/bath suite, and a third bedroom that we converted into a home office for the client. Some of the largest transformations were made in the basement, where unfinished space and lack of light were converted into gloriously lit, cozy, finished spaces. Our first task was to convert the massive basement living room into the new master bedroom for our clients. We removed existing built-ins, created an entirely new walk-in closet, painted the old brick fireplace, installed a new gas unit, added carpet, introduced new lighting, replaced windows, and upgraded every part of the aesthetic appearance. One of the most incredible features of this space is the custom double sliding barn door made by a Denver artisan. This space is truly a retreat for our clients! We also completely transformed the laundry room, back storage room, basement master bathroom, and two bedrooms. This home’s massive scope and ever-evolving challenges were thrilling and exciting to work with, and the result is absolutely amazing. At the end of the day, this home offers a look and feel that the clients love. Above all, though, the clients feel the spirit of their family home and have a welcoming environment for all members of the family to enjoy for years to come.

This beautiful sunroom will be well used by our homeowners. It is warm, bright and cozy. It's design flows right into the main home and is an extension of the living space. The full height windows and the stained ceiling and beams give a rustic cabin feel. Night or day, rain or shine, it is a beautiful retreat after a long work day.

Wall: Dwell Brown 45x90 Floor: Chambord Beige Lappato 60x90. Semi-polished porcelain tile. Photo by National Tile Ltd

View of the corner fireplace in the sunroom

An 8 foot wide layflat french door allows the space to be open to the lower level of this home. A great room and bar sit on the inside of these doors and allows the guest to be in either space and still be apart of the entire party. Faux wood looking plank tiles paired with the warm wood flooring on the ceiling really bring the warmth of the interior out into the sun room.