Nearly seven years ago we moved into our current home. It really
didn't (we thought) need a lot of work. Since moving in we have
discovered a weak electrical system, lack of storage
space, and a leaking sunroom roof. The sunroom was a major selling
point in buying this house. Ten beautiful windows that look out into
what used to be a quaint wooded area. I remember sitting in
the room when the house was being inspected and thinking -- this is my
spot.
The roof over the sunroom was flat, something very common houses
constructed in the 1920's. We thought the flat roof wouldn't be a
problem as the former owner assured us it had just been re-roofed. But
flat roofs and Michigan winters are not amicable companions, and two
winters ago, during a thaw cycle, the roof began to leak. After talking
to our friend and contractor, Gary Allen, we decided we would put a hip
roof on the structure. The door that walked out onto the flat roof
would be replaced by a window. Gary is a creative and resourceful
fellow and mentioned that he had an arched window sitting in his driveway
(a Pella window, even), that he felt would look nice in a gable. We would have to add a
cathedral ceiling. We liked the idea. So here are pictures of our
project.
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| This is Gary in our old "before" sunroom. The ceiling was an Armstrong fake wood product. |
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| The roof peeled off. There wasn't a salvageable board in the roof. |
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| This is the interior after the arched window was set in place and the gabled roof put on. |
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| The exterior -- almost complete -- it turned out kind of cute! |
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Just recently I finished making Swedish shades for the ten windows in the sunroom. Now a Swedish shade isn't that big of a deal to make -- but ten of them took quite a while and quite a lot of effort. I like the way the room looks now -- although I would like to change the seating in the room to accommodate more people -- that will come later. I do love the color though and I like the shades. The whole family is very happy with the project.
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| The new ceiling is natural beadboard. Although the floor isn't visible here, it is oak that was stained to match the existing floor in the rest of the house. |
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| See more of the sunroom project at my blog |
