Winter garden, enclosed patio room, screened porch, sunroom, indoor patio… There are many names, with one meaning: a place to relax and chill while watching the snowfall or sipping iced coffee on a summer afternoon. Check below for the finest winter garden decoration ideas. And make your enclosed porch the most adored spot of your house!
What is a winter garden?
A winter garden is a semi-outdoor space that can be used for any household activity without getting affected by climate events. Well, this sounds like a serious scientific description. However, it captures the essence of it. A winter garden is covered with windows -partially or totally- that allows for a lot of sunlight and scenery!
Maybe your house already has a sunroom that can be decorated as a winter garden. But if it doesn’t, there are several ways to turn a space into a winter garden. You can enclose your patio, you can replace the walls and ceiling of an outer room with windows. Or you can build it from scratch. Either way, when considering your winter garden decoration, focus on the use of this space.
Winter garden can have many uses depending on your wishes or your house’s potential. It can be your dining room that would charm your guests. Or maybe, you can decorate it as a tranquil relaxation room. But, of course, the possibilities are not limited to these, as you will see in our winter garden ideas below!
Keep in Mind!
Before decorating your winter garden, consider the room’s orientation towards the sun since the alignment affects your heating options.
For the Northern hemisphere, if the room is facing towards the east, it will get a lot of light during the morning, and it will be cooler in the afternoon and at night. On the contrary, rooms looking to the west get the sunlight in the afternoon and are warmer at night. But in both cases, heating and cooling may be necessary for four seasons.
If the room is facing towards the south, it will get a lot of light during the day, making it easier to heat the room. But you may need sunshades for summer if you want to use the room during the day. Rooms towards the north can get little to no direct sunlight the whole year, so they may not be used for living without heating in winter.
If you just want a room for keeping your plants during the winter, you may not need heating. But turning a sunroom into a living space certainly requires a climatization system.
Heating Systems
There can be found many heating and cooling options for a winter garden. Here you can find the most used heating systems for winter gardens.
Electric Floor Heating
If you plan to use this space throughout the year and live in colder climates, a stable heating system is a necessity. So, floor heating is the best option. It is easy to install, and it heats up the room very well. Moreover, it does not ruin your winter garden decoration because it is invisible!
Air-Conditioner
In warmer climates, an air-conditioner must be your go-to option. Especially in smaller places, air-conditioners can efficiently heat the room in warm winters. In summer, they create the chill relaxation spot you’ll need.
Fireplace
Suppose you want to enjoy romantic evenings in the coziness of your winter garden. In that case, you should seriously consider building a fireplace. Not only do they help create a dreamy atmosphere, but they also provide enough warmth for you to feel comfortable.
Finest Examples and Ideas
For lovers of sunlight, a winter garden can be the perfect living area that you never want to leave, since it is covered with windows. Because of that, winter gardens are also perfect for keeping plants at proper temperature and humidity. But you can add a comfortable chair and an ethnic rug to turn it into a cozy space for reading and relaxing. Or you can decorate the winter garden with rustic dining furniture and a stone fireplace to create the perfect spot for hosting large groups on special days.
You may not have enough garden space to build a winter garden, but you can turn a room into one by simply changing to a glass roof. This spot can be your living area with a comfortable sofa, a wood coffee table, and lots of plants. Try to prefer gridless large windows to create a more open feeling.
The Best Winter Garden
A winter garden is essentially a continuation of your garden, so the garden furniture fits perfectly in this area. You must benefit from the warmth of this room to cultivate plants that need gentler environments like olive and lemon trees and grapevines!
But, maybe the best winter garden is the one with sliding glass windows. It can be turned into a porch where you can enjoy the breezing air during summer!
Say you have a conservatory that looks like it’s from the 19th century with its columns and arched doors. But remember, you can always balance the classic with the modern, like with an up-to-date white living-room suite.
Try New Things
For a modern winter garden, combine concrete floors with bare brick walls, modern leather sofas, and large windows to design an amazing example of eclectic style.
If you have a large garden, you can go big. You can build a fancy winter garden with a pool and a water slide, like an amusement park. The household can enjoy the pleasures of the outdoors like swimming, even on the coldest day.
Images via: alice in scandiland, the modern house, wallpaper, nuevo estilo, design within reach
