5 Small Sunroom Ideas on a Budget

Looking for small sunroom ideas on a budget? Wait until you see these small sunroom ideas to create the perfect space to enjoy the outdoors from within.

Since moving here, we’ve been chipping away at renovating each room on the main living floor.

It started with the formal dining room.

Which led to the family room and front entry hall.

And ended up in our four-season sunroom.

If you saw this sunny space before we gave it a serious makeover, there was no surface left untouched without a heavy faux finish.

While the faux finish designs were truly remarkable, I yearned for more neutral colors with a soft palette so my houseplants would pop in this beautiful indoor space.

Plus, there are several floor-to-ceiling large windows that you couldn’t even look through because your eyes stopped with the Shrek green faux finish designs.

After giving this garden room a total makeover with white paint, it looks clean, beautiful, and the perfect spot to read a good book.

I just finished pulling my perfect sunroom together and can’t wait to show you how incredible it looks now!

Wait until you see what the sunroom looks like now with these small sunroom ideas on a budget.

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5 Small Sunroom Ideas on a Budget

Our sun room is not very large. It’s roughly 11×13 and has some juts in the wall to accommodate the library that is adjacent to the room.

Because it has a smaller footprint, I needed to be conscientious of the furnishings so they don’t overwhelm the space.

I also wanted to leave some room so I can start my seeds indoors during the winter too.

So for my purposes, I wanted my furnishings to be easy to move around so I can work with my plants and seedlings at the same time.

Our sunroom sits directly adjacent to the library and has these beautiful french doors. While it’s a small room, there are plenty of options to design this incredible space.

Small Space Furniture Ideas

Whether you have a three-season room or one that can be used throughout the year, you’ll want to choose furniture that fits the aesthetic.

Garden rooms typically have a lot of plants and outdoor furniture. But that does not mean you actually have to use outdoor furniture in your design.

No.

When you look for inspiration, find your favorite sunroom ideas with aesthetics you love.

But think through them with this lens: will this be comfortable seating and will I want to sit here?

Because if the answer is no to either of these questions, you’ll never use the space.

I can’t tell you how many sunroom ideas I saw that had furniture I would never want to sit on.

Sure they were beautiful to look at. But to really sit on them and enjoy the space was a whole different scenario.

So before you buy, think through how you want to use the space.

Will you want to use it as a home office? Or maybe a living room? Is it a reading nook?

You’ll save yourself a lot of money just thinking these questions through so you don’t have to go back to pick the right sunroom furniture later.

Since our sunroom has a smaller footprint and sits off the library, I opted to go with two gorgeous comfy chairs that swivel. That way we can turn them to face out into the backyard gardens or face in towards the library.

And because I have so many houseplants to accommodate, I wanted my furniture to sit away from the windows to give the plants a great place with more access to much-needed light while indoors.

The smaller footprint, means we did not have a lot of room for a coffee table. So instead, I bought this three-tiered side table to sit between the chairs and this gorgeous boho poof ottoman to prop our feet up.

It is very comfortable to sit here. I love the light and it’s been a great spot to enjoy a cup of coffee or glass of wine with Chris.

Choosing an Area Rug

Although we have a gorgeous tile floor, it’s a good idea to cozy up the room and anchor the furniture with an area rug.

Depending on the look you want, you may or may not want a natural fiber rug. Natural fibers can handle the humidity of tropical sunrooms better than a traditional area rug.

To me, a jute rug pairs well with plants so it was a no-brainer to add one in this small space.

If my floors did not have the pattern that it does, I would have gone with this checkerboard jute area rug.

But since there’s a lot going on with the ceramic tiles, I chose to go with something more neutral.

Add Houseplants

Sunrooms are an ideal spot to grow houseplants so make sure you add a few.

If you aren’t much of a plant parent, try working with some easy-care, low-maintenance houseplants that you can’t kill.

Some great options include:

• Pothos
• Christmas Cactus
• Aloe
• Peace Lilly
• Philodendron
• Monstera Plant
• Zzz Plant
• Anthurium
• Snake Plant
• Spider Plant
• Pilea Plant

As an alternative, you can try adding a few faux plants to green up the space too.

I sometimes mix faux with my real houseplants depending on the look that I’m going for and no one can tell the difference. Not even Chris.

So even if you aren’t the best plant parent, there are lots of great faux options out there as well.

Large plants make a statement and create more of a visual impact than smaller plants but can also overwhelm a space if you have too many.

I love my monstera plants and lacy tree philodendrons but they take up a lot of room and I try to spread them throughout my home instead of crowding them into one small space.

When adding plants to your sunroom, consider how much light the plant needs and where the location of your sunroom is.

If it’s on the south side of your home, houseplants that need less light could scorch. And if it’s located on the north side of your home, high-light plants may not get enough sunlight to thrive.

When we painted our sunroom, I knew the white walls would help the plants pop. They are doing really well in here, there is plenty of natural light for them, and I love this space!

Should I Add Window Treatments?

Whether to add window treatments or not, is the question and it really comes down to personal preference and your sunroom windows.

I love the window frames and moldings in our sunroom and wanted to focus more on my plants and less on the decor.

Since I was looking for small sunroom ideas on a budget, I opted to skip window treatments because they get pricey and I can always add them later.

But if you want to soften the look of your sunroom, adding window treatments is a good option.

Try adding shades made from natural materials in case you want to close them from time to time.

We want to see the outdoors and have no desire to block out the garden views so we are not using any kind of window treatment in our sunroom.

Add Some Humidity

If you intend to grow houseplants in your sunroom, I strongly suggest adding some humidity back into the room with a humidifier.

Plants greatly benefit from them, particularly in the winter when the air is very dry.

While some low-maintenance houseplants can get by without additional humidity, some plants like Boston ferns need it to survive the winter.

Humidifiers are relatively inexpensive but worth the purchase if you want to grow houseplants in the sunroom.

Decorating the Sunroom

Once I added my houseplants and sunroom furniture, it needed some final touches.

Cozy Decor

Add seasonal throw pillows and cozy blankets to create a cozy, lived-in look.

I went higher end with my throw pillows in here because my dogs will not be on this furniture and I wanted to create a boho farmhouse look for this space.

While these throw pillow covers are not as budget-friendly as others, do what makes your heart sing and speaks to you.

Lighting

If there is no overhead lighting, you may want to tuck in some floor lamps or table lamps for accent or task lighting.

Our sunroom has recess lights, so for now, I am going to live with the lighting as is.

More About Budget Sunroom Ideas

So what do you think? Are there other budget sunroom ideas you’d do? Can you believe how much it’s changed since we first moved in here? I’d love to hear more in the comments below.

I can’t believe the transformation of this room. I knew it would look beautiful when we first saw it and love the result.

When looking at houses to purchase, look passed the paint because it’s an easy, budget-friendly fix you can do yourself.

Gah! Gotta grab a book and settle in. Thanks for dropping by the blog today!

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Watch the Video?

Want to see this small sunroom makeover in real time?

You can see the before in greater detail and see all of the changes made in this before and after video.

More Before and After Ideas

Do you love seeing a good before and after?

Me too!

Wait until you see these total transformations!

• Before and After Sunroom Renovation
• Dining Room Before and After Part I
• Dining Room Before and After Part II
• Front Entry Hall Makeover Project
• Family Room Makeover in 1850 Farmhouse
• Painting a Piano
• Heirloom Bench Before and After
• Painting Fabric on a Chair
• How to Paint Wood Cabinets with Chalk Paint
• How to Refinish Wood Cabinets with Gel Stain
• Chalk Paint Kitchen Cabinets FAQ
• Painting Upholstery With Chalk Paint FAQ

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