Amazing East Cobb Sunroom Renovation

Sometimes the answer to dissatisfaction with your home isn’t to move, it’s to grow where you are. For this East Cobb family, they were looking for a larger space to enjoy the beautiful view of trees on their lot while basking in the natural sunshine.

The Backstory

Their original old deck was slowing falling into disrepair. The decking was warped and full of splinters. Sadly, both the sun porch and deck didn’t get much use because of the unusual floor plan. The awkward layout didn’t encourage the family to stop and enjoy the view.

Initially, the family thought the outer deck structure was salvageable. However, we discovered that after removing the top boards, the underlying joists were not only weak but also not level. It would be unsafe and short-sighted to build on top of this. What a shame it would be to put a beautiful new deck and porch on such a crooked, irregular frame. After a short meeting, the family decided to bite the bullet and start fresh from the ground up. Another benefit to starting over would be an expansion of the foundation. Increasing the square footage would also boost the home’s value.

Going Up!

With the new foundation installed, the structure started to take shape. A new detail to this sun porch was the EZE Breeze windows. EZE Breeze windows are different than your typical residential windows because they are made of vinyl. Benefits include a lifetime warranty. Most interesting is that they fold up or down and can stack into four pieces. Modularity allows for more creativity, especially when the screens are open and there is airflow. Plus they are excellent at protecting your furniture during Atlanta’s dreaded pollen season!

Another style upgrade to the sun porch is the addition to the ceiling. Behold the beautiful dark brown cedar beams! The overall color scheme chosen is a gorgeous shade of white with complementary browns. The natural color of the cedar in the beams and detailed columns give great warmth to the room now. We used 2×6 smooth cedar decking outside and finished it with an oil base tinted stain. It should be noted when designing a new porch, the price of cedar raises the overall cost quite considerably.

Efficiency Year Round

The key to keeping the temperature stable year round on a sun porch is insulation! The walls and ceiling were the first to receive the treatment. In a later phase, the floor will get insulated too. Georgia summers can be brutal, so we installed a massive 72″ ceiling fan. It’s doing an excellent job keeping the room cool when some of the windows are vented.

Skylights were installed to overcome the vastness of this larger porch. Skylights help bring some natural light inside; it’s beautiful to see the sky and clouds pass by while sitting down enjoying the day.

The final dress-up to this sun porch was the myriad of lighting selected. Outside, we installed under soffit can lights. Inside, we placed indoor can lights on two different dimmer switches; this allows for ‘atmosphere dimming’ to set the mood. The new wall-mounted decorative lights look fantastic on the columns.

 

Have you heard of shiplap? It’s the latest style in renovating and it looks sumptuous on the inside wall against the house. We used different-sized wood planks and gave them a whitewashed finish. It’s a trend that’s here to stay.

According to the client, the most popular part of the sunroom they have found themselves using is the sitting area. It’s getting daily use now along with the long table when they host friends.

Are you ready to get your porch ready for Spring and Summer? Call Atlanta Curb Appeal to get a free estimate today at 770-778-1172.

Want to read another makeover story? See the beautiful Outdoor Kitchen with Cedar Deck we built for this family!

See the Atlanta Curb Appeal Gallery here.

 

Gorgeous Sunroom and Magnificent Master Bath From Thin Air!

Gorgeous Sunroom and Magnificent Master Bath From Thin Air!

“A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is a reality.” Yoko Ono

Adding a sunroom can have two benefits. One is creating value to the homeowners through increased space for enjoying the outdoors without the weather; the other is a boost to their property value. Reports vary as to the exact number, but it is suggested there is a 60–80% return on investment when adding a sunroom.

For this West Cobb family, more space was the goal. The family has small children, and also their mother had taken residence with them. Instead of moving to a bigger house, a re-working of their existing floor plan was the answer. They chose Atlanta Curb Appeal because of recommendations from an East Cobb Moms Facebook group.

The first phase of the project was building the addition. Atlanta Curb Appeal began by framing out the walls and ceiling while leaving space for the huge new windows. Walls and floor installation were next. The clients selected an easy-to-clean tile that stays cool in the summer. To keep energy costs at a minimum, Atlanta Curb Appeal added insulation to the floors, walls, and ceiling. The clients chose a gorgeous, gentle shade of blue for the interior, a color that reminded them of their trips to the beach. Finally, the installation of electricity and HVAC venting completed this large, sunny space.

Part two was making changes to the original floor plan; the main living room had a high vaulted ceiling. By dividing the space in half, an entire new space was created upstairs. Two windows were removed from around the fireplace. One window space was transformed into a useful, built-in bookcase with an outlet at the bottom for the TV cable and router wiring. The other turned into a patio door to the outside. Crown molding was added to the bookcase and door to match the rest of the house.

Now, the family had usable living space above the living room, which was to become a new master bedroom with added closet and a full master bath!

The shower was completely designed by the clients. They wanted a very particular marble tile layout, which the crews, through collaboration, were able to install successfully. Atlanta Curb Appeal is very proud of their custom tile crew; they performed beyond the clients’ wildest expectations. Polished marble tops the new vanity: a stunningly beautiful, white, 2cm. Carrera. Atlanta Curb Appeal’s crew also added a small cabinet by the shower. This phase was most challenging as all new plumbing had to be built and installed.

When we asked the client how she felt about the new space, she replied, “We LOVE every inch of it. Mom is living in our original master on the main floor and has her own sunroom and space. Now we can be upstairs with our babies, and we don’t have this empty, gaping, two-story living room. We love that no space is wasted!”

Would you like to read another story? Check out this European Kitchen Makeover!