How to Remodel a Sun Porch Into a Family Room

Remove all furniture, wall hangings, window treatments and accessories from your sun porch, providing a clean canvas to work with.

Select a color scheme and decor for your family room that will complement adjacent rooms. For example, if your home has contemporary-style furniture with a neutral color palette, stay in those parameters.

Apply a new coat of paint to interior sun porch walls, coordinating the paint color with adjacent interior rooms. Paint is an economical way to add instant freshness to a room, helping it blend with the rest of the house. Light colors tend to make a space appear more spacious, while darker colors cozy up a room.

Paint concrete or previously painted wooden floors with paint formulated for porches. This adds a protective coating and a newer look to the room.

Measure each wall of your sun porch with a tape measure, and sketch the measurements onto a piece of graph paper to create an outline of the available floor space. Use a 1/4 to 1 scale, which means that every 1/4-inch square on the graph paper is equal to 1 foot of the actual room. Measure the windows and doors, and include them in your sketch. Also, note on your drawing where electrical outlets and any floor vents are.

Decide how you would like to use your family room. For example, you might want an area for reading, playing games, watching television or conversing. Choose furniture pieces to accommodate those activities.

Measure the width, depth and height of furniture pieces you want to incorporate into your family room. Draw each measurement on a clean piece of graph paper, using the 1/4 to 1 scale. Cut out each furniture piece, and use a pencil to label each.

Rearrange your paper furniture cutouts on your room sketch to play with different layouts without the work of moving furniture. Use interior design guidelines to create a functional room. Allow a minimum of 3 feet for frequently used walkways. There should be a minimum 10-inch access space between chairs and sofas. Allow at least 1 foot between a seat and coffee table.

Lay a coordinating area rug over your porch floor to add softness, texture and color.

Hang natural woven or wooden blinds from windows to incorporate an earthy ambiance into any family room decor. Add a liner for additional privacy.

Accessorize with potted greenery, artwork and toss pillows to add energy, texture and color. Place table and floor lamps throughout the room for task and ambient lighting.