How to Light a Sun Porch

Use large window panes or slats to compose the majority of your sun porch's walls. This will allow natural light to fill the porch during daylight hours. A well-lit sun porch enclosure should consist of more transparent surfaces than opaque surfaces. Decide whether you want an opaque ceiling for shade or a transparent ceiling for increased heat and light. The latter might be helpful if you plan on growing plants in your porch.

Install window screens if you'd prefer filtered light. Unscreened windows make for unfiltered, brighter, hard light. Screens help keep bugs out and can be especially useful in humid areas with lots of mosquitoes, though this choice ultimately boils down to personal preference.

Equip your sun porch with a glass or screened door. Using a transparent door rather than a solid one increases the indoor-outdoor flow, further joining your sun porch to the outdoors.

Paint any solid walls a light-catching color. Use white or yellow for maximum brightness. To cool down intense light, choose a shade such as pale blue or seafoam green. If your sun porch has a solid ceiling, paint it to match using the same shade or an accenting color. For instance, blue and white or beige and green.

Make your sun porch night ready with gentle lighting. Consider Chinese-style paper lanterns to provide a warm, colored glow or string lights for a casual style. Bring outdoor light in by mounting tiki torches in the lawn just outside the porch or install a simple hanging lantern for a rustic feeling. Soft pendant lights do the trick, but hang them below any ceiling fans to avoid a strobe light effect. If you have a large sun porch in a chilly locale, consider an outdoor fireplace to provide lighting and heat.

Hang lightweight, translucent draperies in extremely hot or sunny areas, such as desert regions. Thin curtains provide shade without completely blocking light while cooling the porch and providing a bit of privacy. Natural rattan blinds serve as an alternative to light curtains.