The Sunroom Reveal: How we transformed our outdoor porch into a year-round room

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When we moved into our home almost exactly two years ago, we immediately started dreaming up ways to convert our seasonal porch into a space we could enjoy year-round. While a seasonal porch can be a wonderful thing, Chicago winters are long and grueling. We really wanted to get the most out of this space by winterizing it, but also not lose its essence. Having lots of free-flowing air was a high-priority, but being able to enjoy it longer than 3-4 months of the year felt equally important.

Step #1: Insulating

The first step to preparing this space to take on the Chicago winters was to insulate it. I guess the true first step was to demo the stucco that lined the room, and to remove the ceiling. The ceiling was low, but we knew we could lift it, as the outside was on a slant. After the stucco and ceiling were both gone, we lined the underside of the floor, the ceiling and all of the walls with rock wool insulation.

When that was done, we sheet rocked over it, and taped and spackled to prep for paint.

Step #2: Add a door + windows

We only had screens in this space and no windows, or a door. We found a black steel sliding door on Facebook Marketplace for about 80% off retail. It was brand new and hadn’t even been used. We ordered the 400 series windows in black from Anderson, and installed them ourselves.

Step #3: PAINT

We wanted to paint before we installed the tile floor, to make sure that no paint would get on the tile. Since this space is pretty much a part of our kitchen (and we wanted to make it really feel like it was an offshoot of the kitchen), we opted to paint the walls and ceiling and trim the same color we used in the kitchen: Wimborne White by Farrow & Ball in their Dead Flat finish (a highly durable, cleanable paint, despite its matte finish).

Step #4: Heated Flooring + Electric

We had no heat source in this space, so the next step was to add electric heated flooring. This is really a fairly easy installation, as long as you already have electric in your space. We used this exact product from WarmUp to heat our floors. We needed to rearrange where the electric was in the room, but other than that, most of the wiring was already where it needed to be. We added the Pacifica Outdoor Pendant by Serena & Lily, and I love the casual, beachy vibes it adds to this space.

A lot of people were curious if the heated flooring would hold up as the only heat source in this space. I’m happy to say, even with temps dipping below zero this winter, this space stayed nice and toasty warm (and felt amazing underfoot!). It probably helps that this space is open to our kitchen/the rest of the home. We did initially have interior doors on this space that opened into our kitchen, but quickly realized they should be open as to not isolate the room, so we removed the doors (because what is the point of doors that are open 100% of the time, anyway?).

Yes, I loved the doors. I had salvaged them from a local spot and they really were beautiful. But, practically, it didn’t make much sense to have them there. I did hold onto them, just in case I change my mind down the road.

Step #5: TILE

One of the very last steps to complete this space was to tile it with the gorgeous, and MUCH asked-about Terracotta Tile – Star & Cross from Riad. This pattern is just so good. It’s classic, without feeling too traditional. It’s neutral, while still feeling colorful. It’s fun, but still sophisticated. This tile really can fit into any type of decor, and I love that it is the star of the room. The white walls allow it to really pop and shine, and because this tile is so effortlessly beautiful, it’s really all this room needs.

We DIYed the tile installation (as we did the rest of the room) and used Haystack grout color between the tiles. We didn’t use spacers for the installation and since the tiles are slightly irregular, we opted for larger grout lines up to 1/4″. And, yes, we installed the tile directly on top of the heated flooring pads. This particular tile is compatible with heated flooring, but not all tile/flooring is compatible, so be sure to check before installing.

Step 6: Add Plants, Drapery + Enjoy

This room was created for a lot of reasons. We wanted a sunny spot to enjoy some Vitamin D/sun on those cold winter days, but also a breezy, screened and bug-free spot to relax in the summer (have you heard, the Cicadapocalypse is coming to Chicago this summer?). We wanted to enjoy our morning coffee here, and have a spot to enjoy an evening glass of wine. We also wanted a second door we could go in and out of our kitchen from in the case of inclement weather. Because the door slides, it allows us to plop our boots and shoes right in front of it.

But another big reason we winterized and finished off this space was the overwinter our plants. If you’ve been following along for a while, you’re probably aware of my plant obsession. And while my plant collection has actually dwindled slightly over the years (65 house plants was just too much to contend with), I did want a sunny space that I could overwinter the ones that I typically keep outside in the warmer seasons.

I’m happy to say that the plants are absolutely thriving in this space, with the help of this humidifier and all the sunshine that pours in here year-round. They’ve all gotten new leaves throughout the winter and will be strong and healthy when May rolls around and they can be placed back outside.

We also added custom blackout drapery from TwoPages Curtains to add some texture and warmth to the space, but also to block out sun when needed, for privacy, or to keep the room even more insulated, if need be. We went with the Liz Linen Drape Pleated in Ivory White (and with memory shaping). They really are so very gorgeous.

Stay tuned for how this space will shift seasonally. With the plants making their way outside, that will leave us with some extra square footage, and my restless mind is already planning out ways to get the most out of this space for the spring and summer season.

For now, we are all just fighting over the coveted two seats in this space (but when they’re both taken, that warm Riad tile makes for a great place to sit out butts down, too).