Sun Parlors & other bright spaces

BY PATRICIA POORE

Is there anything better than a New England sunroom in January? Big windows invite what daylight is available, your relief from the gloom. Plants survive the winter. If the room is insulated and weather stripped and the floor is masonry or tile, passive solar gain radiates through the house. Sunrooms are, however, popular from Seattle to Miami. • Architectural devices for bringing sunlight (and often ventilation) into a house include the orangeries and conservatories of the Victorian era, porches later enclosed to extend the season, and even purpose-built “sun parlors,” especially after 1915 or so. Here’s a glimpse of these gracious amenities, with hints on furnishing, whether in porch or more elegant parlor mode. PORCHES sunlit in all seasons Countless archival renderings and photographs, particularly from the years 1870 to 1920, show…

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Old House Journal (Digital) - 1 Issue, September/October 2024

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