Sunroom, garden room, conservatory, Orangerie, no matter which version you fancy (or what you call it) these bucolic spaces create a connection with the outdoors that is especially rewarding this time of year.

Last summer, on a visit to interior designer Young Huh’s Hudson Valley retreat, I was enchanted by the sunroom in her 19^th century farmhouse. Pictured here from her new book, A Mood, A Thought, A Feeling: Interiors, it captures how a room can conjure up a vibe—in this case, fresh, cosy and cheerful with layers of houseplants and botanical prints bringing the outdoors in. Set atop a jute rug, it was a delight to see this tactile flooring choice where so often it’s hardwood or tile. And to see the custom Turkish-style banquette! Huh relocated it here after debuting it in memorable fashion at the Kips Bay Show House in New York in 2019. And of course she has just created quite a buzz again, with a riotous series of jewel-toned nooks at this year’s WOW!house in London.

Shows like these often yield intriguing ideas, as was the case at the 2023 RHS Chelsea Flower Show, when Bert & May partnered up with greenhouse purveyor Alitex. Supplying a checkerboard mix of terracotta tiles, they created an enveloping space that would feel equally apropos as an extension to a home. To that end, Daydress founder Gabby Deeming clad the floor of her attached Devon garden room in Lubelska terracotta tiles precisely because it reminded her of the brick floors one might find in a greenhouse. “We knew there would be lots of terracotta pots all over it, so that gentle commonality between materials felt right,” she says. For the ceiling however, she opted for a skylight to avoid overheating in the summer sun.

The conservatory in a Connecticut home designed by architecture firm Ferguson & Shamamian maximizes the view but is outfitted with retractable shades to temper the light. On the floor, interior designer Tino Zervudachi opted for terracotta as well but paired it with glossy Spanish tiles in a bespoke pattern. That is the beauty of tiles, of course. There are endless variations of colors, formats and materials you can spec, be it ceramic, porcelain or stone—like the classic octagon and dot pattern at Reddish house in Wiltshire. It was back on full display last summer during Cecil Beaton’s Garden Party exhibition at the Garden Museum in London. The exhibit poster sold out but the catalogue is still available for purchase and filled with details about this iconic space.

Aesthetics aside, tiles are also hardwearing, so you can drag potted plants indoors and out during the changing seasons without scratching the floors, and water them without worrying about spills. Do as I plan to do (I’m deep in renovation plans) and install a sink in your sunroom. It will spare you from carrying a watering can back and forth from the kitchen or lugging houseplants out to the garden hose. Of course, this is most practical if you can tap into existing plumbing.

Think about colour palette as well. When I was producing a photoshoot (that’s me!) in this dreamy Illinois sunroom designed by Summer Thornton, it was the greyest of days. But the walls painted Farrow & Ball Pink Ground kept the widow-filled sunroom feeling warm and comforting. The lightened up take on red is also green’s colour wheel opposite, meaning it perfectly complemented the landscape outside, the way a rose’s petals complement its leaves. Or, if you opt for those terracotta floors, consider a leafy-hued shade on walls or just the trim, which Deeming notes complements both the outside greenery and the terracotta. Hers is an exterior wood paint matched to Designers Guild Vintage Green.

Whichever direction you take it, the joys of a sunroom extend the seasons giving you full access to the view without exposure to the elements. “It perfectly blends the informality of a garden cabin with all the practical comforts of a room designed for lounging and entertaining,” says Deeming, noting that when it’s done right, it won’t get too hot and will be full of light and beautiful shadows all day.

Photos: Jacob Snavely, courtesy of Young Huh; Courtesy of Bert & May; Tom Griffiths/House & Garden; courtesy of Ferguson Shamamian; courtesy of Garden Museum; Annie Schlechter