Room of the Day: Monet Colors Make a Sunroom Irresistible

Minnesota winters can drag on, so a light-filled, inviting sunroom is just what the designers ordered for this family home outside of Minneapolis. “The room had great bones but was kind of frumpy and uninviting,” says interior designer Lucy Penfield of Lucy Interior Design. “It needed a fresh touch.” The new touches include a Monet-inspired color palette, natural elements and, most important, irresistibly comfortable furnishings that tempt the family to gather here year-round. “The room is a people magnet,” Penfield says. It’s easy to see why this sunporch has become the family’s favorite getaway spot.

Photography by Andrea Rugg

The room’s existing vaulted beadboard ceiling, pillow-top limestone floor and fantastic windows gave the design team a running start. The architecture and view of the room from the kitchen/breakfast room called out for a symmetrical furniture layout. Pairs of end tables, ottomans and armchairs create just that.

The team brought down the height of the room to human scale with the placement of the natural grass woven shades. The shades leave the views to the woods and marsh open and can protect the room from the sun’s glare when necessary. The shades add a pleasing natural texture, as does the jute rug over the limestone floor. The rug has a faux leather border that will stand up to fading.

Shades: Conran


A pair of large tufted ottomans gives everyone in the family a spot to put up their feet and relax. “The homeowners love to enjoy The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal as well as their iPads out here,” Penfield says. “They are always moving the ottomans around depending on where they are sitting.” Located right off the kitchen, the room is a great spot for enjoying a cup of coffee or tea.

As for color, Monet’s color theory explorations at Giverny provided the inspiration. From those French gardens, the designers picked dusty peach and soft blue for the larger pieces, then accentuated them with smaller daubs of bright pink and turquoise. “The bolder colors infuse the room with energy,” Penfield says. They ultimately opted not to go with sunlight-resistant fabrics, as the windows have UV glare protection, and because soft colors tend to fade in a pleasing, porch-y way.


When it came to layering prints, Penfield used tiers. Tier one: The smallest print is on the largest pieces, the twin ottomans. Tier two: The medium-scale organic fern print in soft blue is on the armchairs. Tier three: They used the largest print on the throw pillows. Each pillow is unique, but the covers were cut from the same fabric, and the floral medallions were placed with care.

“The sofa is so pretty and quiet, we left it solid,” Penfield says. “It also ties in with the sisal rug.” The sofa fabric is a textured linen blend.

Fabrics: Raoul Textiles and Clarence House; furniture: available through Lucy Interior Design


The pair of round bleached beechwood tables bring in a French look with their curved legs and gessoed finish. Eclectic glazed turquoise lamps add whimsy, balanced by crisp white shades. Finally, small details like the dark wood furniture feet add a hint of British colonial style and tie the room to the rest of the home.

The designers added hints of casual lake-house elements, like this woven side table, here and there, without going the usual route of lots of wicker and stick furniture. Instead, they opted for very comfortable upholstered furniture. The result is that the room is a vacation-house-like getaway for the family right at home.

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