A gathering place – Fairfaxtimes.com

To get an insight into how the lovely sunroom on the rear of Bob and Beth Braxton's 45-year-old California contemporary evolved, one might start with photos of the old 12-by-15 wooden deck that preceded it. The deck is, at best, an intimation of what might be, a footprint that helped the recent retirees conceptualize something far more suitable to emergent needs.

We love the outdoors, Beth Braxton says, recalling the process that led to the bright spacious sunroom which now graces the back of the home she and Bob have occupied since 1984. At first, we thought a screened-in porch might be what we were looking for. Then [we] decided that we needed more living space for quality time with friends, family... And especially the grandkids, who often ride over here on their bikes. At that point, I saw that the change had to be for a year-round space, with lots of garden views; a retreat.

An addition off the rear elevation that might have required digging a foundation wasn't needed. But the larger question was: who would field the couple's many questions and shape their vision into a space that would satisfy many requirements, while staying comfortably within a budget?

Quite coincidentally, Beth had noticed a site sign for a remodeling firm working in the neighborhood; not long afterwards, attending her dance class in Burke, she saw a sign indicating where that same firm Sun Design Remodeling maintains their offices.

I just walked right in, Braxton says. Obviously, more living space was really on my mind. My husband and I had discussed some rough ideas, but the important point was that we made an appointment for one of their designers to look at our house.

Bob had sketched out several floor plan concepts one, an octagon, that turned out to be the most expensive in the group. At this point the Braxtons and Sun Design began to collaborate in earnest.

The dialogue was very productive, Braxton says. In the end, we were provided with three different design concepts, each reflecting budget variances. Their process helped us narrow down choices, which matters a lot when you're building something you want to use for the rest of your life.

Thus, in its way, the 450-square-foot sunroom now in place reflects both a broad agenda distilled into beautiful simplicity and an exercise in getting the priorities right.

The options were so thoughtfully presented we could easily make informed decisions on what we wanted to keep and what was less important, Braxton says. The transparency allowed everything to flow smoothly.

A full foundation, for instance, might have added another 40 percent to the cost. As it happened, the site and the structure itself allowed the remodelers to anchor the sunroom's floor framing to 11 6-by-6 wooden piers attached to concrete footings.

It's a cost-effective engineering solution for a comparatively lightweight addition, says Jeremy Fleming, Sun Design's production manager. It provides all the structural support needed, and is much easier to install.

Also, with less excavation equipment on site, it was easier for the remodeler to preserve trees and bushes deemed essential to future landscaping.

More importantly: the piers played a role in the wind-bracing support required in structures that feature a lot of glass.

County rules on glass in new construction have been in place for over a decade, explains Fleming. Because of some tricky complications in the execution, a lot of contractors stay out of the sunroom arena now so it's become somewhat specialized.

As interior design is concerned, the Braxton's retreat is thoughtfully-conceived, zoned for key gathering spots, yet modular and interactive.

A 2'-by-12' alcove on the room's far elevation was designed to accommodate a window seat with built-in bookcases and storage for children's games. With its pyramid-shaped triple window course, the alcove is the defining focal point when entering the room.

Overhead, four skylights allow abundant natural light. Mid-room, a pair of sliders on opposite walls provides beckoning access to, respectively, the north and south gardens.

Every morning the sun rises in the east-facing window alcove where Beth often sits to greet it. There's a glass crystal cross in the window, she says. It catches the light beautifully, and sends little rainbows across the room.

At the room's opposite end, the remodeler built a 4'-by-12' hyphen linking the house to the new sunroom. Another pair of built-ins on opposite sides of the entrance offer adjunct storage and seating.

A pair of African woven baskets displayed in open cubbies reminds Beth of the mission in Kenya she has been involved in for some 25 years. She says the sunroom is dedicated to one of the orphan girls she knows through the mission.

A mini split HVAC unit above the door at the entrance provides the room's heating and cooling. To help maintain thermal efficiencies in the two parts of the house, the remodeler retained the original insulated glass sliding door between the old house and the new sunroom.

The plan really works well for us, Beth says. It's very much the happy gathering place we were looking for as a family.

Sun Design Remodeling frequently sponsors design and remodeling seminars as well as tours of recently remodeled homes. Headquartered in Burke, Sun Design also maintains an office in McLean, Va. For more information visit http://www.Sun DesignInc.com.

John Byrd has been writing about home improvement for 30 years. He can be reached at (703) 715-8006, http://www.HomeFrontsNews.com or byrdmatx@gmail.com

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A gathering place - Fairfaxtimes.com