The beauty of a sunroom is that you can use it all year round – it can give you sun protection on a hot day yet can also be a great spot to relax in when it’s raining.
Due to its year-round use, it’s important to get the flooring right when bringing your favorite sunroom ideas to life because you want yours cool underfoot in the summer, yet cozy in the winter. Whether you're into hardwood floors or want something more budget-friendly but still functional and stylish, you'll find the right fit for your homes needs.
Sunrooms are typically installed in a south facing position to maximize sunlight and can be a great transitional space between your interior and exterior. If you live somewhere like California or Florida you can likely use yours all year round but you'll also want to pay attention to protecting the flooring from the sun to keep your space stylish for years to come.
Sunroom flooring ideas
The sunroom flooring you choose is just as important as the rest of your scheme, so be inspired by different plains and patterns, vinyl and wood.
1. Hardwood floors
Timeless and stunning, hardwood flooring is a solid choice in the whole home and works especially well aesthetics-wise in a sunroom. John Milligan, R&D Product Development Manager at N-Hance Wood Refinishing says:
'When choosing hardwood flooring for a new sunroom or refinishing for a sunroom conversion, the color and coating are the first things to consider. By choosing a light color you will reduce UV effects over time.'
2. Match your floor tiles to your color scheme
A great sunroom tile flooring idea is to choose the tiles first, then match your walls to the colors, we asked color expert Annie Sloan, for her advice on how to make it work:
‘The walls here have been painted in buttery ochre Chalk Paint™ in Arles. We chose this warm and creamy shade as it perfectly mirrors the yellow used in the existing floor tiles (if your tiles aren’t as beautiful as the ones pictured here, you can always use Chalk Paint™ colors to paint them). All the other colors used in the room are influenced by the tiles; either directly referencing hues used in the pattern or deliberately contrasting. All Chalk Paint™ colors can be mixed, just like actual artists’ paints making this kind of color matching or contrasting possible no matter how unusual or bespoke your point of reference is (be it tiles, textiles or a detail from a painting!)’
3. You can use carpet...
We tend not to think that different types of carpet could be a good sunroom flooring option, but actually it is. Not a thick pile carpet of course – that wouldn’t work in the summer months, but when your sunroom is an extension of your interior space like this modern living area then it can work brilliantly but keep it pale, as Jemma Dayman, buyer of carpets and rugs at Carpetright explains:
‘The understated luxury of pale flooring offers huge versatility to your sunroom. Paired with neutral tones it delivers a sophisticated and confident look, but when you yearn for colour it also provides a perfect foil for deep saturated shades or a simple monochromatic scheme.’
4. Polished black tiles for an easy-to-care for monochromatic scheme
‘Porcelain tiles make a good choice for sunroom flooring as they are hard wearing, easy to clean and won’t fade in the sunlight, says Colin Lincoln-Evans, buyer at Tile Mountain.
‘Choose a patterned option to create a striking feature floor, or for a smaller space a jet black tile with a polished finish will reflect the light helping to make the room feel larger – even if it’s a dark color.’
5. Use your sunroom flooring to zone the space
To keep your sunroom as a separate space even if it actually flows from your living area, use patterned tiles to zone it. It’s the ideal way to give it an individual feel – like a separate space to speak, even if it isn’t.
Zazous do a great range of self adhesive types of floor tiles so you can turn your sunroom into a heavenly space in no time at all.
6. Opt for wood effect tiles to bring nature into your sunroom
‘As we increasingly look to balance self-care and wellness with busy schedules, there is a growing desire to simplify our interiors and create calming spaces that inspire inner peace.'
'Combining neutral tones with nature inspired patterns, such as woods and foliage, creates a sense of tranquillity that is perfectly imperfect. For a cozy style that remains simplistic in its approach, layer textures through accessories in mixed materials,’ explains Jemma Dayman, buyer of carpets and rugs at Carpetright.
7. For a trad look, choose a subtle check
If you prefer a more classic looking sunroom over a modern design, then your flooring needs to fit in accordingly. Here this beautiful sunroom featuring fabrics from ILIV, the variations of grey in these checkerboard style tiles act as a neutral base for the rest of the botanical theme.
Balance is key when it comes to a vibrant space, the grey sofa and armchairs match the paler tones of the tiles perfectly which means you can go as wild as you like with your drapes and accessories.
8. A subtle blue pattern for a hint of the Mediterranean
Not a fan of bright colors but fancy a hint? This Med style sunroom is easy to recreate – keep your walls white and look for patterned tiles with a single shade of blue and white, a mid-tone will work brilliantly.
Bring the blue through into your accessories and add in texture with wood and rattan. Floor tiles are an excellent choice for a sunroom as they’re easy to care for and can be used with underfloor heating.
9. Choose tiles that mimic a different material
Whilst your budget might not stretch to beautiful wood flooring, you can still afford it if you choose wood-effect tiles instead. Super practical, porcelain tiles like Tile Mountain’s Mikeno Honey have the pleasing aesthetics of natural wood and are a great sunroom flooring option.
They have a matt finish and come in a range of colors so they’ll suit any existing scheme you have – and they work with underfloor heating which is a bonus in the cooler months.
10. Warm up your sunroom with cherry wood planks
There’s something lovely about the warming tones of cherry wood flooring and it sits so well in a sunroom. The color of them creates a blank canvas for the rest of your scheme and stops a neutral color palette from looking stark.
Mix it up with paler woods and rattan for added texture and if you have bare beams keep them that way to tie in with your floor boards.
11. Be on trend with parquet flooring
A classic that’s not going away any time soon, parquet flooring adds a decorative touch to any space which makes it ideal for a sunroom. Generally a place that has less clutter, a sunroom can be a more minimalist space than other rooms so it can really benefit from flooring that has a pattern, albeit a subtle herringbone design.
You can buy parquet flooring that’s wood effect, reclaimed or hardwood engineered so you can keep your costs down and still have beautiful flooring.
12. Barely grey flooring looks great with a neutral scheme
When your scheme is neutral with a touch of rattan and other natural materials, then choosing a pale floor will let your furniture be the star of the show.
It allows for flexibility if the following summer you change your scheme to brights and will give balance to the space. A slight texture works well too, it gives a more characterful feel and will be less stark than a flat color.
13. Reflect the light upwards with a high shine floor
Look at the beautiful sheen on this mahogany flooring, it’s certainly a style that suits both trad and modern schemes believe it or not – the reason being is the high gloss finish.
It reflects the light really well so it’s a great sunroom flooring idea for a smaller space. If you’re on a tight budget you could use reclaimed boards and give them a varnish.
14. A large rug can be both practical and decorative
Rugs are a great sunroom flooring idea, they are like a finishing touch that can pull a scheme together whilst adding a cozy touch. We asked Eddie Maestri, principal architect and creative director at Dallas-based Maestri Studio for his thoughts on sunroom flooring for this space:
‘It was important to bring the outdoors in, and we left the windows bare to not block the lake views. Fade resistant fabric was selected for the sofa upholstery, and the rattan and brass sofa conjured a laid back yet sophisticated feel to the space. Even the rug was selected to mimic the lake just outside.’
15. Add texture with beautiful dark grey slate tiles
Cool underfoot when it’s warmer, slate tiles add character to an otherwise neutral scheme. They add depth too and enable you to keep the rest of the space pale to bounce light around – ideal if your sunroom is small.
If you have a corner for planting, then slate tiles are easy to sweep and wipe down too.
16. Go all white for a fresh and airy look
Large format tiles are a winner if you want to make your sunroom feel larger and brighter. Yes, they’ll show up the dirt more, but it’s worth it right?
Crisp and clean looking, white is your go-to tile color if you’d love to recreate this contemporary dining space in your sunroom – team it with white walls, woodwork and Scandi style blond wood chairs and table.
What is the best flooring to use in a sunroom?
There are many sunroom flooring ideas to consider, it all depends on what kind of look you’re after and how it works with your scheme.
Wood laminate and vinyl flooring are your go-to budget ideas, they’re easy to maintain too and will last well. If your sunroom is part of a historic property then it’s only fitting to carry on an authentic look with stone or wooden flooring, these can cost more but will last for decades.
Mliligan adds: 'We always recommend home owners coat floors with N-Dura oil to because it doesn't have side bonding which can cause mid-board cracking and also has exterior rated pigments that stand up to the sun.'
'A lighter color wood and stain will also help prevent sun damage. I’ve seen some home owners opt for laying hardwood in a parquet pattern to disguise sun damage over time, but if you’ve laid your hardwood planks normally, that’s no problem, I would just consider regularly rotating the position of furniture and rugs to prevent permanent fading marks on your flooring. You’ll also want to consider glare from the sun, so perhaps opting for a matte finish rather than glossy on your hardwoods. The great thing about hardwood floors is that they’re luxury flooring and if maintained correctly, can last for years and be refinished multiple times, allowing you to buffer or sand away any visible damage for a clean look for years to come.'
Concrete is a sunroom flooring option for a modern space, it can be slightly clinical so take that into consideration.
Can you install vinyl plank flooring in a sunroom?
Yes installing vinyl plank is a popular choice for several reasons. It doesn’t fade – always a winning feature in a room that sees a lot of sun, it’s easy to maintain, good value for money, comes in plenty of color options and can resist mould, scuffs and scratches.
Should I carpet my sunroom?
Carpet is actually a cozy option for those who live in cooler climates, just opt for a thinner option for when the sun does come out.
It can absorb and hold warmth from the sun which is something that other flooring types simply can’t do – like stone, concrete or vinyl hardwood for example, this makes it a great choice for a touch of comfort and to keep those pesky drafts at bay.