Sunrooms for the Soul: A Year in Review

A year ago Chad and I began a construction project: A sunroom facing the woods. While experiencing the all-too-common pandemic supply delays, we also had the unfortunate challenge of contractor site abandonment. Chad started chipping away at more of the finish work, and we were blessed with a handful of local craftsmen who rallied to help on short notice. While up to a dozen weekends of finishing touches remain, I thought I’d share the progress from the past year:

One of the perks of living on a glacial moraine, an abundance of large boulders! A talented local excavator expanded the back yard and completed a stone wall before construction began.

The last of our reclaimed Battle Creek street brick was used to construct a hearth.

Patrick’s college buddy, Luke, used the room for a virtual concert in September before he and Patrick headed up north to perform at several Traverse City wineries and breweries.

A reach through between the kitchen and new room…Chad earmarked several boards from cedar felled on the property for trim and a small countertop. The top section of the hearth backsplash will also have a cedar board with decorative hooks, fitting between the slate tile and rough slate mini shelves (just big enough to hold a couple flameless candles).

Particularly thrilled with the Michigan knotty pine ceiling…the barrel stave light fixtures also added a fun, rustic touch. Several pieces of elm from the property completed a rustic shelf spanning the room.

Special thanks to Tommy Rosenburg, Tony Coughlin, and Scott Mueller for the quality workmanship and gift of time, fitting us in your busy schedules!

Thanks for reading!