greenhouse GLAM

Turn your shabby sunroom into a classy conservatory crossed with a studio space. The result is beautifully practical!

- JULIET LOVE,MELISSA KING

A classic sunroom can be under-appreciated. Built as an addition to old A homes from the '50s-'70s, this space can lack privacy and be hard to heat and cool, meaning it often ends up as a junk room. But if you use its biggest advantage - sun exposure -as inspo, you can turn it into an asset, not an afterthought. Here, the invasion of kids' clutter was halted to turn the room into an art studio and greenhouse for a creative green thumb mum. Try these easy upgrades and plant ideas at your place.

1,2 NATURE BY DESIGN

With abundant natural light, a sunroom makes an ideal creative hub for an artist or maker. Add lots of lush greenery and a spot to sit and soak up the sun, and you have a space that is both stylish and serene. What bliss!

3 RETRO CHIC

Swap old carpet for durable vinyl in a chic pattern and you won't stress about spills when watering your plants. PS, a marble-topped tulip reproduction table adds retro-glam.'

4 LUSH AND LOVELY

Let the era when the sunroom was in its heyday influence your plant picks and opt for what Nan used to grow-palms, ferns and monsteras. As a general rule, plants that are happy to live indoors don't like being blasted by heaters or air-con, and like a more humid environment, so mist the leaves regularly.

5 INDOOR JUNGLE

To create an oasis indoors, borrow ideas from the jungle. A bird of paradise and kentia palm in tall pots function as tree-like canopy plants, then you can fill out the 'understorey' with lower growers in smaller pots. Add a lounge chair that wouldn't look out of place at a resort and enjoy the tropics at home!

EASY STEPS TO YOUR NEW WORKSPACE

Give an old table a new top and add wall shelving - here hiding a blocked-up window - to make a creative station.