The Connection

To Sanjay and Deepika Sardana, who have occupied a Colonial style-home in Vienna for 14 years, the great achievement of their new sunroom addition is how well it meets their requirements regarding views, available light and interior design.

The project also garnered a Contractor of the Year (COTY) award from the National Association of Remodeling Industry (NARI) for Michael Nash Kitchen and Homes earlier this year.

“I'm not surprised at the award, “ Sanjya said. “It's a very innovative plan”.

With its 676-square-foot hexagonal-shaped sunroom, extensive decking, ground-level patio, and upper deck off the master bedroom, the indoor-outdoor design accommodates a broad array of family needs.

“We started with a pretty long wish list,” Sanja said. “Our house backs up into a lovely wooded setting, so wanted to take advantage of the views. But we also wanted a better floorplan for a growing family. We could see how new square footage might address these problems, but didn't know what was feasible.”

As it happened, a chance encounter with Michael Nash chairman and founder Sonny Nazemian unleashed a creative process which soon resulted in several design innovations.

• The new square footage would accommodate a family dining and entertainment area circumscribed by a running course of seven foot windows with transoms; the spacious hexagonal footprint permits a significant increase in available light; the design is also be positioned to capture several “focal points” in the surrounding parkland.
• The existing rear elevation kitchen window is transformed into a counter and pass-through within easy reach of the family's everyday dining area.
• A Trex-surfaced decking system accommodates exits from old family room and the new sunroom. Eye-catching designs on the 22x19-foot surface are elaborated in contrasting beige and redwood slats installed in alternating diagonal and parallel lines.
• A flared, three-way staircase connects the deck to a ground-level flagstone patio. The second-level balcony off the master bedroom was also critical to owner requirements. Custom-designed benches and planters are used on both levels to define traffic and gathering zones.

Meanwhile, the new sunroom's interior design explores colors and textures that accentuate visual continuum emanating out in all directions. Wood patterned tile flooring provides an earthy offset to white trimmed divided- light windows that draw the eye to distant focal points. By extension, the bronze-hued leaf-shaped ceiling fans are both a complementary color accent and an appropriate design motif.

Overall, it's a comfortably open space from which to enjoy nature's panorama of ever-changing seasons.

“It's even better than we imagined,” Sanjay Sardana said. “It completes the house. From the sunroom, we can enjoy the setting regardless of outside temperatures.”