Now, it's easier than ever for homeowners to find their place in the sun inside their houses. Most commonly called a sunroom -- but also known as a solarium, garden room or conservatory -- this glassed-in room allows people to take in natural views and sunlight from the comfort of a controlled environment, says Richard Harris, a vice president with Four Seasons Sunrooms and Windows, a 42-year-old company based in Holbrook, New York, with 300 franchises in the United States and Canada.

"As plants grow toward the light, people are also drawn to sunny spaces," he says. "Different from a lanai or enclosed porch, a sunroom tends to not share or be contained under an existing roofline on the home. Instead a sunroom is a free-standing structure that has glass walls and often a glass roof or skylights."

Modern-day sunrooms have their historical roots in European greenhouses and conservatories. A glassed-in room was attached to an existing building to be able to grow tropical plants and fruits, so they could be enjoyed in colder climates.

The modern-day rise of the sunroom's popularity started in the last part of the 20th century, when professional remodeling companies developed stand-alone systems to enclose a patio. For this reason, sunrooms can also be referred to as "patio rooms," which feature engineered glass panels that are customized and prefabricated to on-site building specifications.

But before letting the sunshine in with a sunroom addition, you must first work out how you want to use it, Harris says. "If you want to use a sunroom as a dining space with a large table and chairs, or just as a place to enjoy morning coffee, the size of the room is often dictated by the configuration of furniture," he says. "How a sunroom will be used also determines the use of electricity, and if there's a need for plumbing."

No matter its use, a sunroom should be a sunny segue from the inside of the house to scenic views outside. Usually attached to the back or side of a home, a sunroom can have many uses, including: a home office, an art studio, a home gym, a craft room, a game room or just an extension of the kitchen or living room.

Whether building plans are new construction or renovating a home to include a sunroom, Harris says homeowners need to do their homework and check local building codes within their municipality and/or homeowner's association guidelines to gain permits before breaking ground. "The site needs to be prepared and graded so water flows away from a home's foundation," he says. "Also the style and structure of the sunroom needs to complement your home's architecture, but it also has to be built to endure strong winds and snow loads on the roof in colder climates."

Sunrooms come in a variety of shapes and sizes:

-- An angled-roof sunroom boasts the simplicity of a structure with modern appeal featuring floor-to-ceiling windows.

-- A curved-roof sunroom -- often called a solarium -- has a glass ceiling that curves downward into glass-paneled walls.

-- A gabled-roof sunroom, with an option for cathedral ceilings, can create a sense of airiness in the space.

-- A conservatory sunroom recreates the round, classical Victorian English-style or the distinctive Georgian style, with rooftop architectural design elements.

A Four Seasons Sunroom is prefabricated with glass-paneled walls built in 3-foot increments. "One of the most common sizes is a 12-by-12-foot sunroom," Harris says. "But, again, a sunroom's size depends on what it will be used for and the constraints of a home's architecture and roofline." Harris says costs for a typical sunroom can average around $35,000, but that cost will escalate as more window/door details and square footage are added.

As technology has advanced, so has the sunroom's energy efficiency, through the use of insulated, tinted and privacy glass. Aluminum, wood or vinyl-composite/clad frameworks can be manufactured to house immovable glass, operating windows or French doors that open into the yard.

Harris touts the next generation of sunrooms -- which will have smart-room technologies including Internet-enabled capabilities, temperature control abilities and motorized screens. No matter how the room is appointed, it's important for all its components to be dressed in their sunny-best: using fade-resistant fabrics and flooring that can be easily swept clean.

"Sunrooms aren't just for use on picture-perfect sunny days," Harris says. "There's something really beautiful about watching the rain or snow come down while you're warm and dry inside a sunroom."

The Sunny Side of Life

Arrange for a FREE in-home estimate with a local sunroom dealer. Go to FourSeasonsSunrooms.com or call 888-270-3546.

(For editorial questions, please contact Clint Hooker at chooker@amuniversal.com.)

Forget going over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house -- for some families, it's as easy as traveling over the foyer and through the rooms. An intergenerational living arrangement may not be for everyone, but some families are living with the benefits of built-in babysitters and the ability to age in place surrounded by loved ones.

The American Community Survey (ACS) defines multigenerational households as families with three or more generations living under the same roof. Data from a 2009–2011 survey conducted by ACS reports that 4.3 million households are multigenerational, or 5.6 percent of the total of 76.4 million family households surveyed.

"Throughout history, a family living together multigenerationally was the norm," says Stephen Melman, a National Association of Home Builders spokesperson, based in Washington, D.C. "Single family homes are a fairly recent construct from the mid-20th century, when people started to become more mobile, leave home and settle somewhere else, far from extended family."

But Melman says -- especially with trying financial times due to the recession starting in 2008 -- there was a rise in extended families pooling resources and living together under the same roof again out of necessity. "What research shows is that people could retrofit existing homes to make a suite or what's called a mother-in-law apartment to accommodate other family members," he says. "You know this ancient concept of multigenerational living is becoming a modern concept when builders start constructing homes with this intent."

Meet the McConkie family, who started living as four generations -- ages 1 to 91 -- under one roof in October 2011, in their newly constructed 9,500 square-foot home in Millcreek, Utah.

Architect Jack Hammond, one of the principals at Architectural Nexus in Salt Lake City, designed the six-bedroom, five-bathroom house to share a common area in the middle where family members can freely meet. Three generations currently live in the home: The elder generation and grandparents are Jim and Judi McConkie; the middle generation is son Bryant and his wife, Aimee McConkie; and the youngest generation is comprised of four girls. Jim's mother, Gwendolyn Wirthlin McConkie Cannon, lived in a garden apartment on the elder's side of the home until her passing in 2013. Jim and Judi's daughter, Kelly McConkie Stewart, lives in a separate home next door with her husband, Brian, and their four children.

Affectionately called the "McCompound," credit for the new multigenerational home construction goes to daughter-in-law Aimee, says Jim McConkie. "None of this would have happened, had Aimee not pushed for it," he says. "We call this our happy experiment: The space has a wonderful synergism and we are all closely connected, and we wouldn't have it any other way."

Hammond says a home with many generations only works if people respect each other's privacy. "When designing this house, I made it so there are two distinct entrances: one for the grandparents' and one for the parents' portion of the home," he says. "Bedrooms and bathrooms are on opposite ends of the house to afford each family the greatest privacy."

Connecting the separate living spaces on either side of the home is a common area in the middle, which can be opened or closed off to each family's side of the house, based on the use of semitransparent glass arts-and-craft-style doors.

"The common space has a large media room on the lower level, and, above that, a library and space to host large dinners and recitals," Hammond says. "Flanked by kitchens on either side, the common area is prime for entertaining and socialization." The shared space between homes also has a common laundry and storage spaces throughout the lower level.

Hammond was mindful of creating a home with universal design, where family members are able to age in place. "Simple things like making doorways wider to accommodate wheelchairs and one-level living with ramps leading into the home provide the greatest accessibility," he says. "Grab bars and roll-in, barrier-free showers are accommodations that are easily made in the bathroom, while a stair-climbing chair makes navigating multiple levels of the house easier."

But it's the interaction between generations that makes this house a home, Jim McConkie says. "The kids go back and forth from our home to theirs to Kelly's house seamlessly," he says. "When my mother was alive, she would read to her great-grandchildren every night. Bryant and Aimee would get a break and it was my mother's delight to read to the children."

Hammond says the McConkie family is progressive in that they choose to live multigenerationally together and built a home to accommodate their lifestyle. Other families might be forced to do so, due to financial or health reasons, but the need to honor each other's space is paramount. "If you're in a situation where you need to move into an intergenerational housing setup, the same rules still apply," he says. "You need to carve out a place for privacy and a common area open to family members."

The final stage of the McConkie home construction will be the addition of a pool in the back of the home -- extending the common indoor spaces to the outside.

"There's so much learning that takes place between the generations -- Judi and I may be able to impart some wisdom, but the kids certainly keep us young," Jim McConkie says. "We feel blessed to be able to be part of such a loving family, as we support each other in every way possible."

Populous Plans

Architectural Nexus, ArchNexus.com, Salt Lake City, 801-924-5000.

National Association of Home Builders, NAHB.org, click the FOR CONSUMERS link.

(For editorial questions, please contact Clint Hooker at chooker@amuniversal.com.)

Meet and greet is a simple strategy to welcome new neighbors into your community or old friends into your home. Whether you live in an established neighborhood of single-family homes or an apartment building, empathy is always the best policy when it comes to those living closest to you, says Peter Post, director of the Emily Post Institute, based in Burlington, Vermont, and great-grandson of the etiquette expert.

"Be welcoming, and treat your neighbors as you like to be treated," he says. "Especially during the holidays, there are opportunities for more formal interactions at parties and open houses, but the casual greetings on the street and over the fence are important, too."

Neighborly introductions have become more informal, since our society has become more casual and mobile. Post says it's acceptable to drop by when introducing yourself to a new neighbor, but don't expect to be invited inside their house or for them to tell you the story of their life.

"It's common sense, but relationships blossom over time," Post says. "When you're meeting new neighbors for the first time, keep it simple. A gift of food with a card of introduction is a warm gesture."

A neighborly mantra for first contact is to keep it sociable and short. The best housewarming gifts are those that are also heartwarming, such as a basket of baked goods, freshly picked vegetables or flowers from your yard, or a bottle of bubbly.

Three years ago, Post and his family bought a second home in a Vero Beach, Florida, neighborhood. "Having a home in Florida is a different experience than living on nearly 30 acres in rural Vermont," he says. "We love Vermont, but a lot of interactions with neighbors are more formal, because of the coordination involved. In Florida, we can walk down the street, or open our garage door, and talk to our neighbors."

The way your home looks to your neighbors leaves a lasting impression and sends a message, no matter where you live, says Rebecca Gray, merchandising vice president of the Omaha-based Hayneedle Inc., a decade-old online home store. "Start by keeping your home neat and tidy," she says. "It doesn't matter if you have a nice wreath on the door if the paint is peeling, or new outdoor furniture if you don't mow the grass."

This time of year, it's easy to spread cheer by the way you decorate your home for the holidays. "The trick is to make your home comfortable and approachable all year long," Gray says. "The way your house looks is an expression of how you live, but that doesn't mean you have to spend a lot of money."

Planters with seasonal flowers and a new welcome mat can work wonders to create curb appeal. Catch a breeze -- or shoot the breeze with neighbors -- by creating welcoming outdoor spaces with Hayneedle's Coral Coast Pleasant Bay Porch Swing ($179.98) or Adirondack Chairs ($199.98) surrounding an Aspen Bronze Fire Pit ($159.98).

"Outdoor spaces are an extension of your home and give neighbors the opportunity to gather in an impromptu and casual way," Gray says. "It's one more way to connect with people."

Post says, above all, be considerate by not pulling the rug out from under neighbors while trying to put out the welcome mat:

-- Don't expect neighbors to have free time to visit. Sometimes, a quick wave is sufficient.

-- Don't offer decorating or landscaping advice.

-- Don't gossip about others in the neighborhood.

-- Don't leave your pet's or children's mess on a neighbor's property.

-- Don't extend an invitation for others to gather regularly on your porch or swim in your pool unless you mean it sincerely.

-- Don't overstep your neighborly relationship by walking into someone's home without ringing the doorbell.

Different communities have varied ways in which people feel neighborly toward each other. A holiday open house or informal neighborhood get-together can help foster a connection to community. "It's very intimate to invite people into your home," Gray says. "But don't be an uptight host, or no one -- including you -- will have a good time."

Post says practicing inclusion is always better than the alternative. "Don't exclude that person you might consider to be a curmudgeonly neighbor from a gathering. He may not choose to show up, but then again, he might surprise you and be delightful," Post says. "And because of the way people are mobile today, there's a greater likelihood that you will not only be the one welcoming a new neighbor, but also be the new neighbor hopefully being welcomed."

In short, a golden neighbor is one that adheres to the Golden Rule. "Your neighbors can become like extended family -- with boundaries, of course," Post says. "Having and being a good neighbor is a part of feeling safe and valued where you live."

Hospitable Habitudes

For free etiquette tips and ideas, subscribe to the Emily Post Institute's monthly newsletter at: EmilyPost.com.

For more ideas on how to make your home neighborly, go to: Hayneedle.com.

(For editorial questions, please contact Clint Hooker at chooker@amuniversal.com.)