Home Architecture and Home Design The Florida Room Is the Charmingly Retro Staple Your Home Needs Right Now We are here for these sun-filled sanctuaries. By Marisa Spyker Marisa Spyker Marisa Spyker is the Senior Writer at Southern Living, where she enjoys dabbling in stories throughout the magazine, from gorgeous home features to profiles of the South's creatives. Prior to joining the team in 2019, Marisa was an editor at Coastal Living, coastalliving.com, and Luxe Interiors + Design. Her career spans nearly 15 years, much of which has been spent staring at photos of pretty homes and gleaning inspiration for her next beach vacation.While born and raised in South Florida and a proud University of Florida alum (Go Gators!), she currently lives with her husband and two daughters in Santa Cruz, California. She can often be found schooling West Coasters on the joys of Southern charm and Key Lime Pie. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on February 17, 2023 Share Tweet Pin Email Florida is known for being a place to escape to beautiful beaches and is the inspiration for some pretty incredible things, including Key Lime Pie and plenty of classic films. But if there's one product of the Sunshine State that doesn't get the credit it deserves, it's this: the Florida room. Mother Daughter Press / Getty Images These sunny sanctuaries, popularized in the 1950s and '60s, were born from the mid-century homeowners' desire for a place they could escape and feel like they were outdoors without actually being outside. Hence, designers developed the genius idea of a light-filled home addition surrounded by windows that could open or close to the elements, depending on the weather forecast. Paul Redman / Getty Images The Florida Room, also called a sunroom or conservatory, took off, cropping up on homes from the Sunshine State to the Northeast. Typically designed as extensions of the outdoors—and often bearing the home's exterior siding as its one windowless wall—Florida rooms donned sturdy wood or stone floors, mostly all-weather furniture (hello, wicker), and a whole lot of plants. (A/C was optional, depending on your need for a four-season Florida room.) Jon Lovette / Getty Images The bright, bug-free spaces became the ultimate home retreat, a place to bask on sunny mornings with a cup of coffee or gather with guests for pre-dinner cocktails. Yet, somewhere along the way, Florida rooms lost their luster. Newer homes started trading these pseudo-outdoor spaces for full-on indoor-outdoor setups, with open-plan living rooms that lead onto expansive porches and decks. And while we love these features in a home, we're also rallying for a Florida room reboot. Kim Sayer / Getty Images Why? Of course, there's the nostalgia. You might remember escaping to the cozy conservatory in your parents' house as a kid. But there's also the practicality: what a luxury it is to relax in the sunshine without worrying about sunburns, bug bites, or gusts of wind blowing the last bit of your margarita to the floor. Now, who else thinks their home would be much better with a Florida room? Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit