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. If there’s one product of the Sunshine State that doesn’t get the credit it deserves, it’s this: The Florida Room.
These sunny sanctuaries, popularized in the 50s 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 can open or close to the elements, depending on the weather forecast.
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 and stone floors, mostly all-weather furniture (hello, wicker), and a whole lot of plants. (AC was optional, depending on your need for a four-season Florida room.)
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.
Why? Of course, there’s the nostalgia. You might remember escaping to the cozy conservatory in your parent’s 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? Browse more swoon-worthy spaces below:
