An Arizona room is a screened porch found frequently in homes in

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

, based on similar concepts as the Florida room. Though often a

patio A patio (, ; ) is an outdoor space generally used for dining or recreation that adjoins a structure and is typically paved. In Australia, the term is expanded to include roofed structures such as a veranda, which provides protection from sun ...

or porch that has been covered and screened-in, creating an outdoor feeling while preventing excessive heat and keeping insects and animals out, many Arizona rooms are purpose built at the time the house is constructed. The room generally borders the backyard or side yard of the house and is often accessed directly from the living room, kitchen or other common room of the home. According to Phoenix newspaper ''

The Arizona Republic ''The Arizona Republic'' is an American daily newspaper published in Phoenix. Circulated throughout Arizona, it is the state's largest newspaper. Since 2000, it has been owned by the Gannett newspaper chain. History Early years The newspap ...

'', residents slept in their Arizona room during the summer months, before the advent of

air conditioning Air conditioning, often abbreviated as A/C (US) or air con (UK), is the process of removing heat from an enclosed space to achieve a more comfortable interior temperature, and in some cases, also controlling the humidity of internal air. Air c ...

, because the flow of cool night air made them more comfortable than in an enclosed bedroom. Arizona rooms are often decorated with Southwestern decor and furniture, and reflect the casual, informal style characteristic of the Southwest.

See also