Sunrooms or curved glass solariums are a structure which is constructed onto the side of a house, usually, to allow enjoyment of the surrounding landscape while being sheltered from adverse weather conditions such as rain and wind. The concept is popular in the United States, Europe, Canada, Northern Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.

In Great Britain, it is normally described as a conservatory, although the room may not contain plants. However, a British sunroom has a solid opaque roof whereas a conservatory has a transparent or semi-transparent roof.

The curved glass solarium is often referred to as a patio room, conservatory, patio enclosure, or Florida Room. It can be constructed of brick, breeze block, wood, curved glass. The brick or wood base makes up the main support for the PVC, referred to as the "knee wall", which is attached to the top of it. The curved glass panels are large and often clear instead of frosted. The roof may be of curved glass panels, but it is usually made of a plastic material, which lets in sunlight. Some sunrooms or curved glass solariums are designed for scenic view, while others are designed to collect sunlight for warmth and light. These, usually called solariums, are found in Northern (low sun angle) or cold (high altitude) locations. Sunrooms or curved glass solariums have walls made up of curved glass (or plastic), often curved joining windows and glass roofs. Sunrooms or curved glass solariums tend to have conventional roofs. Gable sun rooms offer high ceilings and a more spacious feel. Its pitched roof complements existing rooflines.

Newer rooms are typically constructed of aluminum framing with tempered glass as the primary structure. The room system is normally constructed of aluminum insulated panels or glass for the "high end" options. Skylights may be included in the insulated panels. The outside of the roof is normally constructed with a shingled roofing material. Whereas the majority of Florida Rooms, or sunrooms, of the past appeared to be disassociated with the home, newer public taste places a great deal of emphasis in blending the sunroom into the architecture of the home. With the latest technologies of curved glass and heat resistant technology, sunrooms are now able to be used as efficiently in the southern states such as Florida, Texas and Arizona as is possible in the colder, northern states.

Farmhouses and urban row homes featured a covered porch as a place for the user to sit and relax. With the suburbanization of America, families increasingly used their back patios and gardens for this purpose. However, weather conditions often made patios unusable at times, providing an incentive for families to cover and screen in their patios for privacy and for shelter. As this trend evolved, so did improvements in curved glass manufacture, making it possible to attach storm windows together to enclose a patio space. During the 1960s, professional re-modeling companies developed affordable systems to enclose a patio or deck, offering design, installation, and full service warranties. Patio rooms featured lightweight, engineered roof panels, single pane glass, and aluminum construction. These versatile patio rooms extended the outdoor season, provided protection from rain, wind and insects, and gave homeowners extra space. The interior of a sun room warms quickly in sunlight, even on cold days, and may provide a means of heating the part of the main house into which the sun room or conservatory opens. Furniture and plants located in a sun room/conservatory should be resistant to temperature change. As customers became more energy conscious and building technology aware, patio and sunrooms became available with insulated glass, vinyl and vinyl-wood composite framework, and more elaborate designs. Many American companies also began to offer greenhouses and conservatories, which were popular in Europe.