Conservatory Craftsmen

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Our Glasshouse Dream Come True Jim Hewitt, owner of Conservatory Craftsman, turned the idea of a conservatory into the show-stopping heart of our home—and he made the whole journey surprisingly fun. Why we’re still buzzing about it: Hands-on, start-to-finish care. Jim and his team met with us, sketched out our wish list, and personally kept the build humming along. When a question popped up, he and his expert crew were on it the same day—no stress, just solutions. Design that wows every single day. Giant, oversized windows deliver jaw-dropping views, midnight stargazing, and rainy-day ambience we never knew we needed. Built-in smart comforts—like automated venting windows and retractable screens—take it to the next level. Unbeatable quality. The craftsmanship is top-tier, with an American steel foundation and a stunning, precision-engineered frame imported from England. Every detail feels solid, intentional, and built to last. Gardeners at heart. Jim’s a master grower who peppered our visits with practical plant advice, plus a bag of his family’s home-grown strawberries! Yum! A team you actually look forward to seeing. Talented, a small family and—bonus—Jim’s quick wit kept site visits light and genuinely enjoyable. The conservatory is now our favorite room, an everyday retreat, and a rock-solid investment. If a greenhouse or conservatory is on your wish list, run—don’t walk—to Conservatory Craftsman. You’ll love the process, the people, and most of all, the result. Thank you Jim and Team!!

We love our conservatory. It is incredibly beautiful and we spend most of our family time in the conservatory. Jim and his team were an absolute pleasure to work with. They were incredibly responsive and collaborative. They did an excellent job!

As the name implies, CC designs and assembles custom built conservatories. In ouyr case it was a 300 square foot room attached to the house. The company designs the space, works with the factory to get the components, and works with a local construction company to build the space. The project was expensive, and it took quite a while to finish, but the result is just spectacular.

Amazing attention to detail and highly knowledgeable team! Every visit was scheduled and team was always punctual and clean!

Working with the Conservatory Craftsmen was indeed a real pleasure from start to finish. They personified true craftsmanship. Additionally, they are a crew of pleasant, and well-liked individuals. They have taken our beautiful home to another level of beauty and enjoyment. I would highly recommend Jim and his crew.

When we built our home 25 years years ago, we had always dreamed of adding a living space that would enable us to enjoy our backyard. Since a structure with a shingled roof would block a lot of the sun to the kitchen, we entertained the idea of an English conservatory. We learned of Conservatory Craftsmen from an ad on Facebook. Someone mentioned in a previous Houzz review that Jim Hewitt knows everything there is to know about conservatories—that is true, he really does! He has an extremely capable, competent, and skillful staff that was an absolute pleasure to have around. Jim Hewitt and his team are 100% committed to making sure that each customer is completely satisfied throughout the entire building process and beyond. We have no reservations whatsoever recommending Conservatory Craftsmen! We have enjoyed our conservatory for four seasons now and cannot ever imagine life without it.

If we could give Jim Hewitt 10 stars we would! We had a conservatory roof damaged by hail in 2017. This conservatory was NOT built by Jim and the company that did build it had gone out of business. The manufacturer of the conservatory had also gone out of business therefore voiding any so-called "lifetime warranty". Jim came out, determined he could repair it & his company did an outstanding job. In April of 2019, a tree fell down and put a tiny hole in the new roof, but even worse, bent and ruined the frame thus totaling out the entire conservatory. In June of 2019, while waiting on the insurance claim, we had a severe hailstorm, but the roof from Conservatory Craftsmen withstood the over-golfball size hail that came down for over 15 minutes!! Incredible! We would recommend Jim Hewitt and Conservatory Craftsmen to anyone! Our home needs new shingles and siding due to the hail, but the conservatory withstood the storm.

Conservatory Craftsmen solved our disastrously leaky greenhouse problem. The attached greenhouse that came with our home had been reworked and repaired numerous times by highly respected local contractors but to no avail. The greenhouse leaked when it rained (an understatement, we're talking huge puddles of water on the floor and the look of a hose sprayed all over the room) and ice falling from the roof above in winter had cracked the outer layer of ceiling glass twice. Thinking we were going to have to turn the greenhouse into a sunroom with a "real" roof, a solution which would have made our living room too dark and left our plants without enough sunlight, we came across Jim's company right here on Houzz. With stellar recommendations, and nothing to lose, we contacted Jim. From that first call, Jim knew exactly what needed to be done and we knew we were finally in the right hands with a professional who knew his product and who was willing to work with our time frame request. We now have a beautiful, fully automated greenhouse that architecturally fits in just right with our antique home, and in which we do some serious plant propagation and growing, never mind gazing at the moon and stars in the deep night. Jim and his extremely hardworking and knowledgeable team have our deepest appreciation and gratitude.

Having built or renovated portions of several homes, my wife and I have worked with many contractors. Our experience with Conservatory Craftsmen, and Jim Hewitt in particular, was, by comparison, outstanding. Jim is single minded in his devotion to deliver a high-quality project. In our case he brought a number of capabilities to the effort that enabled him to achieve this result. Jim has not only a deep understanding of conservatory structures and their related systems, he has a broad knowledge of building construction assuring the conservatory integrates seamlessly with the existing structure. He is meticulous in his standards for his subcontractors. He understands that his entire team will interact with residents during construction and every member acts as an ambassador for the company. Importantly, he is very transparent throughout the construction process about cost, status and timing of completion. The greatest benefit of a relationship with Conservatory Craftsmen will be realized by those clients who have the patience to allow Jim and his team any additional it may take to perfect their work against their standards. Such clients will be well rewarded with the outcome.

I first contacted Jim about designing and building a conservatory for our new home over two years ago. He stuck with us through multiple house redesigns and too many delays to count. Our conservatory turned out to be considerably larger than originally planned (nearly 400 square feet), which necessitated a commercial grade structure. His team delivered on time and finished work in less than two weeks. The conservatory is beyond my wildest expectations and will be the jewel of our home (when our builder finishes his job!). I can't recommend Conservatory Craftsmen highly enough for their impeccable work.

Jim and his team built a stunning glass Conservatory for us in Rockford, IL. All teams from design, to the building crew in the field were friendly, fun and completely professional. Excellent group!

Jim and his team are true professionals. My wife and I recently opened a wedding venue in Rockford, IL. Jim's conservatory (located on the rooftop of a historic building we renovated) looks nicer than anything I've ever seen downtown Chicago! After the design process, the whole installation was completed within two weeks. My mind is blown every time I go up there! I will for sure be using Conservatory Craftsmen again very soon.

Adding a glass room to your home is not for the faint of heart, but you are in good hands with Jim Hewitt and the skilled, dedicated builders at Conservatory Craftsmen. Beyond hiring them, our advice is to educate yourself about the design, construction, and operating issues that will determine the success of your project. Read all the information on the CC website, seek out other greenhouse and conservatory-related blogs and websites, and ask lots of questions. We appreciated Jim's commitment to education, his timely and in-depth responsiveness to our ideas and concerns, and the desire of everyone on the Conservatory Craftsmen team to achieve a result that everyone could be proud of. We are very pleased with the outcome. Our conservatory has added a surprising bit of magic to our experience of being at home.

Conservatory Craftsmen are true artisans. Jim Hewitt, who heads the company, knows everything there is to know about conservatories, greenhouses, orangeries – you name it. In late 2014, when we reached out to Conservatory Craftsmen through the Houzz website about building a conservatory onto the second floor of our Colonial Revival home, Jim himself emailed back within a couple of hours. He then visited our home in New York several times over the winter to brainstorm, measure, and plan for our conservatory. And, by September of last year, all of the plans had become a reality. We could not be more pleased with our conservatory. The lines are graceful, the design fits perfectly with the rest of our house, and the materials and construction are top quality and just, well, beautiful. I smile every single time I walk into that room. The only reasons we rate Conservatory Craftsmen a 4 is that (1) Houzz’s system doesn’t allow a rating of 4.75! and (2) we had a few challenges coordinating the foundation carpentry work by our local contractor with the work that Jim and his team were doing for the conservatory itself. But it all worked out in the end and is worth every minute and every penny we invested in it. We recommend the company and its work without reservation!

From original design to actual finished product, Jim Hewitt was incredibly involved in all phases. He was very accessible throughout the entire project answering many of my questions and solving many on-the job problems that popped up. It's a wonderful company with an incredible staff that prides themselves on attention to detail and superb craftsmanship. I'd highly recommend this company to anyone! I love my conservatory!

I emailed Conservatory Craftsmen on a Sunday to inquire about a potential install - the owner, Jim Hewitt, called me that same day (I did say on a Sunday, right!). We started straight away designing a showcase space - from planning to completion (and beyond), Jim and his crew are fantastic. Jim was able to design and build my project within my budget and is a wealth of knowledge about all aspects of not only the conservatory but what you may utilize that space for the most. I spent 15 years living in the southeast and moved back to the midwest several years ago. Midwest winters are long and prevented me from enjoying my hobby of gardening year round - not any more. I have a full sustainable crop of herbs, vegetables and fruits that I will enjoy year-round. While my neighbors are freezing, I will be in my conservatory basking in 85 degree warmth. The best investment I have ever made - Conservatory Craftsmen provide a very unique set of skills, knowledge and product that I could not find with any other vendor I had researched. UPDATE - On June 16, 2017, a severe storm passed over my home. We received hail and rain for approximately 40 minutes - the hail ranged from 1/2 inch to over 1 & 3/4 inches. The storm created considerable damage to my property - my roof was destroyed requiring replacement and all of the windows in the front of my home require replacement. Now, the good news, my beautiful conservatory weathered the storm without damage! My insurance adjuster was shocked that there had been no damage to the glass roof panels - a testament to the materials used & craftsmenship by Conservatory Craftsmen. The old saying goes ' you get what you pay for" - I am thrilled I selected Jim and his team to design & build my conservatory!

Conservatory Craftsmen designed and built my lovely greenhouse while John Wesley Hammer construction put up the perfect garage. Jim Hewitt and his capable team designed the greenhouse and worked well with my (also very capable) local builder and his team and my neighbors. Except for the bolt of lightning that hit a giant oak out front, all went smoothly. I am especially grateful to Jim for providing some major tweaks to the architect's plans. His expertise and honest, forthright nature helped me see the light.

When Hurricane Sandy hit our 1892 Stone and Shingle Victorian, it brought down an attached conservatory built in 1928 by the precursor company to the famous Lord and Burnham conservatory builders. When I say "brought down" I am not mincing words. After we were able to move back into the house 7 weeks later, we began to investigate replacing the greenhouse. It was a special part of what made our home unique, and we were committed to replacing it only if we could find an option that offered the house what it deserved. Of course, we were in negotiations with the insurance company, who priced the replacement at the greenhouse-kit level. But after a little back and forth, they agreed that the replacement had to be up to snuff. We spoke to a dozen types of builders: from the contractor who was doing the wide range of other repairs on our house, to the local greenhouse merchant. The process felt somewhat like buying a car: big expense, not sure whether you're being told the truth, nervous about the commitment.... Enter Jim Hewitt of Conservatory Craftsmen. Since the higher end conservatory builders were from all over the country, it didn't deter me that Jim was located in Minneapolis. He told us lots of his customers were from the east (and the south and the west) and he had several opportunities to come by our home in Yonkers and sit with us to discuss options. What I can tell you is this: he is a high-service guy who is passionate about his product, and has lots of experience building beautiful structures. His team travels with him in what looks like a horse trailor; they show up, build, chat a little and go. The only glitch seems to be with Jim's supplier, who is in England. So, sometimes there is a delay due to distance and demand. But the quality of the materials and the workmanship is superb. We haven't finished the floors, installed the fans, or furnished yet but I will post what we have and come back when it's ready for prime time. You can see more finished and furnished conservatories on his website. You have to at least talk to Jim and get his view on your project. Otherwise, you just don't know what you're getting.

Met Jim in 2001 working on a pool enclosure. Since then I have been involved in numerous conservatories with his company.They are extremely professional with a great eye for the finished product. Their ability to fit projects to original structures is a strong point along with pushing jobs to completion. The company's name says it all... they are truely, "Conservatory Craftsmen".

We had Conservatory Craftsmen design and install a 15x15 conservatory. Jim is very knowledgeable and was able to recommend the best design and setup for us. The job was done professionally on budget and within the timeline provided. Jim was a pleasure to work with and we would definitely recommend CC to our friends.

I contacted Jim Hewitt via The Conservatory Crafftsmen website. He called me promptly and asked me to send pictures of the sunroom I wanted to replace. He then gave me a ball park estimate which was very reasonable. Next he came to my house and measured what needed to be done. We spent time discussing options and he gave me a timeline. Jim's estimate was accurate as was his time line. Our inconvenience was minimal. We enjoyed the time that he and Cam were on site, despite the active construction. The materials and workmanship are outstanding. Their ptofessionalism is unsurpassed. Carole and I have been complimented by all who have seen our new room. Bob Wright