Garden Rooms

What is the difference between a conservatory and garden room?

13 October 2023

At Crown Pavilions, we have over a decade of experience handcrafting luxury garden rooms and wooden gazebos across the UK. A garden room is a type of practical home extension which provides extra living space, similar to a traditional conservatory. However, a garden room is a much more aesthetically pleasing and modern alternative to a conservatory that can be used for various functions.

What is the difference between a garden room and a conservatory?

The main difference between a garden room and a conservatory is that a conservatory is attached to your house, whereas a garden room is built separately as a stand-alone building in your garden. Likewise, a garden room is typically crafted from the finest timber and durable residential-grade materials while a conservatory is often constructed from uPVC and glass.

The Benefits of a Garden Room

Temperature Control

It is extremely difficult to regulate the temperature of a conservatory since they are usually made of either glass or polycarbonate which are poor insulators. In the summer, a conservatory can become unbearably hot as sunlight seeps through the glass and heats up the room. However, it can also do just the opposite. When it is cold outside, a conservatory will struggle to retain heat and can become almost just as cold as its exterior if not properly heated. This can lead to hefty heating bills!

On the other hand, most luxury garden rooms are built with premium 90mm wall insulation to help ensure efficient temperature regulation and allow you to use your space as you wish, all year round. At Crown Pavilions, we provide insulation as standard and also offer a range of additional heating solutions, such as underfloor heating, to keep you extra toasty during the winter.

Soundproofing

One of the best things about owning a garden room is you can create a peaceful space away from the distractions of home life. You are free to blare out your music while exercising in your garden room gym or escape from your noisy neighbours or family members when working in your home office.

In most instances, a conservatory is built at the back of your home, closest to your kitchen which means it’s not always the quietest or most private place for working. Noise from household appliances such as washing machines or dishwashers, and families coming in and out, can make it difficult to concentrate and work effectively.

Lighting

Conservatories are known for being very bright rooms however this can have its downsides. If you are looking to use your conservatory as a TV room or study, you are very likely to experience screen glare which can only be remedied by costly window films or impractical blinds.

When you choose to build a garden room, you can benefit from a light and airy space without the inconvenience of harsh sunlight from above. At Crown Pavilions, we offer a beautiful selection of glass windows and doors to let natural light flow and the choice of either a hipped cedar tiled or pent EPDM rubber roof to limit sun exposure.

Privacy

A garden room offers privacy and seclusion away from your nosey neighbours or family members, making it perfect for a home yoga studio, gym or art room.

A conservatory, however, is entirely transparent and therefore offers an open invitation for curtain twitchers from all sides. Prying eyes can make it hard to focus on your work or enjoy your favourite hobbies in peace.

Cleaning

Unlike a garden room, cleaning your conservatory is an almost impossible task. Conservatories require regular maintenance to prevent tarnishing and black mould growth which not only looks terrible but can also be bad for your health. Many conservatory owners rely on professional cleaning services or even complete roof replacements which can become pricey in the long-run.

At Crown Pavilions, all our designers are TRADA certified which means you can trust that all our buildings are residential grade and engineered to stand the test of time. So, you can clean your garden room just as you would your home and there’s no need to worry about special products or services to keep your luxury building in pristine condition.

If you’re looking for more information or want to get started building your own luxury garden room, please get in touch with our team who will be happy to help.

Luke Dejahang

CEO & Co-founder

Email: [email protected]

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What Our Customers Say

Rated Excellent by homeowners nationwide.

The craftsmanship is exceptional. Our Crown Heritage garden room has transformed how we work from home. The team's attention to detail throughout was outstanding.

SM
Sarah Mitchell

Oxfordshire • Crown Heritage Owner

From initial design through to installation, Crown Pavilions delivered beyond our expectations. Our gazebo has become the focal point of our garden entertaining.

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James Watson

Surrey • Crown Edward Owner

The planning permission guidance alone was worth its weight in gold. We now have a beautiful insulated garden room that we use year-round as a home gym and yoga studio.

EP
Emma Prentice

Hampshire • Bespoke Garden Room

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Lord Alan Sugar

Lord Alan Sugar

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After looking at numerous garden rooms and luxury wooden gazebos on the market we decided to go with Crown Pavilions as their buildings are undoubtedly the best that money can buy and the service level was exceptional. They exceeded our expectations at every stage. If you are looking for the best garden buildings on the market, then Crown Pavilions is the company to hire!

Stunning bespoke Sandringham garden room

Crown constructed a bespoke Sandringham garden room for us, to house a gym and sound proofed rehearsal studio. They are an absolutely brilliant company who provided a first class service from the first to the last engagement. The garden room is absolutely stunning.

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Feb 2026

Choosing the right provider

Choosing the right provider for our garden room took some time, but opting for the Crown Sandringham turned out to be an excellent decision! We're thrilled with it; it has truly transformed our space. The entire Crown team was outstanding throughout the entire process.

Customer
Jan 2026

Would definitely recommend

Quick, friendly, informative, and cleaned up after them. The installation was excellent, and the service from the original point of contact in the office was all very professional.

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Nov 2025