Security is Everything

Your home is your safe place, and so security is everything. Therefore, while you want your front door to look good, it’s also vital to ensure your home is secure enough to keep intruders out.

 

As the nights darken, burglaries are undoubtedly at their highest, and so it’s the perfect time to invest in more door security. Whether it’s new state-of-the-art locks or some porch lighting, we can provide our best advice for peace of mind for all year round.

 

Consider…

 

1. What is your door made of?

You can have a locking system as tough as Fort Knox, but if your door isn’t made of quality hardwood, or is old and rotting in places, it will still be relatively easy for intruders to break in.

Our front doors are made from Accoya® – a natural and sustainable timber that is known for its impeccable strength and durability. It’s the perfect choice for a front door. Also, if your bespoke front door consists of glazing or fanlights, you should consider the strength. You can opt for internal kick plates to be built in to ensure potential burglars have a hard time kicking in the panels.

2. Are your windows secure?

Ensure all of your windows are locked at night, or if you leave the house. This seems like common sense, but it’s incredibly common to leave a window open at night during hot summer months when cooler air is much to be desired. This creates an easy opportunity for intruders. Also, ensure you leave keys in a place they aren’t on show through windows or doors. By making them easily accessible, you are providing potential burglars with an easy task.

3. Are you easily alarmed?

The sight of a burglar alarm or CCTV will deter intruders before they even try to enter your home. In fact, opportunist crime can be significantly reduced if good security systems are in place, with the majority of intruders looking for an easy target. Don’t be that easy target! Install a quality alarm system that would alert yourself, or neighbours if you should not be at home.

 

4. Let there be light

Not only can great lighting be a stylish quality to your front door, illuminating your front walkway on darker evenings, it’s also super practical for helping you find your keys in the dark – and also deterring criminals! If you’re looking for a cheaper option to high-quality CCTV or alarms, motion-detector lighting is a great way of alerting you of even the slightest movement outside and scaring away unwanted visitors.

 

5. State of the Art Locks

Last, but certainly not least, you’ll want a decent locking system for your London front door. When it comes to something as basic and must-have as this, there is little point in cutting corners. Top of the range locks from manufacturers of the UK’s most cutting-edge systems incorporates many additional security options such as spy holes, door chains and bars.

 

At Bespoke Front Door, our expert designers will always advise you on the best one for you.

Complementing Traditional Period Door Features Part 2 – Our Services

If you live in a period home, it’s likely that you flaunt a traditional period front door to match – and there’s no better way to maintain and respect the elegance of your home’s architectural charm. If your period front door is an original, chances are it isn’t as secure as doors you see around the block today.

In part two, we’ll look at how you can upgrade your existing door with some modern-day features and still keep the authentic character within your home.

Choosing the Perfect Door Colour

There’s no limit to the colour possibilities available to us today, so when it comes to painting your new period door, you might find yourself overwhelmed by choice. However, it’s always a good idea to revert to tradition. Historically, black and red were popular choices for Georgian front doors, while grey is more common for more contemporary front doors.

It’s important to decide on a paint colour that perfectly suits both your home and your own personal taste. Consider the exterior of your home and the colours you want to highlight and enhance. Is it the tiling on the porch, or the colourful stained glass panels? Maybe you want to turn the focus to some of the greenery around your Edwardian home, in which case, elegant matt shades could be appropriate such as blacks, navy blues or greys.

Our team of designers can aid in choosing the right colour for your door, showcasing our range of shades and palettes. Then, during the construction of your door, our professional craftsmen will paint the perfect seamless coating, making for long-lasting protection from the elements as well as a true enhancement of style.

Deciding on Door Furniture

If you’ve figured out the style and the colour of your new front-door-to-be, you’ll also want to consider new door furniture, including handles, letterboxes, knockers, door numbers and more. Our expert designers are available to help and advise as to what style would best suit your new period front door. Modern doors look great with polished chrome or nickel accessories, whereas Georgian properties look an absolute masterpiece with burnished or polished brass, especially with more intricate detailing.

Considering Glazing

From Georgian homes to the 1930s, to even contemporary doors produced today, bespoke doors often boast some form of glazing, whether it’s in the door itself or from a fanlight/sidelight. Thinking back over a hundred years, we must remember that electric lighting wasn’t prevalent in homes until the 20th century, so natural daylight was an absolute must for dark hallways and corridors.

With our bespoke services, you can choose from a range of beautifully stained glass designs, whether you’re looking for simple and elegant, or something more authentic and intricate. When it comes to incorporating modern features, our team can advise on options for strengthened and frosted glass that enhances both security and privacy for your home, as well as enhancing existing characteristics like surrounding windows, shapes and other detailing.

Get in touch to discuss a free no-obligation visit at a time that’s convenient for you. You’ll be able to see first-hand the many design options available, providing you with plenty of design possibilities to inspire your front door project.

 

Bespoke In: Blue

Your front door is an opportunity to show off your personality, and if you’re looking to enhance curb appeal as well as your own personal creative tastes, it could be something as simple as a new coat of paint. And, when it comes to picking out a new colour for your bespoke front door, blue is a timeless shade and a classic that works in harmony with any property type – the perfect style for all year round.

With blue comes a huge variety of shades to choose from navy blue, pastel blues, duck egg blue and more classic blues like this year’s Pantone Colour of the Year. Finding the perfect shade is just a matter of deciding on the kind of mood you want to create.

And, when it comes to creating a mood, different shades have a knack for enhancing different vibes. Did you know that the colour blue is often associated with calmness, intelligence and peace? Of course, different shades have different qualities. If you mean to create a serene and friendly feel, then light earthy powdered blues are a popular choice. If it’s a grounded, prosperous and strong look you want to achieve, then navy and classic blues are the ones for you.

Navy Blue

Navy is a strong choice for Georgian and Victorian properties, being a shade of colour that never goes out of style. It has a way of producing a striking and powerful mood, especially when combined with stylish chrome door furniture and elegant glazing. With a navy blue, you can really create a sophisticated look to be envied by your neighbours.

Cornflower Blue

Lively and creative, cornflower blue is a refreshing choice for your front door and works beautifully of classic four-panel and six-panel doors, adding an unexpected but stylish burst of colour. Powder blues have a way of making a home feel inviting and welcoming, and looks amazing alongside pristine white stone façades and black and white tiling, giving them an instant lift. Enhance the character even further with warm polished brass door furniture.

Calm and Collected

Contemporary homes with a linear flat frontage or classic Victorian terraces look superb with pastel shades for a front door colour. It’s a perfect choice for those who are colour shy or prefer a more subtle look. More serene shades of blue like duck egg or baby blue can really lift the characteristics of your home with a fresh and friendly look. These colours look amazing combined with chrome door furniture alongside some opaque glazing or sidelights.

Painted by Hand

Once you have decided on your colour, all of our bespoke front doors are hand-painted by professionals to help you make the perfect first impression for your home. We truly believe that the perfectly finished door makes a home, offering timeless style for years to come.

Get in touch for a free no-obligation visit at a time that’s convenient for you. We can talk you through your options and provide you with plenty of case studies and past projects to inspire.

Complementing Traditional Period Door Features Part 1 – The History

If you live in a period home, it’s likely that you flaunt a traditional period front door to match – and there’s no better way to maintain and respect the elegance of your home’s architectural charm. If your period front door is an original, chances are it isn’t as secure as doors you see around the block today. But did you know, you can upgrade your existing door with some modern-day features and still keep the authentic character within your home?

Let’s look at the history at some of these doors, starting with the Georgian era, all the way to the 1930s. In part two, we’ll look at how our services can help preserve the history and style of your home.

Georgian Homes

Built during the 18th century, Georgian homes are super easy to identify as they often boast a classic symmetrical look with flat-fronted facades. You’ll also notice that the front door is usually positioned centrally with a window on both sides.

Georgian doors themselves were large, durable and often quite stately-looking. Often you’ll see them painted in a rich glossy coat of darker but bold colours. Think blacks, reds and greens – complemented with classy brass door furniture.

At Bespoke Front Door, we are skilled in handcrafting and recreating Georgian door designs to recreate the original character of your home.

Victorian Homes

Built during the 19th century, most Victorian properties boast large bay windows on the ground floors, reflecting a gothic architectural style.

Traditionally, a Victorian front door would showcase a homeowners wealth and stature in the community via elaborate front door designs. These would often be enhanced with eye-catching stained glass panels and sidelights, as well as colourful porches, doorsteps and tiling. The Victorian period created curb appeal, it seems. It’s easy to see why so many homes in and around London aim to recreate Victorian builds, touching on their classic poise and timeless style.

Edwardian Homes

Built within the decade of 1900-1910, Edwardian homes often portrayed a square-fronted villa style, beautifully decorated with small front gardens and foliage around the door. As well as this, stained glass panels were also a main feature because glass was now cheaper to manufacture than previous years, opening up a whole new style of front door to be used for years and years to follow.

1930s Homes

Built during the 1930s, of course, there was an overall rise in homeownership during the war, and therefore the building of new homes. Typically, these houses are semi-detached with a single large window on one side of the door. Again, glasswork was on the rise but took a more artistic turn with art deco designs e.g. classic sunburst glass panels. Throughout years after, the art deco designs flourished and we can still see some more modern details in period front doors from this era that are making a serious revival in bespoke doors today.

Read part two to see how our services at Bespoke Front Door can help you preserve your home’s overall character and history.

Save Energy With Your New Front Door

There’s no better way to add value to your home than enhancing curb appeal and saving money on both energy bills and home insurance with a new front door. By improving the overall look, as well as insulation and security features, you could make 2020 the time to get your money’s worth on your home, whether it’s a new buy and you’re improving your home for the long-run, or you’re planning on selling up and moving on.

Find out more about how our bespoke front door services could help you save energy and money on your home.

Why Does Insulation Matter?

During the summer months, insulation might be the least of your worries. But, with the latest destruction brought around by the likes of Storm Dennis, the start of 2020 brings a serious chill – and it’s even more unpleasant if your home isn’t properly insulated. A new front door can dramatically reduce the amount of energy lost, especially if it’s been made-to-measure.

At Bespoke Front Door, we make it a priority to take precise measurements of your doorway before the design concept begins. Better insulation will improve your energy rating and save you money by keeping the heat in and the thermostat down.

Why We Use Accoya®

We use Accoya® for our front doors because it’s not only sustainable but also reliable, hardwearing and maintains it’s impeccable style throughout years of use and harsh weather conditions. Because of its durable properties, it’s an immensely popular choice that is favoured by architects all over the world when considering timber wood for outdoor use.

The Ideal Glazing

From more traditional stained glass to more modern looks, our bespoke glazing provides your new front door with character and authenticity. It’s also super practical too, as with strengthened glass comes additional security for your home.

As well as safety enhancement, opaque and frosted glass options are great for allowing natural light in your home, especially in and around London where city homes where sunlight can be limited, and there’s an extra need for warmth and noise reduction.

One Of A Kind

Our front doors are not a high-street buy. Bespoke Front Door offers a bespoke service where every project varies from another. We appreciate that no two homes are the same, so why make the same door? Whether you require a non-standard size or thickness, an authentic Georgian or Victorian style, an Edwardian or mid-century style, or you’re looking for something more modern and contemporary, we have a range of ideas to choose from.

Our services make it easy to adjust to your own unique specifications, with the required door furniture, state-of-the-art security details and paint colour. The bespoke nature and exclusive quality of our front doors are what makes each of them one of a kind.

Get in touch for a free, no-obligation design visit at a time that’s convenient for you. You’ll be able to see first-hand what we’ve done for other homes, and discover the many design options available, giving you inspiration and the confidence to see what’s possible.

How To Choose The Right Front Door For Your House – 4 Things To Consider

When it comes to choosing a new front door, it’s important to ensure you opt for something that is both aesthetically pleasing and practical. However, it’s also a good idea to consider the overall appearance and style of your house.

By picking something that’s inconsistent, it could result in a mismatch of character – and a door that doesn’t match the personality of your house. And, let’s face it, there’s nothing worse than making a purchase you’ll live to regret – especially when it’s the first thing you see when you arrive home, and the last thing you see when you leave.

In this article, we break down all the aspects of finding the perfect front door for your house.

Size

One of the main things to consider when searching for a new front door is the size of the door itself. Bear in mind the overall size and stature of your home, and try to aim for something that maintains a good house to door ratio. Don’t opt for something too big that distracts away from the other characteristic features of your home, but also something that will grab attention and enhance curb appeal.

Conventionally, the typical London door width happens to be anywhere from 32” to 36”. But you can go even bigger if it suits the blue. An entry space with more width will also make it easy to manoeuvre items in and out of your house.

Colour

Of course, colour is another integral aspect of your front door, and it’s so difficult to decide on a single colour when there’s an overwhelming number of options to choose from. For the best results, we recommend sticking with door colours that complement the rest of the elevation and the walls surrounding the door. Think natural wood tones or elegant blacks, greys and dark blues.

Having said that, there’s no harm in opting for colours that are trending at the moment. Some of which are bold and vibrant, making it easy for your home to stand out in the crowd. Yellows, reds, sky blue and pastel pinks are all popular choices at the moment, and super effective in enhancing curb appeal if you’re thinking of selling up.

Style

If you already have the size and colour in mind, you may have already considered the style of the door itself. But this is often where homeowners get it wrong. With London townhouses, you can’t go wrong with a traditional Victorian style door, panelled Georgian feel, or an old town European style. These are timeless styles that not only appeal to the eye but also complement the brickwork and structure of classic London homes. Use it to your advantage.

Let There Be Light!

By allowing more light to enter your house, your home looks aesthetically pleasing from every angle. In fact, the more natural light inside the house, the more open it feels, and the better your mood. It’s also great if you’re keen on maintaining some natural greenery throughout your home.

If your house is troubled with dark gloomy hallways and awkwardly-placed windows, why not choose a door that is full of at least ¾ lite panel. You could even experiment with different glass panel configurations, designs and shapes. All of these can be used to make the glass door all the more pretty to look at, and an awesome first impression for guests and visitors.

Bespoke Front Door – Our Services

Top-quality and well-designed front doors are essential in enhancing curb appeal, as well as the overall feel and style of your house. The best front doors are ones that are built with an almost poetic level of design but also fulfil all their functionalities smoothly and efficiently. So, whether you are going for a fancy design or just looking for a sense of practicality – the front door of your house will be the initial first and last impression to anyone passing by or entering your house.

Whether you are replacing an old door for a brand new one or moving into an entirely new home, Bespoke Front Door will facilitate with the highest quality front doors, offering professional manufacturing, expert design and flawless installation services within the London area.

Our Services

The primary concern to most of our clients is that the door must be the perfect combination of solid construction and beautiful design. You can rest assured, with Bespoke Front Door Services, the end result of our project will be the perfect balance of design and functionality.

Our services consist of the following:

• Design Consultation

• Professional

• Installation

• Survey

• Bespoke Manufacture

• Door Frames

• Etched/Sandblasted Glass

• Stained Glass

• Painting

• Finishing Process

Our Materials

At Bespoke Front Door, we use Accoya wood to build all of our doors, and for good reason too. Not only is the wood naturally beautiful and pleasant to look at, but it also offers endless advantages when it comes to durability, maintenance and insulation.

Accoya front doors are the best choice for any home as they take care of every single aspect that one would come to expect from a Victorian front door. Manufactured by ourselves, our doors flaunt supreme craftsmanship and unparalleled design.

We take Accoya and forge it into something that not just becomes your go-to choice for resilience, but also style. In fact, our crafts and thrilling designs that are bound to not just integrate with the look of your house, but also enhance it. In order to marry quality with what it deserves, we offer the best quality hardware and locks to support the door.

Our doors are also eco-friendly, with Accoya wood being completely non-toxic and 100% recyclable, made from legally harvested wood from well-managed sustainable sources including FSC, PEFCTM and other regionally certified woods.

We can ensure, with our use of materials, your front door will stand the test of time – even throughout the harshest weather conditions. Our use of timber guarantees your front door will last at least three times as long as any other tropical hardwoods and materials.

Our Process

We would love the opportunity to come and visit you at your property, arranging a time and date that is convenient for you. During the visit, we can take a look at the door in question and discuss the project with you. We’ll provide you with a price quotation and also talk you through the process.

Please, contact us to make an appointment or ask any questions you may have.

Does Your Home Show Your True Colours?

With a brand new year (and decade!), you might be considering a transition in look and style. And maybe, that starts with your period front door.

According to Brie Dyas (House Beautiful, 2015), ‘Your door is a portal to your personality, not just your house.’

We agree! We thought it might be fun to delve into the world of colours and break down the meaning behind the paint job – particularly useful if you’re struggling to find inspiration for your palette this year, or if you’re looking to convey a different message. It’s a new year, new you!

Blue

Being one of the most popular door colours of 2019, it’s intriguing to know the overall feel and meaning behind the colour. A blue front door suggests a form of zen behind the scenes, with the homeowner having successfully produced a place of refuge, serenity and relaxation.

Red

Unlike blue, red offers a more powerful and bold impact. Immediately your eyes turn to the door and creates a lively and energetic feel. Red is also known as the ‘colour of passion’, so perhaps it’s the perfect style for more passionate homeowners with a bit of quirk in their step.

Green

Green is another popular colour, gradually popping up across London and other major UK cities. Psychologically, green produces an overall feeling of harmony, good health and a sense of tranquillity in the home.

Yellow

People with yellow front doors are thought to be genuine rays of sunshine, for obvious reasons. Being a bolder and brighter colour, yellow is definitely not everyone’s cup of tea. However, homeowners with yellow doors are thought to be the happiest and most welcoming hosts. If you’re looking to create an enjoyable atmosphere and make guests feel immediately comfortable and at home, why not consider it?

Black

Black is an absolute classic when it comes to london front door colours, communicating a sense of sophistication and elegance. It also exhibits power, strength, sophistication and authority, indicating to passers-by that the home is under the ownership of someone with substance and assuredness. It’s no coincidence that some of the most famous doors in London are painted black. For example, 10 Downing Street!

Brown

Natural and traditional, a brown door indicates a sense of warmth, stability and reliability. If you’re looking to create a cosy ‘Honey, I’m home’ look, why not consider the more natural and organic, whether you opt for more natural lighter wood, or prefer a darker stained wood to create an edgier and rustic appearance.

When it comes to new front door colours, the possibilities are endless. It’s quite likely that the colour you have selected for your front door exhibits the way you want people to look at your house, because it’s a way of making them understand just what the place is all about! But, if you’re ready for a change, or want to create a different feel about your home, a good idea would be to consider some much-loved TLC when it comes to your front door.

 

2020, The Perfect Time To Go Back To Georgian?

To get the very best out of your Bespoke Front Door design project, it’s always a good idea to study various designs and consider both their strength and aesthetic style. This will help you decide the kind of look and style you’re going for. Taking a look at period front door designs is always a good option, since they represent the history of London front doors, while also offering great vintage designs.

One of the most popular front door designs with Londoners, both today and before, are the ones found in the Georgian era, from the early 1700s through to the late 1830s.

A Brief History

It was during the early 1700s that the Georgian Front Doors began to get popular in Dublin, Ireland. With Dublin rising to become one of the most prosperous and prominent cities in all of the British Empire, the residents of this region began to build beautiful and elegant be Georgian houses, and what followed was the development of the Early Georgian Front Door, which became widespread across the entirety of the UK, including London.

Typically, before this, London doors consisted of columns of panels that were vertically arranged – with divisions into smaller square panels being common as well. By the mid-17th century, fashionable London doors sported two vertical columns of panels which were often further divided into smaller square or rectangular panels.

Inspired by the ‘panel-look’ of the previous century, Georgian joiners and carpenters chose to build on the style and enhance it as they saw necessary. They would do so by combining the latest fashions with older and more traditional methods of design.

Georgian front doors were solid, heavy and consisted of six panels each. They often weighed around 30kg each. It was during this era that internal doors (panelled as well as carved) began to emerge as popular and were common especially in the bigger houses. In grander houses, the doors on the main floors were often double doors with ornate door handles and bell rings.

Today

From the 18th Century, all the way to 2020 – the Early Georgian Front Door style still happens to be quite popular with house owners all across the UK, and it’s easy to see why. In fact, one of the most famous front doors in the UK – 10 Downing Street – happens to be an early Georgian front door, famous for its all-black attire. In black, Georgian doors are serious and sombre, and anyone walking through them will be met with a healthy dose of gravitas. This look synchronizes beautifully with the architecture and adds that extra layer of class and grandeur to the finishing of your house.

It’s got to be said that Georgian front doors are absolute classics, offering a unique and sophisticated look for your home. Whether you plan to coat the panels in bright and quirky colours or stick to sporting traditional dark colours, the overall style and charm of a Georgian door will enhance your home with some serious curb appeal.

Black Doors: Classic, Stylish, Timeless

They say you ‘can’t go wrong with a little black dress’, and it seems to be the same attitude for doors! Kind of.

With the new year comes plenty of change, and many of our clients are on the verge of ‘back to black’. And why wouldn’t they? Black is a classic and sophisticated style for any front door, offering increased curb appeal and practicality.

Let’s explore some of the overall benefits and bonuses of a black door, as well as some of the most famous and iconic doors in London today.

Why Black?

Often, the colour of your new London front door will be dependent on many factors from the material you choose, the style of your property and the colour of the properties of other features. However, with black, everything ties in perfectly. In fact, Ideal Home research showed black front doors ranked 4th on their list of the ‘most popular colours’, and it’s easy to see why.

Black doors are especially popular on Georgian townhouses as they offer a traditional and timeless look. They also portray power and authority.

Famous Black Doors

One of the most famous doors of all time is, of course, 10 Downing Street, where the current Prime Minister resides and works.

The black paint, amongst the dark brick on the exterior of the house has become iconic for its traditional appearance and has remained black in colour since 1916 – when Liberal Prime Minister Herbert Henry Asquith no longer served the country and the door was painted black instead of green. Today, the door is coated in a high-gloss paint to keep it shiny all year round – and to keep it looking its best for the cameras and constant tourists!

The door also features other classic decor, including a black iron knocker in the shape of a lion’s head, a replica of the letterbox which was destroyed in 1991, and a doorman on the inside to always be available to open it because the door cannot be opened from the outside.

Another would be the residence of our favourite fictional pipe-smoking detective Sherlock Holmes. The fictional home is located at 221B Baker Street, which today, has been transformed into a Sherlock Holmes museum behind the classic black front door. It’s the perfect tourist spot for fans of the original novels.

Practicality

We have already stated how a black door can add curb appeal to your home, especially if you’re thinking about having your home valued or if you’re selling up. Black against white brick creates a clean and fresh feel, complementing other features of the windows and brickwork. Black against grey creates a modern and contemporary feel. And, as you know, first impressions are also the last!

Black doors are also super easy to maintain. Marks, scuffs and general wear and tear won’t be as noticeable, compared to white or grey doors. In fact, combine this with an easy-to-maintain uPVC and you’ll have a front door you can be proud of all year round!