Bespoke internal panel moulded doors

The panel moulded door is the workhorse of the Victorian and Georgian interior, and getting it right is what separates a sympathetic restoration from an obvious replacement. We make four, six and eight panel doors, along with single doors, door pairs, pantry doors and glazed doors, in the proportions that suit the age and status of the house. Stiles, rails, muntins and panels are sized to the period rather than to a modern standard, because a panel that is even a few millimetres out of step gives the whole door away.

Our doors are built as proper framed and panelled joinery, with mortice and tenon joints and panels that float to allow the timber to move with the seasons. This is the construction method used when these houses were first built, and it is the reason original doors are still hanging a century and a half later. Machine‑pressed blanks and veneered facings cannot match it for either appearance or longevity. Each door is made to the exact opening, so reveals, hinge positions and locks fall where they should.

We work routinely on listed and conservation‑area properties where the door has to satisfy a planning officer as well as the client. Drawings, profiles and timber specifications can be supplied for approval, and the finished work is detailed to a conservation‑grade standard that respects the original fabric of the building. Architects specify our doors precisely because the result holds up to close inspection.

We make doors in a range of timbers to suit both the use and the finish. European oak, Accoya, Douglas fir, sapele and tulipwood are all regular choices. Where a door is to be painted, we use a stable, close‑grained hardwood that holds a crisp moulding and takes a flawless coat. Where it is to be left clear or oiled, we select boards for grain, figure and colour so the finished door has presence. All timber is responsibly sourced and properly conditioned before a single cut is made, which is what keeps a finished door true rather than warping in a centrally heated room.

Finishing is part of the making, not an afterthought. Doors can be supplied primed and ready for site decoration, or fully finished in our own hand‑applied paint, stain, oil or wax. Painted doors are filled, sanded and built up in coats for a deep, even surface, and clear finishes are chosen to enhance the grain while protecting the timber. We can match an existing colour or finish across a property so new and original doors sit together seamlessly.

Ironmongery is considered alongside the door itself. We can hang doors on period‑appropriate butt hinges, fit mortice locks and latches, and accommodate rim locks, escutcheons and original or reproduction furniture so the whole assembly feels of a piece. Glazed doors can take restoration glass, etched or obscured panels and traditional putty lines where the look calls for it.