Joinery Styles

Joinery is one of the clearest ways a design language becomes visible. Door profiles, proportions, shadow gaps, materials and hardware all signal whether a space feels classic, contemporary, playful or restrained. This page is an overview of joinery styles we are often asked to work with, and how we interpret them for each project.

How to use this guide

The styles below are not strict rules, but families of detail that we can dial up or down. Most real projects blend elements from more than one – for example, a calm contemporary shell with a slightly more traditional kitchen, or a classic envelope with very minimal media walls.

You might use this page when you are assembling mood boards, developing a concept presentation or briefing us on a package of joinery across a hotel or residence. Once a direction feels right, we translate it into specific pieces – such as

Media Walls & TV Joinery, Wardrobes & Dressing Rooms, Bespoke Kitchens & Pantries or Hotel Guestroom Joinery – and into the details that make each one feel consistent.

Classic and traditional joinery

Traditional joinery often sits comfortably in period properties or spaces where you want a sense of permanence and craft. It usually features framed doors, raised or recessed panels, cornices and skirtings that relate closely to the architecture.

Typical characteristics include:

·        framed doors with panel detail, sometimes with beading or bolection mouldings

·        visible plinths and more articulated cornices or top details

·        warmer timber tones or painted finishes in deeper, classic colours

·        hardware that feels substantial – knobs, pulls and hinges with a little weight to them

We often draw on this language for Libraries & Bookcase Joinery, Headboards & Bedroom Feature Joinery and more formal areas of Amenity & Members’ Club Joinery.

Shaker and transitional joinery

Shaker-inspired joinery sits between traditional and contemporary. The profiles are simpler, but there is still enough framing to feel crafted and domestic. It is often a good bridge where architecture is older but the interior needs to feel fresh.

Key moves might be:

·        flat frame doors with a single recessed panel and minimal bead

·        simple cornices and skirtings, or none at all, depending on context

·        painted finishes – often in soft neutrals, blues, greens or muted darks

·        hardware that is refined but not overly decorative

We see this style working particularly well in Bespoke Kitchens & Pantries, Wardrobes & Dressing Rooms and Utility, Laundry & Boot Room Joinery.

Contemporary minimal joinery

Contemporary minimal joinery is about clarity and calm. Doors and panels read as larger fields of material with very little visible hardware. Proportions and shadow gaps do most of the work.

Typical features:

·        flush or slab doors with no visible frames

·        integrated pulls, shadow gaps or push-latch doors instead of handles

·        continuous plinths set back to make elements feel lighter

·        restrained material palettes – often a limited set of timbers, stones and lacquers

This language tends to suit open-plan living, contemporary apartments and new-build architecture. We use it frequently for Media Walls & TV Joinery, Home Offices & Study Joinery, Reception Desks & Lobby Joinery and more understated Hotel Guestroom Joinery.

Scandinavian and Japandi influences

Scandinavian and Japandi-inspired joinery focuses on warmth, tactility and a sense of ease. Lines are clean but materials feel soft and natural. The goal is often to make spaces feel quietly restorative rather than overtly styled.

You might see:

·        lighter timbers – oaks, ashes and paler finishes with visible grain

·        simple frames or slab fronts with very fine proportions

·        rounded edges and softer profiles where the body meets the hand

·        hardware in timber, muted metals or even concealed entirely

We often weave this language into Residential Joinery for calm living spaces, Home Offices & Study Joinery and relaxed Amenity & Members’ Club Joinery where guests are meant to linger.

Mid-century and retro cues

Mid-century-influenced joinery introduces rhythm and a touch of playfulness – strong horizontals, repeating patterns and bolder material contrasts.

Common elements include:

·        slatted doors or fluted fronts

·        strong division of panels and open shelving bays

·        richer timbers, sometimes combined with coloured lacquer or fabric

·        slim, linear handles and metal details in brass, bronze or blackened finishes

We might reference this in Home Bars & Back Bars, Libraries & Bookcase Joinery and selective elements of Amenity & Members’ Club Joinery where personality is important.

Industrial and loft-style joinery

Industrial-inspired joinery leans into exposed structure, darker palettes and more rugged materials. It can be particularly effective in former warehouse buildings, basement bars and members’ club settings.

You might see:

·        darker timbers or painted finishes combined with metal and stone

·        more visible fixings or expressed frames

·        mesh panels, ribbed glass or open steelwork

·        bolder hardware – pull handles, exposed hinges, visible brackets

This approach often underpins Hospitality Bars & Back Counters, certain Amenity & Members’ Club Joinery and more dramatic Spa & Wellness Joinery concepts.

Heritage, country and cottage joinery

In listed buildings, historic properties and country houses, joinery has to respect existing fabric while still supporting contemporary life. Details may be more delicate, and small irregularities are often embraced rather than concealed.

Typical themes:

·        slightly narrower frames and panels, often echoing original details

·        painted finishes in chalky, layered colours

·        open shelving, plate racks or dresser-style pieces in kitchens and dining spaces

·        simple knobs and latches that feel appropriate to the period

We work carefully in this language for Heritage & Period-Style Joinery where relevant, integrating new pieces with original doors, beams and floors so nothing feels imposed.

Bold, expressive and statement joinery

Sometimes joinery needs to take centre stage – a sculptural reception desk, a deeply coloured bar, or a dramatic media wall in a key entertaining space. In these cases the style is defined as much by contrast as by any particular period reference.

This might involve:

·        strong colour blocking or high-contrast material pairings

·        oversized pulls, deep fluting or unexpected geometries

·        integrated lighting that emphasises texture and form

·        carefully edited use so that statement pieces have room to breathe

We often treat these as focal points within larger schemes – for example a feature element within Reception Desks & Lobby Joinery, Home Bars & Back Bars or key items in Amenity & Members’ Club Joinery.

Mixing styles across a project

Most projects are a conversation between context, client and concept. It is rare for every piece of joinery to sit in exactly the same stylistic bucket, and that can be a strength when handled deliberately.

A common approach is to keep architectural joinery – elements such as

Wall Panelling & Architectural Joinery and Internal Doors & Screens – relatively restrained, while allowing more expression in focal pieces like Media Walls & TV Joinery, Home Bars & Back Bars or Reception Desks & Lobby Joinery. Another is to hold kitchens and wardrobes in a slightly more timeless language, while smaller elements carry bolder colour or detailing.

Our role is to help you decide where joinery should recede and where it should lead, then translate that into coordinated details, samples and production information.

Translating style between hospitality and residential projects

The same stylistic ideas often appear in both hospitality and residential work, but the way they are executed can differ. In hotels and members’ clubs, durability, housekeeping and repeatability matter just as much as aesthetics. In private homes, hand-feel, storage nuance and long-term comfort often come to the fore.

We are used to translating a single design language across both – for example, taking a Japandi-inspired concept and applying it to Residential Joinery for a family home and Hospitality Joinery for a guest suite with higher turnover. The aim is to keep the essence consistent while tuning details to context.

Working with us on joinery style

When you brief us on a project, we will usually start by talking about overall feel rather than technical detail – what you want guests or residents to experience when they enter a room. From there we can propose joinery styles, references and sample palettes that support that story.

As the design develops, we embed those stylistic decisions into the specific scopes mapped out on Types of Joinery, and into the wider process set out under Bespoke Joinery.

If you would like to explore joinery styles for a live project, share your mood boards or concept package with us. We can sketch out how different styles might translate into built-in elements, suggest where to invest in statement pieces and where to keep things quieter, and then carry those decisions through into detailed design, sampling and production.