Shopfronts & Exterior Doors

The way a building meets the street sets the tone for everything that happens inside. Shopfronts and exterior doors shape first impressions – how visible the interior is, how welcoming the entrance feels, how people find their way in and how brand is expressed at the threshold.

At Make Bespoke Studio we design and deliver shopfronts and exterior doors for hotels, members’ clubs, cafés, retail units and mixed-use developments – from a single, finely detailed townhouse entrance to long retail frontages and multi-door hotel façades. We work closely with interior designers, architects, branding teams and façade consultants to align the external joinery with the interior story.

What we mean by shopfronts and exterior doors

We use “shopfronts and exterior doors” to describe the visible, tactile layer of the façade at ground level – the glazed screens, entrance doors, framing, stall risers, signage bands and thresholds that mediate between street and interior.

·        glazed shopfront screens with timber, metal or composite framing

·        single, double and revolving entrance doors – hinged, pivot or sliding

·        framing to façade openings, sidelights and fanlights

·        stall risers, bulkheads and signage or fascia bands

·        integrated planters, benches, plinths and display niches at the façade

·        secondary staff, service and back-of-house external doors

These elements sit at the junction between Wall Panelling & Architectural Joinery, Internal Doors & Screens, Retail & Café Counters / Display Joinery and Outdoor & Terrace Joinery, so we treat them as part of one coordinated package rather than a standalone façade exercise.

Types of shopfront and entrance conditions we work on

Each project presents a slightly different entrance condition – from historic streets to new-build podiums. We adapt the joinery language to work with existing architecture, planning constraints and brand ambition.

·        Hotel entrances and lobbies – primary guest entrances with glazed doors, canopies and sidelights, often directly aligned with Reception Desks & Lobby Joinery and internal Staircases & Handrails.

·        Café and retail shopfronts – frontages for Retail & Café Counters / Display Joinery offers, balancing transparency, display, signage and back-of-counter privacy.

·        Members’ club doors and portals – more discreet entrances to Amenity & Members’ Club Joinery worlds, where doors, panelling and ironmongery set the tone before guests even step inside.

·        Residential front doors and lobbies – entrances to townhouses, apartments and residential lobbies, coordinated with Residential Joinery palettes and internal Wall Panelling & Architectural Joinery.

·        Mixed-use and podium frontages – retail and café units at the base of larger buildings, where shopfronts must work within base-build constraints while connecting to Hospitality Joinery and Amenity & Members’ Club Joinery above.

·        Staff, service and back-of-house doors – secondary entrances for deliveries, staff and plant, tying into Locker Rooms & Back-of-House Joinery and internal service corridors while remaining robust and discreet.

Key joinery elements at the façade

We break the façade down into a series of repeatable elements that can be tuned to different elevations, while keeping the overall language coherent.

·        Glazed shopfront screens – fixed glazing in timber or metal framing, with mullions, transoms and sightlines composed to work from inside and out.

·        Entrance doors – single or double doors, hinged or pivoted, sometimes with automatic opening, coordinated with ironmongery, access control and thresholds, and relating to internal Internal Doors & Screens.

·        Side-lights and fanlights – glazed panels beside and above doors, bringing light deeper into Reception Desks & Lobby Joinery areas and linking to internal panelling datums.

·        Stall risers and bulkheads – solid bases and heads to shopfronts, providing protection at street level and clear bands for signage, lighting and servicing.

·        Integrated display and plinths – shallow display zones, plinths and niches within the shopfront depth, working hand-in-hand with Retail & Café Counters / Display Joinery.

·        Thresholds, steps and ramps – entrance thresholds in stone, metal or timber, designed with accessibility, drainage and internal finishes in mind.

Visibility, privacy and brand presence

One of the main roles of shopfronts and exterior doors is to set up the relationship between inside and out – how much is revealed, what is framed and how brand is communicated.

·        tuning glazing heights and opacities so that key elements of Retail & Café Counters / Display Joinery and Reception Desks & Lobby Joinery are visible from the street

·        using framing and mullion positions to create composed views to artwork, Media Walls & TV Joinery and feature pieces inside

·        balancing clear views with privacy for guests, particularly in Amenity & Members’ Club Joinery and Spa & Wellness Joinery contexts

·        integrating signage, lighting and manifestation so that brand is present but not overpowering

These moves are developed alongside interior compositions to Hospitality Joinery and Residential Joinery, so that what you see from outside is what the interior wants to foreground.

Performance, security and compliance

Shopfronts and exterior doors sit at the interface between weather, security and comfort. We pay close attention to performance so that doors feel light to use, spaces feel comfortable and operators feel secure.

·        coordinating door hardware, locks and access control with security and operational requirements

·        selecting glazing types, seals and profiles with appropriate thermal and acoustic performance

·        planning thresholds, door clear openings and ironmongery in line with accessibility and DDA guidance

·        allowing for smoke ventilation, fire strategy and, where required, fire-rated external doors in coordination with consultants

These performance decisions are integrated into our Bespoke Joinery technical packages and coordinated with façade, structural and MEP teams, as well as with Locker Rooms & Back-of-House Joinery and internal Internal Doors & Screens where escape routes pass through.

Materials, finishes and detailing

Because shopfronts and exterior doors are so exposed and so frequently touched, material selection and detailing are critical. We aim for a palette that feels consistent with the interior while being robust enough for life on the street.

We assemble palettes from our Materials library – timbers, metals, stones, ceramics and external-grade coatings – and align them with stylistic cues on Joinery Styles.

·        choosing timber species, metal finishes and coatings suitable for external exposure

·        detailing junctions between frames, claddings and adjacent façade materials to shed water and hide fixings

·        coordinating internal and external reveals so that **Wall Panelling & Architectural Joinery** flows naturally into the shopfront

·        integrating ironmongery – handles, pulls, push plates and kick plates – that feels good in the hand and suits the wider scheme

Shopfronts and exterior doors in hospitality projects

In hotels and clubs, entrances and street frontages carry a lot of responsibility – from welcoming first-time guests to guiding regular members in quietly.

·        Hotel main entrances – doors and glazed screens aligned with Reception Desks & Lobby Joinery, Staircases & Handrails and, where relevant, views to Hospitality Bars & Back Counters.

·        Café and restaurant fronts – shopfronts that reveal just enough of Retail & Café Counters / Display Joinery and dining rooms beyond, often with doors that can open up in good weather to connect with Outdoor & Terrace Joinery.

·        Members’ club doors – more discreet entrances leading into Amenity & Members’ Club Joinery worlds, with panelling, ironmongery and lighting tuned to the particular atmosphere of the club.

·        Spa and wellness entrances – quieter, more controlled entrances for Spa & Wellness Joinery spaces, sometimes with a softer, more domestic material language.

Shopfronts and exterior doors in residential and mixed-use projects

In residential and mixed-use buildings, entrances have to carry both a sense of home and, in many cases, a public-facing presence at ground level.

·        Residential front doors – bespoke entrance doors to houses and apartments, aligned with Residential Joinery palettes and internal Internal Doors & Screens.

·        Shared lobbies in mixed-use blocks – entrances serving residential, hotel and amenity levels, where shopfronts and doors frame views into Reception Desks & Lobby Joinery and Amenity & Members’ Club Joinery.

·        Ground-floor retail and cafés – shopfronts integrating with base-build façades and servicing, while giving a clear, flexible framework for Retail & Café Counters / Display Joinery inside.

Integration with structure, façades and services

Shopfronts and exterior doors sit at the intersection of structure, façades, services and interiors. We design them with all of these layers in mind so that they feel simple in use, even when the constraints are complex.

·        coordinating frame sizes, fixings and tolerances with primary structure and façade systems

·        aligning head heights, transoms and signage bands with internal ceilings, bulkheads and **Wall Panelling & Architectural Joinery** datums

·        planning drainage, thresholds and interfaces with external paving and internal floor finishes

·        integrating power, data and lighting routes for signage, canopies and display into the shopfront envelope

These integrations are developed as part of our broader Bespoke Joinery technical packages and coordinated with façade, structural and MEP teams, particularly where entrances connect to Reception Desks & Lobby Joinery, Retail & Café Counters / Display Joinery, Outdoor & Terrace Joinery and Locker Rooms & Back-of-House Joinery.

Our process for shopfronts and exterior doors

Our approach to shopfronts and exterior doors follows the same clear stages as our wider

Bespoke Joinery work, with particular emphasis on planning, performance and alignment with brand and architecture.

1. Brief, context and brand We begin by understanding the street context, planning or heritage constraints, brand positioning and how the entrance or frontage needs to work operationally.

2. Surveys, plans and elevations We review drawings, surveys and any existing fabric – or visit site – to understand structural openings, levels, neighbours and servicing.

3. Concept layouts and façade rhythm We develop options for door positions, glazing rhythms, mullion layouts and signage bands, testing views in and out and alignment with internal layouts.

4. Detailed design & coordination We produce detailed drawings showing frames, glazing, thresholds, ironmongery, drainage and junctions with façades, floors and internal panelling, coordinated with consultants.

5. Materials, hardware and samples We prepare focused samples of external finishes, glass, metals and ironmongery, aligning them with adjacent scopes on Types of Joinery and ensuring consistency with Retail & Café Counters / Display Joinery, Reception Desks & Lobby Joinery, Amenity & Members’ Club Joinery, Hospitality Joinery, Residential Joinery and Outdoor & Terrace Joinery palettes.

6. Production & installation Shopfronts and exterior doors are manufactured through our network of workshops and specialist fabricators, and installed in coordination with main contractors, façade, landscape and services teams, with careful setting out and on-site adjustments to suit real conditions.

Connecting shopfronts and exterior doors into the wider scheme

Shopfronts and exterior doors are the first chapter of the interior story. Handled well, they make the transition from street to lobby, café or club feel inevitable and calm.

We make sure decisions taken here align with adjacent scopes such as Internal Doors & Screens, Wall Panelling & Architectural Joinery, Retail & Café Counters / Display Joinery, Reception Desks & Lobby Joinery, Amenity & Members’ Club Joinery, Hospitality Bars & Back Counters, Home Bars & Back Bars, Outdoor & Terrace Joinery, Locker Rooms & Back-of-House Joinery, Hospitality Joinery and Residential Joinery. All of this is structured through Types of Joinery and the stylistic language captured on Joinery Styles.

Next steps

If you are developing shopfronts or exterior doors as part of a project, share your elevations, plans, brand guidelines, planning context and interior concepts with us.

We can respond with entrance and shopfront studies, joinery details and indicative scopes, showing how this layer could connect with Internal Doors & Screens, Wall Panelling & Architectural Joinery, Retail & Café Counters / Display Joinery, Reception Desks & Lobby Joinery, Amenity & Members’ Club Joinery, Hospitality Bars & Back Counters, Home Bars & Back Bars, Outdoor & Terrace Joinery, Locker Rooms & Back-of-House Joinery, Hospitality Joinery and Residential Joinery. From there we move into detailed design, sampling and delivery in line with your programme.