Taking the conventional out of an everyday object, we were super excited by this project brief – to turn the boring into the bold, the beautiful and the bespoke, with the creation of an exterior door for existing clients who were keen to incorporate more Andrew Nebbett Designs products into their new home.
Moving from a period house in the South Hams into a custom built timber-framed building, our clients were looking for a unique front door that would reflect the surrounding countryside and be in perfect keeping with this new structure.
With a few AND pieces already in their collection, including one of our square edge zinc dining tables and bases – we were delighted at the prospect of working with these clients again, designing another very special piece; something that would bring the unique to the utilitarian.
Having previously created an interior door, we are hoping this will be the first of many exterior doors – so pleased are we (and our clients) with the finished product. As always, regardless of the nature of a project, our design process remains the same – collaborative, client-focused and highly tailored, ensuring a very personal journey, from beginning to bespoke ending.
The front door was to be clad in patinated copper to the outside, with a verdigris effect that would echo the moss green of the surrounding countryside. To the inside, a zinc cladding was chosen to match perfectly with the existing AND table and base.
Following our initial conversations, we sat down to commence our 3D visualisation renders, using some rather nifty software that enables us to create a virtual simulation for our clients, illustrating how those ‘wish list’ ideas could be turned into reality.
Many of you might be familiar with our craftsmanship and attention to detail. With this project, we needed to mitigate for the expansion of the copper when exposed to the elements. With such consideration came a spark of science, and our hugely talented team of designers and craftsmen set about the rather magical process of marrying metallurgy with artistic mastery as they commenced their discussions about what could be achieved with this exciting new project.
Armed with the drawings, renders, and samples, our clients then worked with us to tweak and finalise their design before production could commence.
Working with a local company in Dorset, we clad the surfaces of an engineered exterior, weatherproof door, fitting the copper in three separate panels to take into account the aforementioned expansion. By devising a unique solution to the application of these panels, we ensured the aesthetics of the door were not compromised – giving way to a simply stunning piece of work. Not only did we design the door, we also designed the door handles; a square edge antique brass, perfectly complementing the bespoke patina finish on the outside, while a square edge aluminium handle worked flawlessly with the zinc to the interior.
(Click on the images below)
Of course, along the way, we would liaise with our clients to provide progress reports – something that was particularly crucial at the patination stage. We knew we needed to achieve a very specific verdigris to fulfil the brief. The first stage saw the bare sheet of copper turn to a plain brown before we took it to a rather wild and bold green. This was however a little ‘too green’, and so after careful treatment to the copper, the desired ‘moss’ effect was achieved.
This door is an exquisite example of what we can achieve. It is a piece of living art; the copper will continue to weather and evolve (as do we all!) and it will be incredibly exciting to see how it changes subtly through the years as the copper continues to be affected by the very seasons and surroundings it was designed to reflect.
We can offer this new product – made to measure doors – totally tailored and bespoke to you, using a range of metals, finishes, and designs. Why have the usual, when we can design the unusual? You might prefer a different metal? Perhaps a different handle, or no handle at all? We can offer a range of solutions from the traditional through to the latest technology with keyless entry. The choice of door fittings is also up to you, the possibilities are endless!
Here at Andrew Nebbett Designs we pride ourselves on the truly bespoke nature of our work, but also on using materials that are made in the UK. We enjoy collaborations with other local and UK-wide businesses who share our values and ethos to create beautiful, bespoke products that inspire and ignite a passion for quality design.
Collaboration is a vital component to all our projects. We want our clients to feel part of the process, part of the team. Commissioning a piece of bespoke furniture is very personal, which is why we tailor everything to you.
We aim not just to fulfil the brief, we want you to be blown away by what our team can achieve. It is an incredibly rewarding feeling to see the delight on our clients’ faces when we deliver their very special cargo and finally get to see it in situ. It’s why we do what we do!
Nestled in a valley, in deepest Devon, we’re always on the lookout for the next new design challenge. If you’re looking for something out of the ordinary, why not start your Andrew Nebbett Designs journey today and let’s see where it takes us! Call or email us with your ideas – we’d love to hear from you.
