These fittings are one of the most tactile parts of your home’s interiors, so it pays to look for highquality designs, says Chris Bates

design details

On a heritage project, the best route is often to preserve original features. That’s exactly what AR Design Studio chose to do with the internal doors in this stable conversion

They may not be the first thing on the shopping list for your self build or renovation, but the right internal doors can add real wow factor to a home. With that in mind, more and more of us are looking to focus some budget on this part of our projects.

You may wish to match the design and materials to other elements of the decor, such as the mouldings, staircase and flooring. This is likely to work particularly well in heritagestyle properties. Others prefer a contrasting approach, perhaps using unusual timbers, grain patterns or strong colour options.

Using glazed panels can transform the look and feel of a room, too, while exactly how the doors are fitted will make a big difference. Do you want to install traditional architraves, for instance, or would you prefer to see a shadow gap? The second route can look fantastically modern – but the craftsmanship involved on site will push up your costs.