Styles · Modern classic
A timeless look, with storage that keeps up
The framed door has outlasted every trend because it suits almost any house. Pair it with heritage colours and modern fittings inside, and it feels familiar without feeling old.
What defines it
The ingredients of a modern classic room
Think of a traditional kitchen with the fuss taken out. Clean proportions, honest colours and hardware you can hold.
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Framed doorsA recessed centre panel inside a plain frame, Shaker-style. It gives a run of cupboards rhythm and a soft line of shadow.
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Heritage colourMidnight navy, sage or chalk white, often two together: a dark island against pale runs of units, or the other way round.
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Natural oak accentsAn oak worktop, an open shelf or the inside of a glazed cabinet, to warm the colour.
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Brass knobsBrushed brass round knobs on the doors, with matching bar handles on wide drawers if you like.
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Light that feels like a lampWarm LED under wall units and inside glazed doors, rather than a bright grid of ceiling spots.
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What stays hiddenAppliances. This look comes into its own when the dishwasher and fridge sit behind matching doors, built to their exact fitting sizes.
Colours with history
Choose one main colour and one supporting finish. Oak goes with all of them.
- Midnight navy A deep, inky blue. Classic in a kitchen, cosy in a snug. Good for: Kitchen, Bedroom or dressing room, Living room or media wall, Home office About midnight navyTry it in the planner
- Sage A soft grey-green. Easy to live with and kind to natural light. Good for: Kitchen, Bedroom or dressing room, Home office, Utility or boot room About sageTry it in the planner
- Chalk white A soft white that isn't stark. Makes small rooms feel bigger. Good for: Kitchen, Bedroom or dressing room, Home office, Children's room, Utility or boot room About chalk whiteTry it in the planner
- Natural oak Honey-toned oak that warms up any colour next to it. Good for: Kitchen, Bedroom or dressing room, Living room or media wall, Home office, Utility or boot room About natural oakTry it in the planner
Want a different heritage shade? A lacquered door can be colour-matched. Ask at your design stage.
Kitchens, bedrooms and living rooms
How the look settles into each room of the house.
The classic
Kitchens
A navy island with chalk white runs, brass knobs and an oak shelf. Or keep it all sage for a softer, country feel.
KitchensHard-working
Utility and boot rooms
Sage framed doors, a sink run and tall cupboards for coats and the ironing board.
Utility rooms
Bedrooms
Wardrobes
Chalk white wardrobes with brass knobs, wall to wall. Calm, light and familiar.
Fitted wardrobes
Either side of the fire
Living rooms
Framed cupboards below and oak shelves above, made to each alcove's real size.
Alcove unitsStudies
Home offices
Natural oak shelving and a desk wall, with framed cupboards to close on the paperwork.
Home offices
About these renders
They show each colour on flat doors. Your own design is drawn with framed doors once the door profile is confirmed.
About framed doors
How framed doors are confirmed
Framed, Shaker-style doors are made to order for your design. We confirm the frame, the panel and which finishes are available as framed doors at the design stage, before you sign anything.
That way, the drawings you approve show exactly the door you'll get. Everything behind it is the same as the rest of the range: soft-close hinges, full-extension drawers, pull-out larders and corner solutions.
If a framed door isn't right for a particular unit, a flat slab door in the same colour sits happily beside it. Plenty of classic kitchens use slab drawer fronts beneath framed doors anyway.
Make it yours
Making it work in your house
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For a family kitchen
Sage or navy on the lower doors hides scuffs better than white. Add a deep pan drawer by the hob and a pull-out bin by the sink: classic looks, modern habits.
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For a small room
Go pale, with chalk white framed doors and a natural oak top. Run the wall units to the ceiling and use one knob size throughout to keep it tidy. Try it in the planner.
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For a period house in the North East
Framed doors look at home in Victorian and Edwardian terraces and 1930s semis alike. Units are scribed to uneven walls and ceilings, and alcove cupboards beside a chimney breast can match the kitchen.
Classic outside, clever inside
Send a photo of your room. We'll send a design with framed doors drawn in, and a price range, free.
Free guide
Get the free planning guide
Measuring, styles, finishes and how to plan your budget, in one short guide. Then the odd email with ideas worth stealing.
Questions people ask
Anything else, send us a message and we'll talk it through.
Is modern classic the same as a Shaker kitchen?
It starts with the Shaker-style framed door, but keeps everything else simple and up to date: fewer mouldings, cleaner lines, integrated appliances and modern storage.
Can wardrobes have framed doors too?
Framed doors are confirmed at the design stage for each unit, wardrobes included, so your drawings will show exactly what's possible in your room before you approve them.
Do brass knobs go with every colour?
Brushed brass is lovely with navy, sage and oak. With chalk white it reads softer and more traditional. Matt black knobs are the crisper alternative.
Can I mix framed and flat doors?
Yes. Slab drawer fronts under framed doors, or a framed kitchen with handleless wardrobes upstairs, both look considered rather than mismatched.
How do I find out what framed doors would cost?
Send us your room and we'll send a design and a price range, free, with framed doors included so you can compare.
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