“ We couldn ’ t find a front door we wanted ,” begins Elizabeth Assaf , co-founder and director of Urban Front . “ It really is as simple as that . We had been refurbishing and redecorating a 1960s bungalow - our home - inside and out . When it came to the front door ; our gateway to our sanctuary , literally the very first thing a guest would see when they came to visit , the piece that sets the tone for the rest of the building ; nothing matched up to the rest of our style . Nothing came close to what we were after . So we made our own .”

That one door , more than 15 years ago , has turned into thousands more as the husband and wife team realised there must be other home renovators , designers and architects facing

the same problem ; especially given the reaction of passers-by after they had their own creation installed . The idea for Urban Front was born .

Nabil Assaf was born and educated in Lebanon ; moving to the UK in 1987 , and starting work in private banking at Barclays . Meanwhile , Australian-born Elizabeth was also studying in Lebanon when she won a scholarship to university in the UK , then on graduating started working on property television programmes such as Changing Rooms and Property Ladder . Their paths crossed and the couple married in 1997 . Then , in addition to their ‘ day jobs ’, the now Mr and Mrs Assaf began renovating properties , and given the places they ’ d grown up in and distance they ’ d travelled before finding each other ,

plus Elizabeth ’ s experience in how to design ( and how not to design ) houses from her television work , it comes as no shock to say that the pair ’ s taste was eclectic to say the least .

All of this led to the Urban Front as it is known today . And as Elizabeth says , “ every investment in one of our doors is also in an investment in every hour that is spent handcrafting it and everything the brand has learnt before that . Our doors are stunning yes , and we are very proud of that , but it ’ s just the tip of iceberg . The materials we source , the security credentials , the performance ; it ’ s all part of the process . No door leaves the Chesham site until Nabil and I have signed it off .”

Just 30 minutes on the website and it ’ s clear to see all of the above and more has

helped ‘ carve the reputation ’ of Urban Front into a go-to name for contemporary , bespoke , hardwood entrance and garage doors . The list of award-winning houses and premium architectural publications that feature Urban Front products offers a portfolio of taste that cannot happen by chance .

Indeed , while there is no such thing as a ‘ typical ’ Urban Front door , as every order is made bespoke according to the customer ’ s own specification of size , finish , hardware , etc ; there is a common theme of inherent

innovation , performance and the ‘ wow ’ factor that a product can only truly possess when the people behind it have a passion for their brand and business .

“ No two Urban Front doors are the same , but we do see certain themes that go through popular phases ,” continues Elizabeth . “ At the moment , pivot and oversized doors are definitely having their moment . And in terms of finish , darker hardwoods , and the liquid metal look are very sought after . Bronze is one of the most favoured finishes .”