Shopfronts · High Street · Conservation
Shopfronts the high street slows down to look at.
A good shopfront earns its keep. It signals confidence, brings people in, and lifts the building it sits in. We've drawn, built and fitted shopfronts the length of Sussex and Kent, from Wadhurst to Tunbridge Wells, Lewes to Uckfield.
Every Forest Joinery shopfront starts with a survey of the existing building. Cornices, pilasters, stallriser and fascia, proportioned to read as part of the original elevation, not stuck on. Most of our shopfront work is in conservation areas; we'll prepare the drawings and profiles the planning officer needs to approve it.
We build in Accoya for painted finishes and hardwood where the timber is meant to be seen. Glazing is run to whatever spec the planners and the retailer agree, single-pane traditional, or modern double-glazed units in conservation profiles where allowed.
Restoration projects too: stripped-back fascias rebuilt to original profile and rotten cornices replaced like-for-like, period frontages brought back to working condition.
What We Make
- New hand-built shopfronts, traditional and contemporary
- Listed-building and conservation-area approvals
- Fascia signs, cornices, pilasters and stallrisers
- Bay-window shopfronts
- Restoration of period frontages
- Internal joinery, counters, fixtures, panelling
-
Hand-built sage-green shopfront with full-height display glazing, made to suit the building and fitted on site.
-
Cream-painted Georgian shopfront with full small-pane glazing for a Sussex town centre.
More From The Workshop
Common Questions
Do you handle conservation-area approvals?
Most of our shopfront work is in conservation areas. We survey the host building and prepare the drawings and profiles the planning officer needs to approve the design before anything is built.
Can you restore an existing period frontage?
Yes. We rebuild stripped-back fascias to the original profile and replace rotten cornices like-for-like, bringing tired period frontages back to working condition.
What does a hand-built shopfront include?
Cornice, pilasters, stallriser and fascia, all proportioned to read as part of the original elevation rather than stuck on, plus any internal counters, fixtures and panelling.
What glazing options are there?
Traditional single-pane glazing, or modern slim double-glazed units in conservation profiles where the planners and retailer agree.
Which areas do you cover?
The length of Sussex and Kent from our Uckfield workshop, from Wadhurst to Tunbridge Wells and Lewes to Uckfield, roughly a 30-mile radius of the workshop.
Start a Conversation
Drawings, listed-building advice, or a single window, we'd like to hear from you.
The quickest answers come by phone. For drawings or photos, send them through the contact page and Simon will come back the same day.