CASE STUDY: Bespoke Reception Fit Out & Joinery Manufacture at 10 Colmore Row, Birmingham
This case study explains how New Look Interiors manufactured and installed bespoke commercial joinery for the reception and staircase at 10 Colmore Row in Birmingham. It covers the manufacture of curved reception joinery, integrated lighting details and staircase features, alongside the use of in house production and trial assembly to resolve complex details before installation. For commercial contractors, developers and project teams planning technically demanding fit outs, the project demonstrates how experienced joinery manufacture and coordinated installation can improve accuracy, integration and control from workshop production through to completion.
Bespoke Reception Fit Out Case Study: 10 Colmore Row, Birmingham
How We Turned Complex Architectural Joinery Into a Seamless Reception and Staircase Feature
Complex bespoke joinery requires more than accurate manufacture.
Curved sections, changing levels, integrated lighting and existing building interfaces all need to work together if the finished installation is going to appear seamless.
At 10 Colmore Row in Birmingham, New Look Interiors was appointed to manufacture and install the bespoke reception and staircase joinery for a distinctive new commercial entrance.
The architectural design brought together a curved reception desk, staircase enclosure, recessed lighting details and surrounding architectural features to create one continuous visual element.
Our role was to translate that design into practical, accurately manufactured components that could be built and tested within our Castle Donington workshop before being transported to site for installation.
For commercial contractors, developers and project teams working with technically demanding interior schemes, the project demonstrates how in house manufacturing, trial assembly and experienced installation can provide greater control from workshop build through to completion.
Project Overview: 10 Colmore Row, Birmingham
Location: 10 Colmore Row, Birmingham
Sector: Commercial / Office
Service: Bespoke Manufacturing & Fit Out
Scope: Bespoke joinery manufacture, reception desk, curved joinery, staircase enclosure, architectural features, integrated lighting details and site installation
Key Outcomes at a Glance:
- Manufactured complex bespoke reception and staircase joinery in house
- Translated curved architectural details into practical, manufacturable components
- Trial assembled principal elements before delivery to site
- Incorporated recessed channels for integrated linear lighting
- Integrated the illuminated ‘10’ building identification into the reception frontage
- Coordinated the new joinery with the existing staircase, balustrading, flooring, lighting and surrounding finishes
- Delivered a continuous reception and staircase feature with consistent detailing throughout
Bespoke Reception Fit Out, Birmingham
Creating a Distinctive Entrance That Integrates Seamlessly With the Existing Staircase
The project required a distinctive commercial reception that integrated closely with the existing staircase and surrounding architectural finishes.
Rather than treating the reception desk and staircase enclosure as separate elements, the design connected them through a continuous joinery feature.
Warm timber finishes form the main structure, with recessed linear lighting following the shape of the reception desk and continuing upwards alongside the staircase.
Dark blue wall panelling and curtains provide contrast against the lighter joinery and stone effect flooring, while illuminated curved architectural features continue the same design language above the reception and around the upper level.
Achieving that finished appearance depended on accurately manufacturing each component and ensuring the individual sections aligned once installed within the existing building.
Project Goals: Translating Architectural Intent Into Accurate Bespoke Joinery
Our objectives for the project were clear:
- Manufacture the bespoke reception and staircase joinery to the architectural specification
- Reproduce complex curves, angles and changing levels accurately
- Create clean recessed channels for integrated lighting
- Incorporate the illuminated building identification into the reception frontage
- Maintain visual continuity between the reception desk and staircase enclosure
- Trial assemble key components before delivery
- Coordinate the finished installation with existing architectural features and surrounding finishes
The Challenge: Curves, Changing Levels, Integrated Lighting and Existing Building Interfaces
A key challenge was turning the architectural design into a structure that could be manufactured, transported and installed accurately.
The joinery incorporates large curved sections, changing levels and multiple angles.
The reception desk itself includes a radiused end and a continuous recessed detail that follows the front of the desk before changing direction and rising alongside the staircase.
Recessed channels also had to be incorporated accurately during manufacture to accommodate the lighting details that emphasise the shape of the finished joinery.
The illuminated ‘10’ building identification introduced another precise detail, requiring accurate setting out within the reception frontage before the components reached site.
Once manufactured, the joinery then needed to interface cleanly with the existing staircase, balustrading, flooring, lighting and surrounding finishes.
Successfully bringing all of these elements together required careful workshop manufacture and close coordination through installation.
Bespoke Commercial Joinery Manufacture
How In House Manufacturing Helped Protect Accuracy, Resolve Complex Details Early and Reduce Installation Risk
The principal reception and staircase elements were manufactured within our Castle Donington workshop.
Producing the joinery in house gave our team greater control over accuracy, construction and finish before the components reached site.
It also enabled key sections to be trial assembled during manufacture.
For a project involving curves, changes in level and adjoining components, this provided an opportunity to check how the different sections came together and make any required refinements within the workshop environment.
This reduced the amount that needed to be resolved during installation and helped ensure the finished sections could be brought together accurately once delivered to Birmingham.
Planning, Manufacturing and Installing Bespoke Joinery
How We Kept Complex Joinery Controlled, Coordinated and Accurate From Workshop to Site
The project followed a clear progression from workshop manufacture through to final installation.
Workshop manufacture
The reception desk, staircase enclosure and principal bespoke components were manufactured in house, with the curved sections, recessed details and adjoining elements formed to the architectural design.
Trial assembly
Key elements were brought together within the workshop to review alignment and interfaces before delivery.
Preparation for integrated features
Lighting channels and the opening for the illuminated building identification were incorporated during manufacture so these details could sit cleanly within the finished joinery.
Site installation
Once completed, the bespoke sections were transported to Birmingham and installed within the existing reception space.
Final coordination
The joinery was carefully coordinated with the staircase, balustrading, flooring, lighting and surrounding finishes to bring the different architectural elements together.
Installation Scope: What We Installed to Create a Cohesive Reception From Desk to Staircase
Bespoke Reception Desk
The reception desk was manufactured with a radiused end and continuous recessed detailing, creating the main focal point on entering the property.
Integrated Building Identification
The illuminated ‘10’ was incorporated directly into the reception frontage, with its position accurately set out during manufacture to achieve a clean finished result.
Curved Staircase Enclosure
The bespoke enclosure follows the changing levels of the staircase and connects visually with the reception joinery below.
Recessed Lighting Details
Channels were incorporated into the joinery to accommodate the linear lighting that follows the form of the reception and staircase feature.
Architectural Joinery Features
Curved architectural elements extend above the reception and around the upper level, carrying the same design language throughout the entrance.
Site Installation
The manufactured components were installed and coordinated with the existing staircase, balustrading, flooring, lighting and surrounding interior finishes.
Quality Assurance: How We Protected Accuracy, Consistency and Finish From Workshop Build to Final Installation
With bespoke joinery of this complexity, small discrepancies can become highly visible once curved sections, lighting details and adjoining architectural elements come together.
Manufacturing the principal components in house allowed our team to review the joinery throughout production and check key interfaces during trial assembly.
Particular attention was given to the radiused sections, recessed channels, changes in level and the transition between the reception desk and staircase enclosure.
This workshop control carried through to site installation, helping the finished components align cleanly with one another and with the surrounding building.
Commercial Reception Fit Out Results
How Manufacturing Control and Careful Coordination Delivered a Seamless Finished Reception
The finished reception demonstrates what careful manufacture, trial assembly and coordinated installation can achieve when bespoke joinery involves complex geometry and multiple architectural interfaces.
Greater manufacturing control
Producing the main elements within our own workshop allowed the team to check construction, alignment and finish before the joinery arrived on site.
Accurate integration of complex details
Curved sections, changing levels, recessed lighting channels and the illuminated building identification were incorporated into the joinery while maintaining continuity throughout the feature.
A cohesive reception and staircase
The reception desk and staircase enclosure work together as one architectural feature rather than reading as separate installations.
Careful coordination with the existing building
The bespoke joinery was installed around the existing staircase, balustrading, flooring and surrounding finishes, allowing the new elements to integrate closely with the wider reception.
A distinctive commercial entrance
Warm timber finishes, integrated lighting and contrasting darker details create a contemporary reception that gives 10 Colmore Row a strong visual identity from the point of entry.
Bespoke Joinery Manufacturers for Complex Commercial Fit Outs
How In House Manufacture Helps Resolve Complex Details Earlier, Protect Installation Accuracy and Reduce Project Risk
Complex commercial joinery often needs more than a straightforward manufacture and installation process.
Where designs incorporate curves, changing levels, integrated features or connections with existing building elements, the workshop stage becomes an important part of controlling quality and reducing installation risk.
With in house manufacturing capabilities and experienced installation teams, New Look Interiors can take technically demanding architectural joinery from design intent through manufacture and onto site.
At 10 Colmore Row, this meant resolving complex details within our workshop, trial assembling key sections and then installing the manufactured components within the existing reception environment.
The result demonstrates our ability to deliver bespoke commercial joinery where accuracy, coordination and finish all need to work together.
Bespoke Commercial Joinery FAQs
Questions Project Teams Ask Before Commissioning Complex Commercial Joinery
How long does bespoke commercial joinery take to manufacture and install?
The programme for bespoke commercial joinery depends on the size and complexity of the package, materials and finishes, specialist details and how installation needs to coordinate with the wider project.
A straightforward joinery package may require less manufacturing time than a reception involving curved elements, integrated features or several adjoining components.
At New Look Interiors, we assess the manufacturing and installation requirements alongside the wider project programme, helping identify demanding elements early and establish realistic timescales before work reaches site.
How much does bespoke commercial reception joinery cost?
The cost of bespoke commercial reception joinery varies according to the size, materials, finishes and complexity of the design.
Curved sections, specialist surfaces, unusual geometry, integrated lighting and architectural details can all influence the amount of manufacturing and installation work required.
Rather than applying a standard reception desk price, New Look Interiors reviews the drawings, specification and site requirements so the quotation reflects what the project actually involves.
When should bespoke joinery be planned into a commercial fit out?
Bespoke joinery should ideally be brought into the commercial fit out programme early enough for drawings, materials, manufacturing requirements and site interfaces to be reviewed before installation is due to begin.
This becomes particularly important where the joinery needs to coordinate with flooring, lighting, partitions, staircases or other architectural finishes.
Early involvement gives our team time to review the manufacturing requirements, identify technically demanding details and plan production around the wider fit out programme.
What information is needed to quote for bespoke commercial joinery?
The information required will depend on the project, but drawings, dimensions, specifications, finishes and details of any integrated features will usually help establish the scope accurately.
It is also important to understand site conditions, installation access and how the joinery connects with surrounding elements.
New Look Interiors can review the available project information and identify what is needed to accurately assess the manufacture and installation of a bespoke commercial joinery package.
What should I look for when choosing a commercial joinery contractor?
Look beyond whether a contractor can manufacture the individual item.
For technically demanding commercial joinery, you should also assess their experience with comparable projects, manufacturing capability, installation expertise, quality control and ability to coordinate with the wider fit out.
It is worth asking how complex details will be resolved before installation, who will manufacture the joinery and whether the same team can support the project through to site completion.
With over 28 years of commercial experience, in house manufacturing capabilities and dedicated installation teams, New Look Interiors can take bespoke commercial joinery from architectural intent through workshop manufacture and final installation.
Book a Commercial Fit Out Analysis
Need a Specialist Team to Turn Complex Architectural Details Into an Accurate Finished Installation?
If your commercial project includes bespoke reception joinery, curved architectural features or technically demanding details, you need a team that can control the work from manufacture through to final installation.
With over 28 years of commercial experience, in house manufacturing capabilities and dedicated installation teams, we can resolve complex details before they reach site, maintain greater control over quality and accuracy, and coordinate installation around the wider project requirements.
From architectural intent through workshop manufacture, trial assembly and final installation, we help turn technically demanding joinery into a finished result that is accurate, cohesive and ready to perform within the completed space.
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