The 2026 Crittall House of the Year Finalists

A Roman-inspired self-build in St Albans

• Partner: Metwin

After more than 35 years in St Albans and many years of searching, the homeowners finally found a fantastic opportunity to design their own home.

Working with architect Matthew Briffa, of Briffa Phillips Architects, the family came up with a design to replace a somewhat rundown 1950’s bungalow into a new property taking inspiration from Roman architecture and combining this with contemporary materials, generous glazing and modern open-plan spaces.

Crittall was part of the vision from the early stages and was heavily featured in the project. Large areas of glazing and full-height doors were installed by Metwin across the open-plan kitchen, dining and living space. A two-storey glazed screen within the main staircase, a fire-rated internal door between the open-plan living area and formal lounge and an additional internal glazed door was installed, leading to the boot room. Specified in dark bronze, the slender frames sit alongside timber windows elsewhere in the property and give a contemporary finish alongside the Roman-inspired brickwork.

The finished home perfectly brings together two distinct influences: references to the Roman history of St Albans and the contemporary character of modern steel glazing.

A reimagined family home in Shropshire

• Partner: Three Spires Glass

Built around 65 years ago by its first owner, this Shropshire house was designed to have the character and appearance of a much older house. That sense of history is what first drew the homeowner to the property and 21 years on, it has shaped how the family approached updating it.

What began as a plan for a boot room and larger utility space grew into a much wider renovation: a new kitchen, a reworked ground-floor layout and opening up previously separated areas.

The house had original single-glazed Crittall windows, so genuine steel was the natural choice when the time came to replace them. The scheme expanded during design as the homeowner also asked Three Spires Glass to consider how Crittall might work in the oak extension – an element not previously included in the plans.

Specified in black, the windows and doors now run throughout the property allowing the homeowners to enjoy views of the garden while cooking and to better connect the inside with outside spaces. Installing Crittall in the existing oak structure also brought together different areas of the house, making them a part of everyday family life.

New build family homes in Reigate

• Partner: Lightfoot Windows

Neighbours from Reigate came together to secure planning permission for two new family homes within adjoining gardens.

Planning called for an architectural approach that was more traditional in character. Rather than viewing this as a restriction, the team developed an Arts and Crafts-inspired design.

In this project, genuine steel Crittall doors were installed by Lightfoot Windows alongside timber windows, traditional clay bricks and clay roof tiles, helping to give the newly built homes the character associated with older properties.

For both houses, the Crittall external doors play an important role in the main kitchen and entertaining space which, when open, allow the garden to become part of the wider social areas.

While the planners wanted the two houses to feel similar, they didn’t want them to be identical so subtle variations in finishes and detailing were considered to make each home feel unique. The biggest difference was the colour of the steel doors as house one opted for a bronze finish, whereas house two chose a more traditional black – synonymous with authentic Crittall systems.

The result is a pair of homes designed together from the outset but individually detailed and shaped by the people who would ultimately live in them.