Every day at FBS, we’re working with clients, architects, and interior designers to help create luxury homes unlike any other. We may not be creating floor plans or choosing color palettes, but we believe that our part — assisting with the doors and windows — plays a major role in luxury home design.
Whether you’re looking for unmatched craftsmanship or security doors and windows that will keep anyone and everything uninvited out of your luxury dream home, we can make that happen. To assist our clients in this quest, we have a team of architectural designers that can take any and all of your requests and requirements and turn them into a work of art.
Here’s what you need to know about our architectural team, what they can assist you with, and how they work with interior designers and architects to make sure our clients get exactly what they want in their dream home.
Our Architectural Design Team
When FBS first opened, we were a bare-bones operation. We used resources from the factory in Italy when we needed extra support and drew up designs on our own. As our business expanded, we couldn’t keep up with it on our own. We wanted to cultivate a team with architectural experience who could work with our clients’ design teams to ensure what they were getting was do-able. 
Most importantly, we wanted to help narrow down options and avoid the enormity paralysis that can set in when clients see our list of offerings. There are certain materials that cannot withstand harsh conditions or environments that are too humid. Our architectural design team can help clients navigate through these caveats and guide them to more suitable solutions.Leading our design team as the Head Architectural Designer is an incredibly talented woman named Cintia Matsuguma. Cintia was born and raised in Brazil, earning both her undergraduate degree in Architecture and Urbanism and her graduate degree in Business Administration (MBA) during her time there. Cintia owned and operated an architectural firm in Brazil that handled a wide variety of projects ranging from 11,000 square foot retirement homes to commercial spaces to luxury homes and apartments. Given her strong work ethic and attention to detail, it wasn’t surprising for us to learn that Cintia was involved in every step of the process, starting with set drawings and renderings, managing construction worksites, coordinating contractors, and monitoring compliance and permits. After moving to Florida a few years ago, Cintia focused on kitchen and bathroom remodeling — that is, until we found her and snatched her up. Her creativity and vision were obvious in her portfolio, and we couldn’t wait to get started on new projects with her.Hard work is something we value highly at FBS, which means Cintia fit in with us immediately. She is acutely aware of the attention to detail required to run a successful business and completely understands that our clientele has high expectations.Building our design team has been a strategic venture that involves searching for talent in specific areas. We were fortunate to find a talented architectural designer named Daniela Lozada whose background fit perfectly into our business. Daniela grew up in Venezuela, which is where she earned her undergraduate degree in Architecture. Since graduating, she has remained busy at work with a few different companies, allowing her to get a wide variety of experience early-on in her career.The companies and products she’s been able to work with are of particular interest to our discerning clientele, specifically in the realm of home automation and technology. The average homeowner isn’t looking to design and build a state-of-the-art entertainment center or sound system, nor a commercial-grade kitchen fit for an Iron Chef. Daniela’s previous experience means that she can bring a highly qualified, unique skill set to the table, which benefits our clients immensely.
Our design team works closely together to create whatever our clients are asking for. In fact, we’ve yet to be incapable of delivering a client request. Recently, a client requested a very different kind of closet door — it wasn’t something we’d never considered, but immediately intrigued us. The client wanted their closet door to be completely invisible (in that someone wouldn’t be able to tell where it was just by looking at it… like a secret door, of sorts), but also that the door was essentially an entire wall that moved out of the way via a motor. We won’t get into the details for privacy’s sake, but what we can tell you is that we made it happen. And yes, it’s every bit as incredible as it sounds.
How We Work with Clients, Interior Designers, and Architects
Every FBS home security door and window is custom made — no two are exactly alike (unless they were deliberately designed that way for the same home or office), but even so, the process for creating them is largely the same.
With Luxury Homes, Design Comes First
First and foremost, we need to talk about design because, as we’ve told our clients time and time again: it isn’t about the door or the window. Not really.
The product (whether that’s a door or a window) is a physical manifestation of what the client wants to achieve with the openings. This could mean keeping an open space that allows the client to fully appreciate the view of the ocean from their living room, or creating a decorative complement to a room, or (as it is in many cases for our clients) it could be a matter of creating a secure barrier to entry — essentially, keeping unwanted visitors out.The design itself is incredibly important for all of our clients, but for many of them, the security factor is most important. Regardless of which is more important to you, what we want to stress is that you don’t have to sacrifice one to have the other. You can have the design you want without sacrificing your need for security.
The Significance of the Front Door
Throughout history, architecture has been a way to convey both power and wealth, but specifically, the front door has been a major factor. This principle is also applicable to residential architecture.It makes sense when you think about the fact that the first impression someone gets of your home (or any building, really) is oftentimes the front door. Remember that homeowners in the United States rarely use their own front door. Think about it: you probably enter your house through the garage. You pull in, turn off the car, gather your things, and walk into the house through the fire door. You almost never use your front door. Perhaps if someone else drove you, you’d enter through the front door. But if you’re driving yourself, you’re likely using your fire door. However, your guests use the front door all the time. Your front door is how you receive visitors in your home.So in this specific case — when we’re talking about your front door — size matters, and it has all throughout history.The bigger the door, the more wealth, power, and prestige is perceived. Important buildings oftentimes have oversized front doors — many times they’re double doors to make the opening as large as possible, although modern technology has allowed pivot doors to replace them. There are plenty of examples: churches, city halls, courthouses, libraries, schools, etc. The next time you’re driving around downtown, look at the front doors of the buildings. You’re bound to find large, ornate (and sometimes glass) doors on every important building. We may be about talking doors right now, but this same philosophy applies to windows. Throughout history, people have used the number of physical openings in a house to display how wealthy they are. Again, it’s not about the windows — it’s about the view you have. This is the case across the board — hotels advertise their rooms based on the view. No one wants a view of the hotel parking lot, and they only take it if they can’t afford the better view or there are literally no other options. Everyone wants the view of the ocean, and will pay more to get it. If you’re building your luxury dream home near a cliff overlooking the ocean, or the mountains, or the city below, you wouldn’t dream of hiding that view with a solid wall. No, you’d want a wall of windows there instead. 
Security doors and windows are methods of letting a homeowner feel secure, but not trapped. For us here at FBS, it’s about providing the opportunity to connect with the outside world while still feeling safe — regardless of the type of opening you’d like or where you are in the home. Your wall of windows can be completely fortified and secure if you want it to be.That’s how we approach luxury home design. We want our clients to have the most incredible home security doors and windows possible, and in order to accomplish that goal, that we work closely with interior designers, architects, and clients to make sure they’ll get exactly what they want — even if they didn’t know that’s what they were looking for.
Measurements and Site Visit
We can start a quick sketch and ballpark quote for you with a simple set of measurements, and perhaps some photos. That’s typically enough to get the process moving, especially if you want an exact replica of a door you already have. This is a common occurrence for people who want a bedroom security door, but don’t want it to stand out from any of the other doors in the home.If possible, we really like to do a site visit — not only to take our own measurements (not that we don’t trust you), but to talk to the design team about what expectations the client has. If you don’t have an architect or interior designer (not every client does), we can fill that role for you. Many of our clients who are building new homes or adding onto their existing homes have a design team, but those who are asking us to retrofit a security door for their front entry, bedroom, or garage entry door, hiring an architect is overkill. Being on site also helps our architectural design team fully grasp the overall style (is it contemporary, modern, classical?) and aesthetic they’re aiming for, and oftentimes provides inspiration. In addition to ascertaining the style, seeing how the rest of the house is coming together can help us narrow down materials for both interior and exterior doors. We offer so many finishes and coverings that it can be overwhelming for clients, but we’ll help you narrow them down. We would never just lay out a full catalog of covering options for our clients to choose from — it’s a lot of information and not every option is suitable for every situation.Instead, we take into account the rest of the house, the type of door we’re working on, and where it will be placed in the house before presenting viable options for each client. For example, when we recommend leather to our clients, it’s often because the material brings a sense of warmth and elegance to a space. However, we can’t put leather on a bathroom door or any side of a door that faces the exterior of the house — the weather from outside and the humidity from a bathroom would destroy the fabric over time. We’ll point you toward materials that go with your aesthetic and are appropriate for the environment.Once materials have been chosen, we can move on to the next phase.
Sketching and Composition
Some clients like to be really involved in the sketching and composition phase, while others prefer to be completely hands-off, allowing their design team to make decisions on their behalf. It really just depends on the client and their relationship with the interior designer and the architect. Regardless of who we’ll be working with, the next step is composition.The official sketches are completely reliant upon knowing what materials we’re using because the final finish in the wood (or wood veneer, or marble) can change the way the door looks, and we need to know what patterns we’re looking for when we create our compositions. 
Again, all of our doors are custom-built by hand, so we can make any little adjustments you’d like, but it has to be done before we give the factory in Italy official confirmation to begin building. That’s why this step is so crucial. We typically make three different drawings for the client to choose from, working closely with the artisans in Italy to ensure that what we’re envisioning is actually possible. Even though some of the designs we’ve sent over have been over-the-top extravagant, they’ve always been able to complete the design exactly as we’d envisioned it. (They’re truly artists.)Another major consideration during this phase are any special security or technological features the homeowner would like, such as acoustic or fireproofing panels. One of the more fun details we add sometimes are hidden compartments in the door. When you’re trying to hide something like that, it has to be completely seamless — no one looking at the door can think that anything is amiss. Again, this is another reason deciding upon materials ahead of time is so important. We want to make sure there’s no discernible break in the design that would give an intruder reason to believe there’s anything significant or special about the door. We’ve done smaller compartments for precious jewelry, and larger compartments to hide weapons.
Construction, Assembly and Testing
Once the design has been approved by the client and their design team, as well as the artisans in Italy, construction can begin on the custom security door (or window, of course). The actual creation of the door doesn’t take as long as one might think a hand-crafted custom piece would take — only about two months. Of course, this will depend on availability of materials and if everything goes according to plan, but two months is a relatively average time frame. Once the door or window has been completely assembled and matches all specifications, the artisans at the factory test it. They want to make absolutely sure that everything is working perfectly before they ship a custom piece from Italy to its final destination. You’re paying for quality and we all take that very seriously.When the factory is satisfied with the functionality of the piece, they ship it — and of course that time frame depends on how far the door is going and uncontrollable environmental factors.
Installation
Because we’re a manufacturer, we cannot install our doors or windows, which is disconcerting for some of our clients, but we can assure you: it’s a good thing. We specialize in our doors and windows, not in general contracting. Any general contractor can install a door or window, and that’s exactly what they’ll be tasked with — and better yet, you get to choose the contractor. If you have someone you know and trust, they can do it for you. But don’t worry, we won’t leave you in a lurch — our job isn’t finished just yet. An FBS technician will be present for installation to answer any of the contractor’s questions, oversee any special considerations that need to be made (such as hurricane certification standards), and make sure everything is in perfect working order once it’s finished. 
Oftentimes, homeowners aren’t present at the time of installation, nor are they around for a tutorial on how to use all the security or technological features of the door or window, which is why our technology team works tirelessly to create simple, effortless systems. Our goal is for a homeowner to walk up to their new door and be able to use it without any training whatsoever. Sometimes, there’s some programming involved (like withbiometric entry panels), but it’s simpler than any home remote control you’ve tried to program in the past — we promise. And if you’re confused, you can always call our 24/7 helpline via the Platinum Level Service Plan, which is included in the price of your door or window for the first year. After that, it’s an annual fee that includes regular maintenance.
What You Need to Know About Our Custom Security Doors and Windows
Something we always emphasize to our clients is that we’re not just a security doors and windows company. We often create custom doors and windows for clients who don’t care at all about the security factor — they just want something elegant and bold for their home or office. In thevideo on our website, you can actually see images of a winery that had special glass doors installed in an exclusive wine cellar.Every situation and space is unique, which means we want to make sure you’re getting something that fits perfectly in your home, and that you love it once it’s installed. You don’t need to make compromises with us. Provided the materials you want will survive the environment in which you want them to live in, you can have them. No matter what space you’re designing (or redesigning), we can create custom pieces that perfectly match the aesthetic you’re going for. We can retrofit our doors and windows into any vintage space, or build as big and modern as you want it to be. With the right resources, there is almost nothing we can’t do.This is the only security door and window company that can create anything you can possibly dream up. If you can dream it, we can do it. We don’t have limitations. It doesn’t matter if you want copper accents, backlit alabaster, marble that perfectly matches existing marble in your home, or crocodile leather on your closet door (all things we’ve done for real clients!), we can make it happen.If you have questions,we’d love to talk to youabout them on the phone or through our website form, or you could check out ourcommon questions page. We’re confident we can find unique solutions for your luxury home. We look forward to speaking with you!
