Knutsford luxury door company closes showroom but still trades online

But the owners of Aperture are keen to stress it's ‘business as usual’ as they continue to operate online.

Couple Doug Carter, 50, and Lillie Pragnell, 38, invested £150,000 to bring the ‘best bespoke doors money can buy’ to Cheshire.

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Since launching their business on King Street in March last year, they have been overwhelmed by support from the local community.

Aperture is the only supplier in England of state-of-the-art doors crafted by Polish manufacturer Wisniowski.

Doug said: “We are very much alive and kicking.

“We are currently operating online and would be happy to arrange home consultations.

“It is with great sadness that we have closed the doors to our showroom due to circumstances out of our control.”

Since shutting the doors in the town centre, the couple has been inundated with orders.

Doug said: “We have just had our busiest week.

“We have picked up so many orders since closing the showroom.

“We are very much open for business.

Lillie Pragnell and Doug Carter with former Knutsford mayor Cllr Stewart Gardiner at the opening of their Aperture showroom (Image: Aperture)

“We have received so many lovely messages from traders and clients.

“The camaraderie and community of fellow shopkeepers is second to none.

“The support we have received since we opened has been phenomenal.

“We feel part of the Knutsford community.”

The couple, from Middlewich, launched their venture with a champagne reception a month after they opened.

The business specialises in fitting impregnable aluminium doors that can be opened with a fingerprint.

Speaking at the launch, Doug said: “The way these doors are hinged and mounted, it is virtually impossible to kick them in.

“They can be opened with a fingerprint or on an app on your phone.

“They also offer advanced video entry.”