Who we are
Our Story.
At Brownstone Door Company, we believe a door is more than an opening. It is the place where a building meets the world, and where daily life begins and ends.
Our work is rooted in buildings with history, where openings already carry meaning and constraint. We do not approach doors as interchangeable objects, but as architectural elements shaped by their surroundings. Every door is made for a specific place, balancing structure and sensitivity, old and new, permanence and use.
Craftsmanship is at the center of this work. Each door is fabricated from hardwood and crafted by hand, using techniques that respect the behavior of the material and the passage of time. Wood moves. Buildings settle. Our process acknowledges these realities and works with them, rather than against them.
What we create are objects of beauty and utility, designed to endure. Doors that transform an entryway not by calling attention to themselves, but through material, proportion, and use.
NATHAN SHELLKOPF
Nathan Shellkopf is a leading authority in the history, construction, and making of hardwood entry doors. His work is defined by an exceptional understanding of architectural precedent, material behavior, and the demands placed on doors that serve as the defining elements of a building’s exterior.
Nathan oversees all Brownstone Door Company commissions of custom hardwood entry doors and entrance assemblies, guiding each project from early design through fabrication. His expertise lies in resolving complex conditions where historic language, contemporary performance, and site-specific realities intersect, particularly in buildings where proportion, detail, and restraint carry lasting significance.
With more than two decades devoted to this highly specialized field, Nathan is frequently relied upon to make critical decisions that extend beyond drawings or specifications. His role is not simply to execute, but to determine what belongs and what should be preserved, what must be reinterpreted, and what should be left untouched. It is this judgment that shapes the enduring quality of each commission.
Social Responsibility
Our doors are made in the United States.
This matters to us, not as a slogan, but as a commitment. The work is carried out by people who are paid fairly, protected by labor standards, and given the time and conditions required to do careful, demanding work well. Craftsmanship, in this context, is not only about the object. It is about the environment in which that object is made.
Making objects this way requires time, care, and investment. It also carries responsibility. Skilled work cannot be rushed, and it cannot be separated from the well-being of those who perform it. These realities shape how we operate as a custom high-end fabrication shop and how our doors are ultimately made.
There are many places in the world where goods can be produced more cheaply. We do not measure our work against that model. Instead, we remain committed to a way of making that honors material, skill, and human labor equally. We believe that objects meant to last should be created in environments that allow people to work safely, thoughtfully, and with pride.
Those values are not decorative. They are built into the work itself.