The walls are painted, floors laid down, and yet, that vision your clients had for their space falls flat. Something’s missing. It might be hard to place, and yet they encountered it as soon as they entered the room. Though it might be the last item on your check list, doors are the absolute first impression of any home. At first, doors might seem like an additional embellishment, but in reality they should never be an afterthought.
With that in mind, builders and architects can think about doors as a way of masterfully pulling the whole home together from the entrance throughout the entire home as an experience of function and form. The perfect front door should complement the rest of the building’s exterior while reflecting a vision of the homeowners to the outside world. ASID member Susan Carson, notes that, since it’s the first thing that anybody ever touches, “It needs to feel right. It needs to look right.” But don’t stop at the front door—highlight each room with its own grand entry to maximize the impact of this singular design feature.
With a variety of offerings and styles, they have the potential to make a big statement, especially considering how you want your homes to feel on the inside. The streamlined doors that make a house feel sleek and modern will not be the same doors that make it feel homey and comfortable. As ASID certified color specialist Shelley Anderson says, “The type of door, the type of hardware, the color has a lot to do with setting the stage.”
Consider the current modern farmhouse trend: you can instill a sense of the traditional with updated vibes using a traditional-style door with classic panel designs and decorative glass like this Heritage Series Exterior door with Heartland glass; but for a more mid-century modern look, a Modern Oak door featuring a geometric verticals lite and textured glass would be better. For an understated look that evokes more Scandinavian influences, check out a door that’s simple yet wholesome such as the VistaGrande smooth door with clear glass for a home that feels fresh and lets in the light and the view. All of these doors will upgrade a space, but each in their own way.
Don’t knock the door as a way of completing your customers’ design dreams. With so many options available, it’s easy for them to hand-pick a door that suits their style. They may not be the focal point of a room, however, doors never fail to make an impact upon entering; that’s because doors, when executed with design in mind, give homeowners the chance to interact with actual art.
In fact, according to Masonite Director Matt Blue, “they are the largest piece of art most homeowners will ever own.”
