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The Essential Guide to Front Doors
The entrance to a house sets the tone for the entire look of the property so it needs to be right in terms of style and colour. Our guide will help you make the right choice, whether you live in a period town house, a country cottage or a new build
When choosing a new front door you might be lucky and find inspiration from neighbouring houses, particularly if you live in a period property. But whether your house is 18th century or 21st, what matters most is that the front door works in harmony with the architecture of the property, as well as with neighbouring houses if they are similar in style. Maintaining a unified look with neighbouring properties rarely applies to detached houses, but it is still important that the door is in keeping with the style of the house as a whole.
If you are thinking of adding or replacing a porch or canopy, it needs to blend in with details such as joinery, tiling and glazing. For an authentic look, it's likely that a porch and door will need to be custom made to complement the existing architecture. Equally, a house built from scratch can have doors and door surrounds specified by the architect overseeing the project and then made to measure by a joiner. Sidelights or fanlights can brighten dark hallways in both modern and period homes.
Decorative touches can make a world of difference too – the plainest timber door can be transformed with a good-quality letter plate, house numbers and a beautifully applied paint or stained-timber finish. Even security doors can be made to look acceptable: a painted timber face can cleverly disguise the reality of a steel inner core with its hinge bolts and strengthening mechanisms.
CHOOSING A STYLE
A beautifully presented front door with polished door furniture and sparkling glass will give your home instant appeal. Try to be accurate with regard to period when selecting a door and avoid errors of proportion such as setting the fanlight into the door rather than above it.
Late-Georgian (1770 to 1800) front doors were in solid timber, normally painted black or very dark green, and often divided into six panels. Victorian front doors were frequently green, often with grained paint effects. Other colours appropriate to the Victorian age (which spanned 1837 to 1901, so plenty of time for changing fashions) were dark blue, brown, dark red and an olive-yellow green. Also popular were stained- or etched-glass panels.
Edwardian (1901-10) front doors were often painted in two colours, with a lighter shade used for outlining the panels. Porches and joinery would also be painted in the same combination – although if you were to do this kind of thing today, it might be considered garish.
Art Deco (1910-1939) doors often had two or three vertical panels in the lower two-thirds of the door, with a single panel across the top featuring oval stained glass. Motifs of galleons are still seen today, but not as often as leaves or flowers.
Compared to traditional doors, which emphasise vertical lines, modern designs play up horizontals. Glazed lights on either side of a doorway make it seem wider too. Nabil Assaf of Urban Front says, “Doors on pivots and wide doors are both popular now.” Another trend is to replace decorative glass in a Victorian door with sandblasted glass. Painted in a contemporary colour and combined with sleek door furniture, this ensures the right look for the door but in a modern context.
COLOUR AND FINISH
Gloss black, navy blue, British racing green, pillar-box red or white always look smart. Recent trends for softer shades and matt or eggshell finishes work well for a modern twist. If the door is new, ensure it is primed and undercoated before applying the final coat. Oil Full Gloss and Exterior Eggshell by Farrow & Ball are hard wearing in colours to suit a variety of styles. Trust Green (No 35) would suit a Georgian door, while Green Blue (No 84) or Shaded White (No 201) could be successful on a Victorian door updated with sandblasted glass. Paints from International include one-coat Exterior Gloss in Poppy Red, Oxford Blue, Jet Black or Burgundy.
BESPOKE OR SALVAGE
Tim Wood designs custom-made kitchens and furniture, but he also designs front doors. He acknow-ledges that there are many things to consider when commissioning a front door. “The ironmongery is vital,” he says. “Take advice from an expert as well as discussing the joinery and the overall design. The position (or back-set) of the handle affects the position of the locks, which in turn, must not be allowed to affect the integrity of the door's structure. “The door must be secure from the outside, but it is also an escape route so must open easily,” he adds. He favours hardwood in a tough exterior paint finish such as those available from Sikkens.
Reclaimed and salvaged doors can be the perfect solution if you have an unsuitable front door. It makes sense to look in reclamation yards locally, where you might find a door in the right style. Go armed with measurements and check that the structure of the door is sound. Anticipate doing a fair amount of work on the door, including painting and maybe glazing too. Hanging a reclaimed door is a job for an specialist joiner, especially if there are locks to be fitted and the door needs to be trimmed to size. Ensure that the glazing is secure, use toughened glass and, if you have stained-glass, install it with security bars on the inside. For further security, it's also possible to add a pane of toughened glass behind the stained-glass panel. Reclaimed doors will also require new locks and bolts; professional advice is invaluable to get the right ones.
PORCHES AND CANOPIES
Many Victorian and Edwardian houses were designed with porches, often removed later through over-enthusiastic “modernisation” or general wear and tear. During late-Victorian times, porches tended to be recessed into the house, with the door set back slightly and the open porch adorned to dado height with patterned tiles. Edwardian porches were more elaborate, involving fretwork and turned-wood uprights. The roof or canopy were tiled or leaded, and the console brackets (uprights attached to the wall that support the porch roof) would be in carved and painted timber.
Reinstating a porch is relatively straightforward if neighbouring porches are still intact, because your joiner will have an original to copy. Adding a porch to a house that didn't have one originally is rarely successful, but if you are determined to have one, choose a design that blends in and contains some elements repeated from the style of the front door and other external joinery. Porch kits are available from Richard Burbidge, (01691) 678201; richardburbidge.co. uk, and range from a simple canopy design to a more substantial apex shape with side supports.
Planning permission may be required if a proposed porch covers a ground area (externally) of more than three square metres, is more than three metres above ground level and is less than two metres away from the boundary of the house if it faces on to a highway.
LETTER BOXES AND LIGHTING
Home owners were encouraged to add letter boxes to their front doors in 1849 by the Post Office, so were first seen in substantial numbers in Victorian times. Any letter boxes on doors that were made before then were probably added later. Today, brass and chrome designs are widely available; for a more rustic look consider wrought iron. Turnstyle Design, Dartington, Jim Lawrence and Distinctive Doors all sell door furniture. House numbers (or names) should be visible from the road or gate; otherwise, number (or name) the gate or gate post.
Exterior lighting is useful for security, and only exterior-quality designs should be used. Exterior lighting is lower voltage because of possible contact with the rain, but it does need to be wired and fitted by a professional. Traditional brass lantern designs work beautifully in a porch – Christopher Wray and Jim Lawrence have a good selection. For modern exterior lights try Steinel and Stopbox.
SECURITY AND MAINTENANCE
A front door needs proper security locks, and most insurance companies specify the type and number of locks expected on the front door. A five- or seven-lever mortise lock is often used, in addition to a deadlock cylinder lock. Hinge bolts can be added as well; they increase the security of the hinged edge of the door. Steel doors offer an ultimate sense of security, and can be clad in a variety of timbers and finishes. Designs available from Gardesa include traditional-style panelled doors in oak and stained finishes, and contemporary designs too, such as the horizontally panelled Capri from the Stile collection.
The accurate alignment of locks and bolts is vital for the correct installation of a security door, so make sure the installation is carried out by either the company that has supplied the door or someone experienced in high-security doors. In terms of maintenance try to retain the original structure by carrying out judicious repairs. Fit a weatherboard if the door is exposed, for example if there is no porch or recessed entrance way, as most damage is caused by damp.
DIRECTORY
BESPOKE DOORS
Acorn Doors, (01962) 791111; www.acorndoors.co.uk. Traditional styles and tailor-made designs.
Broadleaf Timber, (01269) 851910; www.broadleaftimber.com. Cottage, French and period designs, mostly in oak.
Cotswood, (020) 8368 1664; www.cotswood-doors.co.uk.
Exterior doors made to order.
Deacon & Sandys, (01580) 243331; www.deaconandsandys.co.uk. Seventeenth and 18th-century designs in oak.
Distinctive Doors, (01142) 202250; www.distinctivedoors.co.uk. Vast selection.
Gardesa Security Doors, (020) 8650 8855; www.highsecuritydoor.com.
Security doors with steel interior construction; choice of facing panels.
InDoors, (01732) 887445; www.indoorsltd.co.uk. Reclaimed, new, cottage-style and period-style doors made to order.
Lassco Warehouse, (020) 7501 7772; www.lassco.co.uk. Extensive range of salvage doors.
The London Door Company, (020) 7801 0877; www.londondoor.co.uk. Period and modern doors made to order.
Magnet Trade, 0845 123 6789; www.magnet.co.uk (via a tradesman with a Magnet trade account). Ready-made contemporary and traditional styles.
The Old Box Sash Window Company, 0800 783 4053; www.boxsash.com. Doors and windows designed to look original.
Old Time Timber, (01787) 277390; www.oldtimetimber.com. Hand-made and bespoke doors and porches.
Sabrina, (01743) 357977; www.oakdoors.co.uk. Hand-made oak doors, specialists in rustic styles.
Salvoweb, www.salvoweb.com. Listings of UK salvage and reclamation yards.
Tim Wood, 07041 380030; www.timwood.com. Superior-quality bespoke doors.
Turnburrys, (0191) 281 1770; www.turnburrys.co.uk. Hand-made doors.
Urban Front, 0870 609 1525; www.urbanfront.co.uk. Contemporary doors in hardwood, combining stainless steel and glass.
READY-MADE DOORS
B&Q, 0845 850 0175; www.diy.com. Ready to take away hardwood doors.
Wickes, 0500 300 328; www.wickes.co.uk. Small range ready to take away doors.
DOOR FURNITURE & LIGHTS
Architectural Ironmongery, (01989) 567946; www.arciron.com. Good choice of letter plates, knobs and handles.
A Touch Of Brass, (020) 7351 2255; www.atouchofbrass.co.uk. Brass and modern polished and satin chrome hardware.
Christopher Wray, (020) 7751 8701; www.christopher-wray.com. Good choice of porch lanterns, plus exterior lights.
Clayton Munroe, (01803) 865700; www.claytonmunroe.com. Traditional, Art Deco and bronze fittings and numbers.
Dartington, (01803) 868671; www.dartington.com. Traditional and modern door furniture and fittings.
Franco File, (01884) 253556; www.franco-file.co.uk. Vitreous-enamelled French house numbers and names, too, in traditional dark blue; also dark green.
Jim Lawrence, (01206) 263459; www.jim-lawrence.co.uk. Wrought-iron and brass hardware; outdoor lights.
Period House Group, 0845 602 3402; www.phg-uk.com. Iron fittings and hinges.
Steinel, (01733) 238265; www.steinel.de. Choice includes outdoor sensor lights.
Stopbox, (020) 7183 0000; www.stopbox.co.uk. Exterior lights in varied styles, including contemporary.
Turnstyle Designs, (01271) 325325; www.turnstyle-designs.com. Contemporary exterior door hardware.
DOOR PAINT
Farrow & Ball, (01202) 876141; www.farrow- ball.com. Authentic period colours in Exterior Eggshell and Oil Full Gloss.
International, (01480) 484284; www.international-paints.co.uk. Exterior paints, varnishes and finishes.
Ray Munn, (020) 7736 9876; www.raymunn.com. Exterior paints and mixed-to-order colours.
Sikkens, (01480) 496868; www.sikkens.co.uk. Primers, stains and finishes.
WORDS LINDA PARKER
JULY 2006
When choosing a new front door you might be lucky and find inspiration from neighbouring houses, particularly if you live in a period property. But whether your house is 18th century or 21st, what matters most is that the front door works in harmony with the architecture of the property, as well as with neighbouring houses if they are similar in style. Maintaining a unified look with neighbouring properties rarely applies to detached houses, but it is still important that the door is in keeping with the style of the house as a whole.
If you are thinking of adding or replacing a porch or canopy, it needs to blend in with details such as joinery, tiling and glazing. For an authentic look, it's likely that a porch and door will need to be custom made to complement the existing architecture. Equally, a house built from scratch can have doors and door surrounds specified by the architect overseeing the project and then made to measure by a joiner. Sidelights or fanlights can brighten dark hallways in both modern and period homes.
Decorative touches can make a world of difference too – the plainest timber door can be transformed with a good-quality letter plate, house numbers and a beautifully applied paint or stained-timber finish. Even security doors can be made to look acceptable: a painted timber face can cleverly disguise the reality of a steel inner core with its hinge bolts and strengthening mechanisms.
CHOOSING A STYLE
A beautifully presented front door with polished door furniture and sparkling glass will give your home instant appeal. Try to be accurate with regard to period when selecting a door and avoid errors of proportion such as setting the fanlight into the door rather than above it.
Late-Georgian (1770 to 1800) front doors were in solid timber, normally painted black or very dark green, and often divided into six panels. Victorian front doors were frequently green, often with grained paint effects. Other colours appropriate to the Victorian age (which spanned 1837 to 1901, so plenty of time for changing fashions) were dark blue, brown, dark red and an olive-yellow green. Also popular were stained- or etched-glass panels.
Edwardian (1901-10) front doors were often painted in two colours, with a lighter shade used for outlining the panels. Porches and joinery would also be painted in the same combination – although if you were to do this kind of thing today, it might be considered garish.
Art Deco (1910-1939) doors often had two or three vertical panels in the lower two-thirds of the door, with a single panel across the top featuring oval stained glass. Motifs of galleons are still seen today, but not as often as leaves or flowers.
Compared to traditional doors, which emphasise vertical lines, modern designs play up horizontals. Glazed lights on either side of a doorway make it seem wider too. Nabil Assaf of Urban Front says, “Doors on pivots and wide doors are both popular now.” Another trend is to replace decorative glass in a Victorian door with sandblasted glass. Painted in a contemporary colour and combined with sleek door furniture, this ensures the right look for the door but in a modern context.
COLOUR AND FINISH
Gloss black, navy blue, British racing green, pillar-box red or white always look smart. Recent trends for softer shades and matt or eggshell finishes work well for a modern twist. If the door is new, ensure it is primed and undercoated before applying the final coat. Oil Full Gloss and Exterior Eggshell by Farrow & Ball are hard wearing in colours to suit a variety of styles. Trust Green (No 35) would suit a Georgian door, while Green Blue (No 84) or Shaded White (No 201) could be successful on a Victorian door updated with sandblasted glass. Paints from International include one-coat Exterior Gloss in Poppy Red, Oxford Blue, Jet Black or Burgundy.
BESPOKE OR SALVAGE
Tim Wood designs custom-made kitchens and furniture, but he also designs front doors. He acknow-ledges that there are many things to consider when commissioning a front door. “The ironmongery is vital,” he says. “Take advice from an expert as well as discussing the joinery and the overall design. The position (or back-set) of the handle affects the position of the locks, which in turn, must not be allowed to affect the integrity of the door's structure. “The door must be secure from the outside, but it is also an escape route so must open easily,” he adds. He favours hardwood in a tough exterior paint finish such as those available from Sikkens.
Reclaimed and salvaged doors can be the perfect solution if you have an unsuitable front door. It makes sense to look in reclamation yards locally, where you might find a door in the right style. Go armed with measurements and check that the structure of the door is sound. Anticipate doing a fair amount of work on the door, including painting and maybe glazing too. Hanging a reclaimed door is a job for an specialist joiner, especially if there are locks to be fitted and the door needs to be trimmed to size. Ensure that the glazing is secure, use toughened glass and, if you have stained-glass, install it with security bars on the inside. For further security, it's also possible to add a pane of toughened glass behind the stained-glass panel. Reclaimed doors will also require new locks and bolts; professional advice is invaluable to get the right ones.
PORCHES AND CANOPIES
Many Victorian and Edwardian houses were designed with porches, often removed later through over-enthusiastic “modernisation” or general wear and tear. During late-Victorian times, porches tended to be recessed into the house, with the door set back slightly and the open porch adorned to dado height with patterned tiles. Edwardian porches were more elaborate, involving fretwork and turned-wood uprights. The roof or canopy were tiled or leaded, and the console brackets (uprights attached to the wall that support the porch roof) would be in carved and painted timber.
Reinstating a porch is relatively straightforward if neighbouring porches are still intact, because your joiner will have an original to copy. Adding a porch to a house that didn't have one originally is rarely successful, but if you are determined to have one, choose a design that blends in and contains some elements repeated from the style of the front door and other external joinery. Porch kits are available from Richard Burbidge, (01691) 678201; richardburbidge.co. uk, and range from a simple canopy design to a more substantial apex shape with side supports.
Planning permission may be required if a proposed porch covers a ground area (externally) of more than three square metres, is more than three metres above ground level and is less than two metres away from the boundary of the house if it faces on to a highway.
LETTER BOXES AND LIGHTING
Home owners were encouraged to add letter boxes to their front doors in 1849 by the Post Office, so were first seen in substantial numbers in Victorian times. Any letter boxes on doors that were made before then were probably added later. Today, brass and chrome designs are widely available; for a more rustic look consider wrought iron. Turnstyle Design, Dartington, Jim Lawrence and Distinctive Doors all sell door furniture. House numbers (or names) should be visible from the road or gate; otherwise, number (or name) the gate or gate post.
Exterior lighting is useful for security, and only exterior-quality designs should be used. Exterior lighting is lower voltage because of possible contact with the rain, but it does need to be wired and fitted by a professional. Traditional brass lantern designs work beautifully in a porch – Christopher Wray and Jim Lawrence have a good selection. For modern exterior lights try Steinel and Stopbox.
SECURITY AND MAINTENANCE
A front door needs proper security locks, and most insurance companies specify the type and number of locks expected on the front door. A five- or seven-lever mortise lock is often used, in addition to a deadlock cylinder lock. Hinge bolts can be added as well; they increase the security of the hinged edge of the door. Steel doors offer an ultimate sense of security, and can be clad in a variety of timbers and finishes. Designs available from Gardesa include traditional-style panelled doors in oak and stained finishes, and contemporary designs too, such as the horizontally panelled Capri from the Stile collection.
The accurate alignment of locks and bolts is vital for the correct installation of a security door, so make sure the installation is carried out by either the company that has supplied the door or someone experienced in high-security doors. In terms of maintenance try to retain the original structure by carrying out judicious repairs. Fit a weatherboard if the door is exposed, for example if there is no porch or recessed entrance way, as most damage is caused by damp.
DIRECTORY
BESPOKE DOORS
Acorn Doors, (01962) 791111; www.acorndoors.co.uk. Traditional styles and tailor-made designs.
Broadleaf Timber, (01269) 851910; www.broadleaftimber.com. Cottage, French and period designs, mostly in oak.
Cotswood, (020) 8368 1664; www.cotswood-doors.co.uk.
Exterior doors made to order.
Deacon & Sandys, (01580) 243331; www.deaconandsandys.co.uk. Seventeenth and 18th-century designs in oak.
Distinctive Doors, (01142) 202250; www.distinctivedoors.co.uk. Vast selection.
Gardesa Security Doors, (020) 8650 8855; www.highsecuritydoor.com.
Security doors with steel interior construction; choice of facing panels.
InDoors, (01732) 887445; www.indoorsltd.co.uk. Reclaimed, new, cottage-style and period-style doors made to order.
Lassco Warehouse, (020) 7501 7772; www.lassco.co.uk. Extensive range of salvage doors.
The London Door Company, (020) 7801 0877; www.londondoor.co.uk. Period and modern doors made to order.
Magnet Trade, 0845 123 6789; www.magnet.co.uk (via a tradesman with a Magnet trade account). Ready-made contemporary and traditional styles.
The Old Box Sash Window Company, 0800 783 4053; www.boxsash.com. Doors and windows designed to look original.
Old Time Timber, (01787) 277390; www.oldtimetimber.com. Hand-made and bespoke doors and porches.
Sabrina, (01743) 357977; www.oakdoors.co.uk. Hand-made oak doors, specialists in rustic styles.
Salvoweb, www.salvoweb.com. Listings of UK salvage and reclamation yards.
Tim Wood, 07041 380030; www.timwood.com. Superior-quality bespoke doors.
Turnburrys, (0191) 281 1770; www.turnburrys.co.uk. Hand-made doors.
Urban Front, 0870 609 1525; www.urbanfront.co.uk. Contemporary doors in hardwood, combining stainless steel and glass.
READY-MADE DOORS
B&Q, 0845 850 0175; www.diy.com. Ready to take away hardwood doors.
Wickes, 0500 300 328; www.wickes.co.uk. Small range ready to take away doors.
DOOR FURNITURE & LIGHTS
Architectural Ironmongery, (01989) 567946; www.arciron.com. Good choice of letter plates, knobs and handles.
A Touch Of Brass, (020) 7351 2255; www.atouchofbrass.co.uk. Brass and modern polished and satin chrome hardware.
Christopher Wray, (020) 7751 8701; www.christopher-wray.com. Good choice of porch lanterns, plus exterior lights.
Clayton Munroe, (01803) 865700; www.claytonmunroe.com. Traditional, Art Deco and bronze fittings and numbers.
Dartington, (01803) 868671; www.dartington.com. Traditional and modern door furniture and fittings.
Franco File, (01884) 253556; www.franco-file.co.uk. Vitreous-enamelled French house numbers and names, too, in traditional dark blue; also dark green.
Jim Lawrence, (01206) 263459; www.jim-lawrence.co.uk. Wrought-iron and brass hardware; outdoor lights.
Period House Group, 0845 602 3402; www.phg-uk.com. Iron fittings and hinges.
Steinel, (01733) 238265; www.steinel.de. Choice includes outdoor sensor lights.
Stopbox, (020) 7183 0000; www.stopbox.co.uk. Exterior lights in varied styles, including contemporary.
Turnstyle Designs, (01271) 325325; www.turnstyle-designs.com. Contemporary exterior door hardware.
DOOR PAINT
Farrow & Ball, (01202) 876141; www.farrow- ball.com. Authentic period colours in Exterior Eggshell and Oil Full Gloss.
International, (01480) 484284; www.international-paints.co.uk. Exterior paints, varnishes and finishes.
Ray Munn, (020) 7736 9876; www.raymunn.com. Exterior paints and mixed-to-order colours.
Sikkens, (01480) 496868; www.sikkens.co.uk. Primers, stains and finishes.
WORDS LINDA PARKER
JULY 2006
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