At Home Places Spring 2021

A painted fiberglass Craftsman style door features a single sidelight.

Front doors provide focal point

written by TRICIA LYNN STRADER

Photos submitted by Oliver Homes

Spring is a time for cleaning and home-improvement projects.

Perhaps that front door is in need of some TLC, or it’s time to build a new home and select a front door.

Should it be somewhat traditional and understated or make a bold statement with a wow factor?

Local front door trends typically have been conservative or traditional, said Carl Vogel, sales manager for Oliver Homes.

Homeowners used to match shutters or trim, usually a different color from the exterior, but with the style and color options available now, almost anything goes.

“Doors used to match the shutters, but now they’re a focal point,” Vogel said.

Colors can vary greatly if a homeowner wants to make the entry take center stage.

“The trend for house colors is getting darker, so the door is a focal point and they try to make it pop with color,” said Richard Betson of Antietam Builders. "Trending colors are yellow or blue.”

Visual-rendering software can be helpful when choosing doors and windows. Contractors can upload a house photo and view how different types of windows or doors would look.

Vogel said the Craftsman style has been popular, in an apparent rediscovery of the style.

Betson said he is also seeing a trend toward doors with glass panels and a little dentil shelf below the glass — aka Craftsman or Shaker style.

Craftsman-style front doors typically include glass in the upper third of the door, with a thick or ornate piece of trim or molding immediately below, according to pellabranch.com.

“Glass panels in doors are always popular,” Vogel added, noting that sidelights — slim, tall glass windows on the sides of a door — are popular.

A painted fiberglass door displays a half-moon top glass panel.

Sidelights can be used on one side or both. They can be clear glass, frosted or have a design in the glass panel.

According to folklore, multiple-panel doors represent a cross to keep evil out of the home, Betson said. The glass panes are typically rectangular, and the number of panes varies.

Doors traditionally were crafted from hardwoods, such as mahogany, cherry or oak, but Vogel noted that they can be stained fiberglass to give a realistic wood look.

“Fiberglass is better insulated and more durable,” Vogel said. “They’re typically painted, but can be stained to appear (as if) they’re wood.”

Other defining features can include wood inset molding that creates a simple, elegant look.

Vogel said storm doors also are popular and help protect front doors, even though most of today’s styles don’t need them. Storm doors can be all glass to show off the main door or half glass with screens.

When replacing a front door, there are many things to consider — it’s not just about taking one down and hanging a new one.

Older houses have doors of varying styles, and sometimes measurements are not standard.

“You have to consider the width and height, the door jambs, framing, hinges, and if it swings left or right,” Vogel said. — Places