The door is one of the most important elements of home design, whether viewed from inside or out. Finding a
quality door can be difficult, but it's an undertaking worth quite a bit of effort. The right door will provide design focus, beauty, and appropriate security to the home or business, but the wrong door can prove a nettlesome problem.
To find design ideas, you may want to take a look through architectural and design magazines such as
Architect Magazine and
Elle Decor. If that fails, feel free to contact the
American Institute of Architects who are always happy to provide contact information for a quality architect in your area
If your home or business requires a soft, well lit touch,
custom French doors may be the answer for you. Real French doors feature individual panes of glass set into a framing grid for the full length of the door, and are specially designed to let as much light in as possible. Options can include glass etching and beveling for all of the decorative accents you require. The misconception that French doors involve a complicated setup with two doors running on a top track has stopped many businesses from using these lovely doors. Of course you are free to take advantage of that design if it would fit in with your business and building, but, in reality, only the full door length framed glass panes are required to classify a door as a French door. Watch out for cheap French door lookalikes that create the illusion of a French door with one huge pane and an overlaid grid, that option will probably crack and shatter much more easily than a real French door, which should last for years with minimal maintenance.
If you would like the first impression of your business or home to be more active and impressive, an aluminum or fiberglass
custom exterior door may be the answer for you. Aluminum and fiberglass can literally be molded into a sturdy, durable door of any shape and with any accents you require. Whether you need a quiet, understated door with a sturdy wood look to emphasize the age and reliability of your business, or a modern jazzy door that will give your incoming customers a feel for your cutting edge position, these materials are easy and economical to craft into the perfect front door to welcome your customers.
Fiberglass
custom doors, a recent addition to door materials, have improved so much that it can be extremely hard to tell the difference between a fiberglass door and a wooden one. These doors are sturdy, well constructed, and extremely strong. They are also maintenance free beyond an occasional wipe-down, and improve building insulation.
Loni L. Ice is a freelance writer/editor, who lives in Lawrence, KS, caught in a happy tornado of rampant creativity. Visit her website,
Ice and Ink for a look at what solutions she can offer for any writing need.
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