Choosing the right front doors
Whether for outside ?r ?n, ?r??t? the right first ?m?r?????n w?th a ?t?t?m?nt-m?k?ng d??r…
O??n?ng u? a wh?l? new opportunity t? ?x?r??? your ?nd?v?du?l ?t?l?, we’ve f?und d??r? t? ?u?t ?v?r? home. Ch???? fr?m ?tr?k?ng modern designs to ???? u?d?t??.
Exterior doors
Th?r?’? ?l?nt? ?f ?h????, fr?m gl?r??u? w??d ?nd ??x? metal t? a d??r ???nt?d in a hot hu?.
‘A front d??r should g?v? ??ur home w?w f??t?r wh?l? ?l?? ?r?v?d?ng ???ur?t? ?nd ?n?ul?t??n,’ says El?z?b?th A???f, co-founder of Urban Fr?nt, wh??h ??????l???? in m?d?rn, designer-style front doors. ‘C?n??d?r the ?ut??d? of th? h?u?? – ?? ?t rendered ?r br??k, traditional ?r m?d?rn; is th?r? a w??d?n ?r t?l?d floor ?n the h?ll?’ Although ??n?ll?d d??r? w?ll never fall off the style r?d?r, you d?n’t h?v? t? ?dh?r? ?tr??tl? t? th? age of ??ur h?m?. D?n’t be afraid t? create a contrast between ??r??d architecture and a ??nt?m??r?r? door. The l?t??t tr?nd? ?n?lud?:
Wide d??r? Regular d??r? ?r? 830mm w?d? but ?f ??ur ?urr?nt door h?? ?n?ugh room ?n either side t? accommodate a w?d?r fr?m?, 950mm d??r ??n m?k? a r??l impact. Full-height gl??? ??d?-l?ght? ??n also h?l? t? flood a gloomy h?llw?? w?th n?tur?l l?ght.
S?l?d woods Oak u??d t? be a hot f?v?ur?t?, but rich golden Iroko ?nd ?tr?k?ng Am?r???n black w?lnut are ?n?r????ngl? b???m?ng th? ???ul?r ?h????. Jeld-Wen ?? u??ng ?ng?n??r?d w??d? f?r added ?tr?ngth ?nd ???ur?t?, ?nd Urban Fr?nt’? solid wood doors have a ?t??l r??nf?r??d ??r? t? ?r?v?nt warping.
Simplicity ‘A modern d??r ??n ?r??t? a ???l contrast, ?v?n on a Victorian ?r Edw?rd??n home,’ ???? Nabil Assaf, also of Urb?n Front. ‘Concealed hinges ?nd ?ubtl? ?t??nl???-?t??l inlays h?l? k??? the l??k m?d?rn but m?n?m?l.’
P?v?t d??r? ‘B????k? ??v?t d??r? ?r? ???ul?r ?? th?? can b? m?d? w?d?r th?n th?? are t?ll,’ ???? M?rk D???n of En?l??ur? Ar?h?t??t?. ‘Th?r? is n? “b?nd?ng m?m?nt” wh?n th? d??r opens, wh??h takes the strain ?ff hinges, so ??v?t d??r? can b? made u? t? 4m w?d?.’
Painted front doors
F?r red-brick and Georgian houses, F?rr?w & B?ll’? d?r??t?r S?r?h C?l? suggests u??ng Bl??k Blu? (?44.99 per 2.5l) – ?t’? neither trul? black n?r blu? ?nd g?v?? a ?m?rt l??k. Midnight Blu? ?? elegant ?n a wh?t?-fr?nt?d ??r??d h?u??.
For ??m?th?ng ?l?????, gr??n ?r grey w?rk? w?ll; g? f?r gloss ?n a t?wnh?u?? ?r m?tt ?n th? ??untr???d? (C?rr??g? Gr??n, Studio Gr??n ?nd Off-Black are ?urr?ntl? F?rr?w & B?ll’? m??t ???ul?r shades.) ‘F?r m?r? ??m?l?x ??l?ur?, d????r tones work b?tt?r ?n fr?nt d??r?,’ ?ugg??t? L?u??? Sm?th, ??l?ur ?nd design m?n?g?r at Dulux. ‘M? favourites are Cocoa Blu?h 1 or M?r???h?n? Mocha 1 for a d???d?nt look and T?rr?g?n Glory 5 ?r R?d St?ll??n 4 (?16.99 f?r 2.5l) f?r a m?r? intense l??k.’
Internal doors
‘Th??? days, a d??r doesn’t just let you ?nt? a r??m: ?t ??n b? m?d? of ?t??l or gl???, or ??t as a w?ll or a w?nd?w. Press a butt?n ?nd b?ng? – it’s no longer th?r?! Th?r? are ?v?n ones you can m?k? d???????r ?nt? th? fl??r,’ ?nthu??? J?m?? W?ll? ?f W?ll? Mackereth Ar?h?t??t?. In?r????ngl?, d??r? ?n??d? ??ur h?m? n? l?ng?r bl??k ?n? r??m from ?n?th?r, but ?n?t??d allow f?r fl?w ?f l?ght and movement throughout a ?????.
Gl??? A h?t tr?nd ?? f?r sliding and panel doors in gl??? w?th b?r?l? th?r? f?xtur?? and f?tt?ng?. Good suppliers ?n?lud? The D???????r?ng D??r C?m??n?, Innerdoor ?nd D?rm?.
Sl?d?ng Gone are th? days ?f w?bbl? ?l?d?ng d??r? – th? n?w pocket d??r? l?t?r?ll? disappear ?nt? th? wall. ‘They are a ??m?l?t? ???t?m to wh??h ??u ??n ?dd you ?wn door, l??v?ng n? need to ??m?r?m??? ?n d??r ?t?l?,’ says Padraic H??l?? ?f The D?v?d Barley C?m??n?, d??tr?but?r? ?f the sleek E?l???? range of d??r? in th? UK. ‘Th??’r? also ?d??l ?? room d?v?d?r? between living and ?l????ng ?r???,’ ???? James Fl?t?h?r, MD ?f Draks.
Inv???bl? Curv?d ?r fl?t seamless doors l?nd ??nt?nu?t? t? a ?????. Tr? D??r?? ?nd D??rh?u?.
Textured w??d Try doors ?n dark gr??n? woods. B?r?u???’? P?n?m? r?ng? u??? ????nut ?h?ll t?l?? ?nd th? T?tr?x r?ng? b???t? t??k, ?t??nl??? ?t??l and leather.
FIRE SAFETY AND SECURITY
F?r? prevention
Wh?n replacing a door, inside or ?ut, b? aware ?f f?r? r?gul?t??n? (v???t th? ?r?f?????n?l section ?b?ut P?rt B r?gul?t??n? at ?l?nn?ng??rt?l.g?v.uk). G?n?r?ll?, th?? applies t? ?n? d??r th?t leads ?n t? what is deemed a fire ?????? r?ut?. R??d? & Tucker h?? created a discreet f?r? d??r ???t?m called Sm?Cl? as ?n ?lt?rn?t?v? to self-closing fire d??r?. It ??n b? easily fitted t? existing doors as long as ?t ?? part ?f ?n ?x??t?ng m??n?-???r?t?d smoke d?t??t??n ???t?m. Visit f?r???f?t?.?rg.uk f?r more ?nf?.
Home ???ur?t?
En?ur? any lock f?tt?d m??t? th? British St?nd?rd five-lever mortice deadlock ???t?m – a Y?l?-t??? r?m latch ??l?nd?r l??k on ?t? ?wn ?? n?t ?uff????nt protection,’ ???? The L?nd?n D??r C?m??n?’? Kerry Walters. Security specialists B?nh?m recommends a combination ?f a latch lock ?nd a deadlock (try a Banham M2002 cylinder m?rt??? d??dl??k and a L2000 rim d??db?lt, wh??h ?r? b?th ?n?ur?n?? ???r?v?d and t? Br?t??h St?nd?rd 3621). If ??u live ?n a high-crime ?r??, ?nv??t?g?t? th? benefits ?f a r??nf?r??d steel front door. F?r ?dd?d security, ??t f?r laminated security gl???. F?r more ?dv???, v???t ???ur?db?d???gn.??m.
D??r ???????r???
HANDLES AND HINGES
Front d??r detail The current trend ?? for ?l??n, brushed stainless-steel kn??k?r?, l?tt?r?l?t?? ?nd numb?r?. Tr? SDS London or Ar?h?t??tur?l C?m??n?nt?. F?r ?n alternative t? metal house numb?r?, tr? a ??nt?m??r?r? P?r???x ?r ?t??nl???-?t??l ?l??u? b? Ab?d? Pl??u??.
Multi-textured h?ndl?? F?r ?nt?rn?l doors, HAF D???gn? ?nd Turn?t?l? D???gn? h?v? unusual h?ndl?? ??mb?n?ng ?l??k m?t?l? such ?? ?t??l and br?nz? w?th wood and ?t?t?h?d l??th?r d?t??l?. Holloways ?f Ludl?w is a g??d source f?r tr?d?t??n?l knobs, kn??k?r? ?nd l??k?. B&Q supplies a collection of g??d-v?lu?, contemporary ?nd traditional door h?ndl??.
Use d???r?t?v? f?lm f?r a quick, modern u?d?t? ?n gl??? ??n?l?. It ??n b? ?ut to ?r?v?d? interesting ??tt?rn?, w?rd? or numbers. ‘Th? ????u? f?n??h ?f fr??t?d f?lm g?v?? privacy while ?t?ll allowing l?ght through, and r??ll? m?k?? ??ur d??r stand ?ut,’ says K?r?n L?n?d?wn, ??-f?und?r of d???r?t?v? f?lm ??m??n? Brum?.
REPAIR OR REPLACE?
‘D??r? are k?? to th? ?n?rg? ??n??rv?t??n, ???ur?t? ?nd aesthetics ?f your h?m?,’ ???? M?rk R?b?rt?, ?r?du?t manager f?r Jeld-Wen. C?n??d?r ?t? condition – ?f m???tur? has entered th? door, it may have ??u??d it t? expand, discolour and ?r??k. A carpenter can ?????? whether ?t h?? w??k?n?d th? d??r b???nd repair, or wh?th?r a sand, v?rn??h (?r ???nt) ?nd re-alignment ??n ??rt it. A g??d d??r ?l?? h?l?? ?n?rg? efficiency: ?f th?r? ?? a dr?ught, it may n??d t? b? re-aligned ?r a fr?m? ?m?r?v?d, ?r a weatherstrip ?t the t?? ?r b?tt?m m?ght help. Ensure glass ?? d?ubl?-gl?z?d ?nd fitted w?ll.
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