Beyond the door: doors as a centrepiece

April 24, 2017 / Isla MacFarlane
Beyond the door: doors as a centrepiece

Innovative design and thinking outside of the box can transform a door from a functional entry point to the centrepiece of the room. Ian Chubb, founder of luxury door manufacturer Deuren, explains the importance of thinking beyond the obvious when it comes to choosing your doors…

If you picture a room, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? The walls? The floor? The window? In reality, it’s the door that transforms it from a box into a liveable space, and opens it up to the rest of your home. So why is it so often neglected?

People don’t realise the design potential of doors, which is why they are so commonly an afterthought in the latter stages of a homebuilding or renovation project. This means that the budget has often already been blown, energy levels are dwindling and the door is nothing more than a basic finishing touch.

Standard materials, conventional sizes and bland finishes have become the norm with doors, because we value ease and convenience. But ultimately, the effort you put in is precisely what you’ll reap in rewards. So, by instead prioritising doors, and incorporating them into the initial design phase of your development, you can transform them from a mediocre necessity into the focal point of your project.

By simply aligning functionality and bespoke design, a door can become so much more than a mere portal. As anyone who pays attention to the aesthetics of their interior design will know, practicality needn’t be at odds with visual appeal.

Making design-led decisions is the kind of forward-thinking approach that many homebuilders are beginning to take, and it’s exciting to see people pushing boundaries throughout the manufacturing industry as a result. It’s exactly this innovative, out-of-the-ordinary angle that we need to take with doors.

Just as a door transforms a space from a box into a room, the right door can make that room into something extraordinary. Thinking beyond the obvious and choosing a product made from high-quality materials with a premium finish, and perhaps a subtle yet striking design feature, can make all the difference.

Of course, there are certain components that shouldn’t be interfered with, and there’s no point in reinventing the wheel. Yes, a door has its frame, architrave, handles, latch and hinges as a given. But it’s so much more than just a sum of these parts, and once the basics are in place, the rest can be a blank canvas for creativity.

Pocket, hinged, sliding – the opening is just the beginning, and from here, there’s so much freedom surrounding design features. The different combinations of colour, material, height, width, finish and adjustability are practically infinite, resulting in a door that is truly a one-of-a-kind piece.

And it’s not just a matter of what looks good – investing in high-quality, appealing doors can really add value to a property. Of course, a bespoke, handcrafted product is going to cost more than one manufactured in bulk, but the final result is undeniably worth it. We’re seeing a growing trend with developers focusing more and more on these finer details, because it is the elemental features like floors, walls, doors and windows that potential buyers really notice.

If you think about it, doors literally make thinking outside of the box possible. I’d love to see more homebuilders step into the world of bespoke manufacturing and make a door the centrepiece.

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