Front Door Inspiration

[canalsiderenovation]

Our architects are working on a design statement for preplanning advice. Strangely we had clear ideas on the metal cladding, render, sliding doors, slim window design etc but when it comes to front doors we are stuck. The house wil be quite modern in appearance but I don't like the modern doors or designs that seem to be associated with more modern designs that have been suggested like th epic below. Does anyone have any inspiration? 

[dpmiller]

Have a look here:

 

https://www.apeer.co.uk

 

and remember that putting a standard lever handle on will make anything look more conventional...

[Russell griffiths]

Have a look on a website called HOUZZ. 

[Ferdinand]

Be inspired to take all the time you need. Perhaps consider making it one of your bespoke elements, and ask a local craftsman to come up with ideas in keeping with the design. Why not have a stained glass panel of canal life in it? A fantastic way to root the design in its locality.

 

In the meantime some weasel words: "A suitable front door, modern in design but in tone with the context and location, will be fitted. The exact design will be chosen as the build proceeds, due to expected changes in the ranges offered by door manufacturers. We hope to consider using a local artist and/or craftsperson to contribute to the design."

 

(ie: 'Please bugger off with your pre-emptive micromanagement; we will not be deciding yet because it is impossible to decide yet, and it is our decision not yours, and you are not William Morris, Edwin Lutyens, or Kevin McLoud').

 

 

Edited October 21, 2018 by Ferdinand

[Mr Punter]

Without seeing the rest of the front elevation it is difficult to suggest.  A timber finish can often bridge between traditional and modern.  The big vertical handle seems to be what planners consider "contemporary" but they can be a bit clueless.  Also consider if you are having a letterplate and if so where.  Do you want an external lever handle?  Do you need natural light?  Is there to be a bell push / entryphone?

 

As a general point it is very good to have a canopy to protect from rain.

[j_s]

Do you have a budget in mind?

 

If money is not an issue have a look at RK Doors. We have one and really like it.  Loads of designs but very pricey 

[Mr Punter]

I have RK doors x 8 on a development.  Cost a fortune but look OK.

 

 

 

[mvincentd]

I’ve also struggled with the ‘contemporary’ designs of most front doors that have modern construction meeting insulation and security requirements.

I’ve ended up going with a Hoorman which is quite uninspiring, but was able to match the garage and personnel door that sat alongside. RK offer flexibility to bespoke many elements and could have improved on my chosen aesthetic, but not substantially and at an approx 80% uplift in price.  If it’s exclusively the front door and you’re not trying to align the design with garage I think RK are a good starting point. Www.urbanfront.com is good for inspiration but you’ll need some quids to go shopping there!

[Bitpipe]

17 hours ago, j_s said:

Do you have a budget in mind?

 

If money is not an issue have a look at RK Doors. We have one and really like it.  Loads of designs but very pricey 

 

We also have a RK door and it's very plain (by choice)  - just a flat slab of cherry wood foil effect aluminium with a single vertical bar handle and a fingerprint reader with a narrow vertical window to side. We got the passive version as the rest of the build was to that spec.

 

Ditto on the pricey but was best we could find and we looked at a lot, inc. Gaulhoffer (who did our windows) and Internorm etc. We bought through a RK reseller who also did our Hormann garage doors and installed both - not much difference on price but better customer service as at that time RK seemed very busy and were not that responsive.

 

Had it now for a few years now and still really happy with it.

 

[canalsiderenovation]

Thanks everyone for your advice. It's hard to visualise things, but you can see attached one of our provisional elevation plans. It will be render with a dark grey steel type cladding, Vieo/Euroclad is our hope to match the grey windows/doors. Underneath the balcony we want a wood or certainly wood effect similar to this pic below. 

 

I think we are now considering a timber front door matched up with whatever wood effect we have on the balcony . Our entrance is currently like this and we like this set up to leave parcels, wellies etc, aside from the naff bricks so could replace that with a steel structure. 

 

Sticky wicket is that due to the location of our peioery the canal and river trust are suggesting the design is ran past them before pre planning advice with the local authority anyway so we will see. 

 

As it's quite modern I don't think a stained glass look will work. I'm trying to look at timber doors now. I did see some nice modern ones at a company called Spitfire in Macclesfield. I'll try and find a pic. 

[canalsiderenovation]

Here is currently what we have.... And we don't want a door letterbox on our new door either. 

 

 

[canalsiderenovation]

Rk doors seem very similar to those we have seen at http://www.spitfiredoors.co.uk/s-400-timber-doors/ but they do the wood effect too. Definitely will look into these thank you. 

 

I don't think we want glass in the door itself and @Bitpipe your idea I think sounds closest to what we are visualising, would you mind posting a pic? 

[Bitpipe]

54 minutes ago, canalsiderenovation said:

Rk doors seem very similar to those we have seen at http://www.spitfiredoors.co.uk/s-400-timber-doors/ but they do the wood effect too. Definitely will look into these thank you. 

 

I don't think we want glass in the door itself and @Bitpipe your idea I think sounds closest to what we are visualising, would you mind posting a pic? 

 

We actually got it here http://cmsdoors.co.uk/ as they're an approved reseller (all made to order from the same factory). I found them much more responsive than the RK UK team who I suspect were a bit snowed under when I was buying. 

 

Edited October 26, 2018 by Bitpipe

[lizzie]

2 hours ago, Bitpipe said:

 

We actually got it here http://cmsdoors.co.uk/ as they're an approved reseller (all made to order from the same factory). I found them much more responsive than the RK UK team who I suspect were a bit snowed under when I was buying. 

 

That door is almost identical to my Internorm door....same handle and trims. I have pc aluminium to match windows not timber though and my side glazed pael is frosted and I carried the stripe from the door trims across the glass.  Amazing two different companies same design makes you wonder if they are all made by the same people.

 

I saw some achingly beautiful timber doors when I was looking....one was £12k!  My house would not have suited wood so went for aluminium.

[lizzie]

Two companies I found that do lovely doors were https://www.deuren.co.uk/front-doors/styles/ and 

https://www.urbanfront.com/en_GB/

[newhome]

This mght be rubbish but I was told that the locking mechanism wasn't as secure with these vertical type handles (compared to the normal handle type) unless you spent ££ upgrading the locking mechanism? 

 

 

[lizzie]

2 hours ago, newhome said:

This mght be rubbish but I was told that the locking mechanism wasn't as secure with these vertical type handles (compared to the normal handle type) unless you spent ££ upgrading the locking mechanism? 

 

 

On please dont say that! My friend was burgled last week, 10am in the morning, they rammed her gates (same gates as me) and smashed the front door in (long handle style but timber not ali).  They broke open her safe and amongst other things stole the pendant and earings made from her husbands ashes.  They couldnt get the Tesla out and damaged the porsche trying to get at it.  Complete nightmare for her on her own with only a teenage daughter in her isolated house. Thank goodness she was out when they struck.

 

My door with long handle seems to have a lot of locks that shoot out when key turned.  Internorm say its high security door. Dont think long handle has an impact its only a pull bar on outside I have a regular handle inside.

[newhome]

4 minutes ago, lizzie said:

My door with long handle seems to have a lot of locks that shoot out when key turned.  Internorm say its high security door. Dont think long handle has an impact its only a pull bar on outside I have a regular handle inside.

 

Yours may come under the category of 'paid extra for high security locking' then. Maybe it's some of the cheaper doors of this type that don't have as many multi point locks? Not sure. As I say it was just something I was told. 

 

That sounds awful for your friend. Sadly I think if they want to get in they will ?

 

 

[Hecateh]

4 hours ago, newhome said:

This mght be rubbish but I was told that the locking mechanism wasn't as secure with these vertical type handles (compared to the normal handle type) unless you spent ££ upgrading the locking mechanism? 

 

 

I suspect that may have something to do with the handle engaging the locks and then the key fixing them as opposed to the key doing everything.  Having said that, my cheap upvc door could be cut through easily if someone was determined to get in so the 'strong' locks would be irrelevant.  Fortunately I am only likely to be targetted by opportunits rather than professional burglars as there is little worth someone else having - even if it is special to me.

[canalsiderenovation]

Well after much research, we have considered lots of options, even those like Urban Front, Spitfire etc but just couldn't find anything that we liked, nor that was in the price range. Spitfire (complete with Swarovski crystals) Urban Front etc all around a minimum £4k plus for something that just wasn't us. 

 

In the end we liked the idea of a timber double door, like below rather than a front door and a glazed panel either side like we have now, but not the horizontal lines like below or the long handles. We haven't decided if we want any glazing in the doors  but we have sourced a couple of local carpenters who will be able to make us something bespokeand we can then pick hardware etc and create our own ... 

 

[Russell griffiths]

Four grand for a front door, where do they get these prices. 

 

[canalsiderenovation]

44 minutes ago, Russell griffiths said:

Four grand for a front door, where do they get these prices. 

 

I know! The 'basic' ranges of some we saw, at for example Spitfire were £3500.

[Pete]

4 hours ago, canalsiderenovation said:

I know! The 'basic' ranges of some we saw, at for example Spitfire were £3500.

You could have had this for a tenner

[canalsiderenovation]

4 minutes ago, Pete said:

You could have had this for a tenner

 

Lol, can't complain for £10. Love the big picture syle window on the right, we will have very similar. 

 

What is the wood style cladding on the bottom? 

[craig]

On 26/10/2018 at 20:44, Hecateh said:

I suspect that may have something to do with the handle engaging the locks and then the key fixing them as opposed to the key doing everything.  Having said that, my cheap upvc door could be cut through easily if someone was determined to get in so the 'strong' locks would be irrelevant.  Fortunately I am only likely to be targetted by opportunits rather than professional burglars as there is little worth someone else having - even if it is special to me.

 

Your right, with long pull handles, you dont have a lever style handle externally. So the hooks top and bottom do not engage unless you have electric gearing. You need to lock from the inside by using key and or pulling lever handle up and using thumb turn/key.

 

It is common in Europe to also use a daytime latch, that is a liitle switch on the latch that allows the door to be pushed open from the outside without using a key.