Your front door says a lot about you

One of our main and most enjoyable lines of work is designing and manufacturing a Front door or entrance door and throughout the year we make a steady stream.

There is a certain enjoyment and satisfaction garnered from producing a Front Door, more so than the many other things that we make. Quite why they are more satisfying than say a wardrobe or an alcove unit I have not been entirely sure but it would seem there are various reasons.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think one reason is that many people are more passionate and excited by the change of front door than they are by wardrobes or furniture. The front door has more than just one function, it isn’t just a security between you and the outside, it is also a statement of who you are; the style, colour and details in your front door are an outward reflection of your personality and are also a preface to your interior décor. That’s why, consciously or subconsciously we want it to say the right things. So, I suppose we find enjoyment in helping people achieve this.

The process of providing our clients with the perfect door for their home has many chapters, each one rewarding as we see the door evolve.

 

The front door evolves during manufacture

 

The door on the whole is a straight forward construction of rails (horizontal) and styles (vertical) that when jointed house either panels or glass, it’s an uncomplicated construction that is engrained in our memory and I suppose that makes it less stressful, as we say “you know where you are with a door”. The skill and finesse is very much in the details.

Waterhall Joinery’s front doors are always made from solid timber rather than any composites such as MDF or Melamine, so the job feels more natural, everything you touch has a warmth and an organic texture. Throughout the process your senses are being rewarded. We are also often treated to beautiful grain patterns or structures that reveal themselves during machining of the wood that have never been revealed before – and, we do stand back momentarily, 3 guys in a workshop appreciating the beauty in a piece of wood.

 

 

Front doors also have a habit of surprising us as they evolve through manufacture, the basic structure may vary little but it’s the details such as panel style, beading shape and component ratios really bring a design together, quite often a door will look a little ordinary until a certain detail is added that just elevates its aesthetics.

 

 

 

 

Then toward the end of the process we will either oil/varnish a door in the case of Oak or maybe Iroko which really makes the natural wood sing, enhancing the contrast and giving a depth and vibrance to the grain. Or in the instance of painted doors we love to find out what colour our client has chosen whether it be bold and brazen or a subdued heritage shade. Either way, once again the front door evolves and takes on another level of interest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With a door fully top coated it just remains to re-fit the door furniture – letter plates, knockers and escutcheons – there’s a really good variety of good quality ironmongery available now and I always suggest really taking time to consider which to buy as it can take the door to the next level or make it even more individual. It’s also one area where I do believe you get what you pay for, the more expensive brands have a visible quality and gravitas which further enhance the attributes of our bespoke front doors.

 

 

A new home for a new front door…

Then there is the installation, this I suppose is the big reveal. The satisfaction that comes from removing a tired maybe poor-quality front door or better still removing a repugnant upvc front door and replacing it with our new creation is huge. It’s only then that you know if the design has really worked. The front door should sit comfortably in its new environment, it should enhance the look of the property as a whole and also stand out proudly. Once we have tightened the last screw in the escutcheon, we walk away to the street back turned, then look back at the door for the full impact. This is the acid test, does the new front door make the right statement and are our clients happy.