The opening was generous, more than six feet wide under a deep covered porch, but not a single piece of it was glass. A slate-blue six-panel door sat between two solid panel sidelights, all in the same flat paint. The applied mouldings on the panels had softened under layers of coating, the lock stile was worn around a mismatched brass knob and deadbolt, and daylight showed through a gap along the door's edge. From inside, the foyer depended entirely on electric light. From outside, the entry read as a wall of blue.
Project Story
The thinking behind the work
The Starting Point
The Thinking
The homeowners wanted a door with a cleaner, more contemporary line, and the opening was a perfect canvas for one. The design is built on horizontals. Five long lites stacked up the center of the door bring daylight into the foyer at every height, and each lite has a frosted band across its middle. Clear glass above and below the band keeps the view and the light, while the frosted strip sits right where a passerby's eye would land. The side panels stay solid for privacy and balance, but their five flat panels are stacked so every rail lines up with a rail on the door.
The Execution
The unit is built in solid African mahogany (Sapele), 1¾" thick, with mortise-and-tenon joinery. It's finished in a natural-tone stain with an exterior clear topcoat that shows off the ribbon figure of the wood. The 3'-0" × 6'-8" door carries five horizontal clear insulated lites, each with a frosted privacy band, separated by solid rails. Each 1'-4" side panel has five flat recessed panels, with rails aligned to the door's. The door, side panels, and frame are built as one Sapele assembly with a matching wood casing, set inside the existing white trim.
The Result
The entry went from a closed wall of paint to the warmest thing on the porch. Daylight now reaches the foyer through five lites, and the frosted bands keep the house private without any shades. The aligned rails pull the door and side panels into one composition that reads clean and intentional against the pale siding, and the Sapele's natural color and striped grain do the decorating. It's a modern door that still feels at home on a traditional porch.
Specification
Unit Size
6'-4" × 7'-5"
Panel Thickness
1¾"
Joinery
Mortise-and-tenon, no mechanical fasteners.
Glass
Clear insulated glass, five horizontal lites, each with a frosted privacy band
Finish System
Natural-tone stain with exterior clear topcoat
Hardware
Rectangular dark bronze full-plate handleset with thumb latch and keyed deadbolt
Installed By
Scobis
Common Questions
Why a frosted band across clear glass?
The band sits at the height where someone on the porch would look in, so it blocks the direct view into the foyer. The clear glass above and below still brings in daylight and a view out. It gives you privacy without shades and a strong horizontal line that suits the contemporary design.
Why keep the sidelights solid instead of adding glass?
With five lites in the door, the foyer gets plenty of light. Solid side panels keep the entry private and give the glass a frame to stand out against. Stacking their panels to match the door's rails makes the whole unit read as one design.
Why a natural-tone finish instead of a dark stain?
Sapele has a striking ribbon figure, and a natural tone lets it show. The lighter, warmer color also stands out against the pale siding and white trim, where a dark stain would have read heavy.
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