This is a handsome entry: a tall stucco arch next to warm red brick, with a fan transom and a hanging lantern centered above. The door unit below it had lost its finish entirely. The door, sidelights, and frame had weathered to a chalky gray, with patches of raw orange wood where the coating had worn through. The design also fought the transom. The door’s twelve small lites made a dense grid of muntins directly beneath the fan’s radiating spokes, so two busy patterns were stacked on top of each other.
Project Story
The thinking behind the work
The Starting Point
The Thinking
The fan transom was staying, so the door needed to stop competing with it. The twelve-lite grid became one tall lite with a gently arched top. That arch picks up the curve of the fan above without repeating its spokes, and it opens the view through the door to a single clear pane. The sidelights kept their original four-lite-over-panel layout. Their small grid now plays a supporting role on either side of the open center door, giving the unit rhythm without crowding it.
The Execution
The new unit is mahogany in a dark, warm stain that brings out the wood’s ribbon figure, with a multi-coat exterior clear finish. The door has a tall clear glass lite with an arched head above a solid lock rail and two raised panels. Each sidelight has four clear glass lites stacked above a raised panel, with rails aligned to the door’s so the three pieces read as one composition. A matte black handleset with an integrated deadbolt replaced the old separate handle and lock.
The Result
The entry finally reads as one design from the stoop to the top of the arch. The single arched lite lets the fan above take the lead, while the dark mahogany anchors the opening between the stucco and the brick. Up close, the figure in the wood shows through the finish, which is exactly what the old weathered unit had lost. The sidelights’ grids now frame the door instead of crowding it, and the white sunburst stands out sharply against the dark wood.
Specification
Unit Size
6'-4" × 8'-7"
Panel Thickness
1¾"
Joinery
Stile-and-rail construction
Glass
Door: single clear glass lite with arched head. Sidelights: clear glass, four lites each
Finish System
Dark mahogany stain with a multi-coat satin exterior clear topcoat
Hardware
Matte black handleset with integrated deadbolt
Installed By
Scobis
Common Questions
Why replace the twelve-lite grid with a single arched lite?
The fan transom above the door already has a strong radiating grille, and a dense grid of muntins right below it made the entry look busy. A single lite clears the center of the composition so the fan becomes the focal point. The arched head picks up the curve of the transom so the door and fan feel related.
Why keep the same four-lite layout in the sidelights?
The sidelights’ smaller grids are what keep the unit from reading as one plain sheet of glass. Keeping their original layout gives the entry a familiar rhythm on either side, while the open center door changes the overall feel. Their rails line up with the door’s, so all three pieces read as a single unit.
How do you keep a stained wood door from weathering like the old one?
Exterior clear finishes break down over time from sun and moisture, even under a covered porch. Once the coating fails, the wood grays quickly, as the old door did. The best protection is a multi-coat exterior finish from the start, plus a light maintenance coat whenever the surface begins to dull. Caught early, that’s a quick wipe-down and recoat, not a full strip and refinish.
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