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by Rachel Lyon, Editorial Director for The House Designers
Every part of your home’s design is something you can take individually and coordinate with the rest of its architecture. Whether you want to make a bold statement with your entryway or you want it to blend beautifully with the rest of the façade, rest assured that there are great door systems with just the right texture and decorative glass details to make your home stand out. If you’re unsure what options there are that will look fantastic with your exterior style, here are some of our favorites to consider!
Arts-and-Crafts Style for Craftsman Homes
The American Craftsman style began as an appreciation for simpler, handmade finishes that were in contrast to the ornate and mass-produced ones that became popular during the Industrial Revolution. The original Craftsman homes of the late 19th and early 20th centuries had modest shapes, many taking after bungalows, and were completed with hand-crafted, natural materials that added a human touch alongside beauty more organic than that used in the era immediately preceding. A welcoming, not ostentatious, feel was achieved, and entryways always reflected that.
When it comes to entries, Craftsman homes maintain their intended vibe when there is still a good amount of solid door there, and it is accented with a few smaller lites rather than a single large one, which reflects the technology of the time. Decorative glass should have a strong geometric design with angles—definitely not curves—and it can have a touch of color to brighten it up and give it more visual interest. Craftsman glass often includes chevrons, as seen in the Villager(TM) option from Therma-Tru(R) Doors, but it also can be composed of different-shaped rectangles, like Sedona offers. Consider accenting your door even more with a dentil shelf just below the lites for an extra dose of this style!
Classic Aesthetics for Traditional Homes
Traditional homes come in many shapes and sizes, but they all have formally defined living spaces. This historic norm got shifted with the introduction of the modern open floor plan and the stylistic upheaval toward minimalism that followed, and now the classic appeal of a traditional design is best described as being intricate and delicate. Imagine a house with a parlor and stately multi-paned windows, and you’ll probably think about floral and lacy patterns.
There are plenty of choices for decorative glass that look great on traditional homes, because this style was meant to be embellished. Look into Concorde(TM), Kensington(TM), and Wellesley(TM) glasses for graceful, flowery curves. If smaller details are more your taste, Bella(TM) glass offers a simpler and more subtle design. Each of these has a sophisticated statement design contained within a border, making them perfect complements for the defined interior of a traditional floor plan.
A Range of Suitable Designs for European Homes
Both elegant and rustic, European-style homes cover a wide array of styles and each one will need to be taken individually to decide on the best decorative touches. The rougher look of wrought metal will look great with country houses, whether they be old English cottages or Mediterranean villas, while more aristocratic styles like Victorian tend to dress up well with designs that suit traditional homes.
Top glass picks for accenting bucolic charm include Augustine(R), which has a swirling wrought iron pattern adorned with leaves for a natural touch, and Riserva(TM), which creates a gated look with vertical bars that curve at the top and bottom. For an elegant take on a vine pattern, Avonlea(R) delivers. And for those who want classic geometric shapes, Provincial(TM) and Crystalline(TM) offer two different takes on reserved design.
Understated Looks for Country Homes
A typical country or farm house is simple in shape and layout, and it aims to provide comfortable spaces first and foremost. While exterior decorations can easily be overlooked in favor of functional additions like porches, there’s no reason a little extra flair shouldn’t be considered.
The goal is to match the simplicity of this type of home so the entryway doesn’t end up glaring at visitors. Choose a glass like Crystal Diamonds(TM) to provide just a hint of contrast with thin brass caming. On the other hand, if you want to make a country-specific statement that will look right at home on your door, you can accomplish that goal with the Texas Star design. There aren’t very many strong motifs that will balance with a simple façade, so it’s amazing that this niche option exists!
Striking Lines for Modern Homes
Last but not least, contemporary homes have been growing in popularity, and so have their finishing options. The hallmark of modern design is a focus on clean lines and shapes, and decorative glass has traditionally been too ornate to mesh with this aesthetic. This left these entryways to be stark and cold, but now there is a quickly growing selection of appropriate choices that will suit a variety of contemporary designs.
Saratoga(TM) glass is a more complicated, sophisticated option that also works with traditional styles, so it is a great choice for a transitional home. Definitely solidly in the modern category, Element offers a unique mottled glass punctuated by contemporary lines of caming and a pop of red to draw the eye. Finally, Zaha(TM) is distinct with its use of offset right angles and arcs, and it provides a refreshing air of grace for modern homes.
Be sure to check out all the beautiful decorative glass options available from Therma-Tru(R) Doors to find the best complete door system to suit your home! There are options to personalize not only the amount of glass and its design, but also the amount of light allowed inside and the level of privacy it provides. Find a dealer to help get you started today!