Making an Entrance: The Ins and Outs of Building the Perfect Door

This contemporary door, clad in western red cedar with steel accents, makes quite a statement, and also hints at the interior detailing of the home, where the split “V” cedar detail appears again on the chimney column above a large central fireplace. Extremely tight tolerances on all sides of this large door made for a challenging installation sequence and demanded a high degree of coordination from framing the rough opening through the applying the final trim. Photo by Jim Westphalen.

This set of paired doors was designed and built as a reproduction for a registered National Historic Landmark. In addition to being historically accurate, the doors needed modern refinements, such as ADA compliance, weather protection from a harsh north western exposure, and durability for use in a commercial restaurant setting. Photo by Lindsay Selin.

Pierced with metal and glass, this veneered door forced us to rethink traditional construction methods. From an unconventional core construction to RFID enabled access and an electromagnetic latch system, everything about this door required us to invent new solutions. Photo by Susan Teare.

Pivot doors are a great way to make a statement, and they are always a fun challenge for our shop. Pivot systems require holding extremely tight tolerances during fabrication, and ensuring they operate flawlessly and provide the necessary weather protection and security is tricky, but the end result is a door that really stands out. Photo Jim Westphalen.

Making a colorful statement, this mahogany-clad set of doors stands out against a charred shou sugi ban and black metal surrounding. The offset split between leaves and a custom handle add visual interest. Like many of our larger doors, this door utilizes a multi-point latching system for stability and security. Photo by Erica Allen

Made from reclaimed materials for a Net Zero home, this door needed a rustic look, but also needed to be able to withstand the extreme weather cycles of a Vermont mountainside, providing flawless operation and insulation year-round. Photo by Lindsay Selin.

Entirely clad in Corten steel, with a concealed electronic entry system, this door presented a series of demanding technical challenges. From designing a system to get power to the hidden keypad to ensuring that the door was capable of supporting its own weight, there was nothing straightforward about this door’s construction. Photo by Erica Allen.

This traditional door features true divided light, and a curved jamb scribed to the restored stone opening. While it may look similar to the century-old door it replaced, modern thermal barriers such as low- E coated insulated glass units, an active sweep and high quality silicone gasketing ensure that it meets the requirements of current energy-efficient building practices. Photo by Jim Westphalen.

When closed, this door becomes almost invisible next to the slatted windows and siding. Incorporating weatherproof gaskets and seals, concealed hinges and low profile handles and locking hardware was a technical challenge, but keeping the uninterrupted façade was paramount to the overall aesthetic. Photo by Jim Westphalen.

“There are things known and there are things unknown and in between are the doors.”
Jim Morrison

A door is more than a barrier to the snow, wind, rain, and heat of New England’s wild weather patterns. The right door is a statement maker, welcoming visitors and setting the style and tone of the entire house.

We spoke to the woodshop team at Birdseye, an architectural design and building company based out of Richmond, Vermont, about the importance of the right front door, and how to work with a team to ensure the best design and final product for any setting. Birdseye has created hundreds of doors and entryways for just about every type of architectural style, from restored New England Victorians and Colonials, to minimalist masterpieces and newly built contemporary homes. The accomplished woodworking team shares what they’ve learned about creating the perfect door to help guide your next project.

Doors are the First Impression

What story do you want a home to tell? Think about the door as the first paragraph to a great novel. A perfect door should be visually stunning and operate flawlessly, but it’s also important to think about the impression it creates. “It sets the stage for the rest of the home or estate. The door provides an indication of what to expect as you move deeper into the home,” the team notes.

Function is as Important as Style

Achieving a perfect blend of form and function is the benchmark for the Birdseye workshop. Whether a door makes a statement or serves as an understated piece of craftsmanship that draws attention to other aspects of the property, it needs to blend with a home, and provide years of reliable service. This is where the Birdseye team puts their extensive experience to work, ensuring that each door they create will operate perfectly for decades, while also paying attention to nuanced style elements that make a door fit effortlessly within its surroundings.

Doors Designed to Withstand the Test of Time

A door does a lot of work. The Birdseye team’s intention is to build a beautiful object, but also one that is functional and can stand up to the rigors of everyday living. When considering style and function, especially for an exterior door, it needs to withstand daily use, provide security, and reliably keep the elements at bay, while still being a well-executed design element.

“To withstand oscillating weather patterns, a door needs to be a barrier between two climate extremes, compensating for the different conditions that occur seasonally on each side,” the team notes. For example, in the winter, the exterior is cold and dry, while the inside of the home is warmer and more humid. If not built or installed correctly, the door and the adjacent woodwork will be subjected to a lot of stress, leading to warps, imperfections, and poor performance.

Doors for Every Architectural Style

Contemporary doors often diverge from traditional door styling, which has required the Birdseye team to rethink door construction techniques. “When you move into slab-based forms, with decorative wood veneers or other cladding materials like metal, the entire structure of the door needs to be changed,” they note. Extensive research and development has led to new ways of constructing these types of doors. The team has even worked with manufacturers to design new products to facilitate construction.

When it comes to taking on historic work, whether it’s a vintage Victorian or eighteenth-century farmhouse, the same rules apply. The team considers the complex challenges involved in melding modern building processes and technology with a period look to ensure that a door only looks old. It still needs to perform seamlessly, frequently within critically tight tolerances, and provide the modern conveniences and security that homeowners expect.

The Details Matter

The Birdseye team is most proud of their ability to solve behind-the-scenes technical challenges. They plan out everything from finishing details to figuring out the best method to achieve a given architectural style, whether that means recreating Colonial hand-carved details or executing complex sequences of veneer for a contemporary door—all small touches that an architect or homeowner may never think about, but which result in a final product that completes the desired look.

Ultimately, Birdseye works to ensure that every member of the family is excited to walk through the door every day, knowing that it serves as the opening and closing page of each person’s daily, personal journey.

Birdseye, Richmond, Vt., 802-434-2112, birdseyevt.com

Read more about Birdseye and their work in other New England Home articles:

A Renovated Vermont Lake House

Tour a Vermont Condo Packed with Clever Small-Space Design Ideas