The doors: Making a grand entrance matters

South door of the Baptistery of St John in Florence, Italy. (Photo by Ayesha Banerjee)

Film producer and designer Gauri Khan tweeted a photograph of hers sometime back in ripped jeans and jacket, leaning against the gate leading to her Mumbai bungalow, its name Mannat contrasting starkly with a glittery background. “The main door of your home is the entry point for your family and friends. So the name plate attracts positive energy… we chose a transparent material with glass crystals that emit a positive, uplifting and calm vibe,” she posted.

Khan was right. Doors have been worthy of love and respect ever since Paleolithic man felt the need to roll a big boulder to block the mouth of his cave home after spotting a glyptodon scrambling around in the bushes outside.

Doors go way back. A 153cm high and 88cm wide piece made of poplar unearthed during a parking lot dig in Zurich, Switzerland, is believed to be more than 5,000 years old and part of a Neolithic village that once existed there. Even after all those centuries, archaeologists felt it looked elegant with rather well-preserved hinges.

Doors also take entry and exit points to the next heavenly level. In Egypt, a 175 cm ‘false’ granite door with hieroglyphics and carvings found at the tomb of a minister of Queen Hatshepsut (who ruled from 1478 or 1479 BC till her death in 1458 BC) was supposed to help souls transition to other realms.

The Baptistery of St John in Italy’s Florence, a minor basilica that has influenced Renaissance architecture, flaunts beautiful bronze doors with relief sculptures. (Photo by Ayesha Banerjee)

Skilled artists have left no stone unturned to unleash their creativity on doors to give a fillip to faith. The Baptistery of St John in Italy’s Florence, a minor basilica that has influenced Renaissance architecture, flaunts beautiful bronze doors with relief sculptures. Fourteenth century sculptor Andrea Pisano’s 28-panel South Door is dedicated to the life of St John the Baptist and the virtues, including hope, charity and faith. The North Door by another sculptor of that era, Lorenzo Ghiberti, has panels from the New Testament depicting the life of Christ. But the grandest of them all, the East Door, once called “the gates of paradise” by Michaelangelo and also built by Ghiberti (the original piece has been removed and a copy substituted) demands your unwavering attention as you stand in queue waiting to enter the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. Depicting scenes from the Old Testament, the door has figures in low relief. The life of Joseph is depicted in one panel, showing him being thrown into a well by his brothers. Moses receives the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai in another panel

Creativity unleashed

In India, where myths combine with mysteries and artists’ wizardry to give birth to objects of great beauty, one pair of doors captures the imagination. Made of iron with a giant snake engraved on each, the doors conceal one of man’s most well-kept secrets - vault B or the Bharatakkon Kallara at Thiruvananthapuram’s Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple, work on which started sometime in 6th century. Noone knows what the vault contains, but making a guesstimate would be easy since similar chambers in the temple have yielded priceless antique treasures.

Interestingly, it is believed that this portal can be opened only with the chanting of a mantra that no one seems to know.

Heritage hangover

Well, not many of us will be lucky to spot that particular door in our lifetime, unless the courts or temple authorities open the secret chambers for public viewing, but most of us, if we have the monies, can happily own heritage pieces.

“We are getting an increasing number of queries for our vintage doors that we source from around the country from old properties and havelis being razed. The demand for old, antique pieces is not dying out anytime soon,” says Priyanka, proprietor of Puranadarwaza, a Jodhpur-based antique furniture dealer.

Discerning buyers have many choices, from a vintage hand carved door in teak with brass and iron work priced at Rs 39,000 to another teak door with a beautiful green antique gloss. About 150 years old it costs around Rs 3.49 lakh.

Vintage hand-carved door in teak with brass and iron work. (Photo courtesy Puranadarwaza)

A unique piece (from Rajasthan) has to be seen to be believed. It could make up the entire façade of a house with its beautifully carved door, extended arched front and jharokhas, measuring around 14X16 feet and made from locally sourced wood, complete with a price tag of around Rs 9 lakh.

“Teakwood makes up 90 percent of all the heritage doors we source from old structures. If we attempt to build anything similar the costs would go up by 500 percent,” she adds.

Prices of doors made of quality wood or other material can start from Rs 5,500 to Rs 10 lakh (and more).

Finding the right fit

We open and close doors all day, “but rarely think about how continual technological development resulted in the modern hinge, the ergonomic care put into designing hardware or the delicate finesse with which the door is hung,” says Nitin Mehta, director, ALCOI, a fenestration solutions provider.

The formal entrance to your home is one of the most critical areas to look at in residential design, because that’s how energy and opportunities enter the home, he says.

Huge entrance areas and well-planned spaces around doors are impressive, says Priyanka Singh, founder and principal architect, Chalk Studio, an interior design firm based in Gurgaon.  She's quite partial to doors with concealed pivots as “these doors are flush with the wall and get totally integrated into the wall.”

Other than that, everything, from style, material, colour, and finish go into the making and fitting of a door that complements the building’s design concept and architectural style.

Apart from wood and plywood, doors are made of steel, iron aluminium, glass, even polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, and fibre reinforced plastic.

Hinged doors with wooden panels fixed to a frame or jamb with hinges are the most common types. Then there are flushed doors that are in line with the frame instead of being set back slightly like regular doors. Collapsible doors come with panels which can be folded back, French doors have glass panels fitted in pairs allowing plenty of light in the room.  And barn doors are hung from rails.

The entire creative process counts for Mehta. “Owing to progressive modern architecture, masters such as Le Corbusier have opened a plethora of opportunities for designing beyond books, and that's precisely why we are in awe of every new design, technology, scale and material that becomes known to us,” he says.

Keep this, chuck that

As for personal likes and dislikes, natural wood finishes appeal to Anika Mittal-Dhawan, director, Mold Design Studio, a New Delhi-based multidisciplinary design practice, for their timeless appeal and sense of warmth. Though no stranger to metal doors, she likes to work with mahogany, walnut and oak and feels that wood provides a distinct texture and unique characteristics.

For better looks, go for wainscoting and Duco-paint or carvings, advise Ninada Kashyap and Komal Mittal, co-founders and principal architects, Alkove Design, a Pune-based architecture and interior design firm. The two remain inspired by the Buland Darwaza at Fatehpur Sikri in Uttar Pradesh, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, for its intricately carved wooden doors showcasing verses from the Quran, floral patterns, and geometric designs.

Their vote also goes to contemporary wooden designs that are minimalistic with clean lines which translate to elegant interiors. French doors with glass panels are also popular with their clients because of their suitability to both modern and traditional designs and more so because of the abundance of light flooding the interiors.

Fibreglass, glass and steel are also in demand, says Mittal-Dhawan because they rank high in durability and resilience and, therefore, are cost-effective.

Wooden doors are classic, agrees Mehta, but are prone to damage due to extreme weather conditions. On the other hand, steel doors are harder to break into but are not good insulators and can get noisy over time.

Aluminium and glass doors work best for him because of exceptional weather resistance and superior thermal and acoustic insulation.  Aesthetics and reliability are the plus points.

Singh likes how fluted glass shutters/doors allow light to “bounce from flute to flute” and address the challenge of privacy while preserving open, light-filled interiors.

Metal doors are sturdy and mean better security, while hardwood doors allow best use of colour and finish, she adds.

For Kashyap and Mittal traditional wooden doors are also a timeless and classic choice with their ornate carvings and embellishments. These designs can also be customised to flow with the design of the house.

Fans of Antoni Gaudi’s unique and innovative approach to architecture, especially Barcelona’s Casa Batllo, the doors of which create a warm and inviting atmosphere with a subtle play of light and shadow, the duo gives a thumbs-up to laser-cut designs that are intricate and visually striking and are also getting to be popular.

What’s trending?

Today design language and colours are governing people’s choices, says Mehta. Select the warm, rich tones of a stained wood door or any shade that looks good. “A popular trend is painting the front door a vivid colour that pops out and adds a splash of interest to the home's exterior,” he says.

The door's colour can also set the theme for the rest of the house. Choose a neutral colour if you want it to stand the test of time. A statement can also be made through the material and the design, he advises.

When it comes to design language, examine the style and architecture of the rest of the house. A traditional front door in a modern home, or vice versa, will make an impactful statement, Mehta adds.

Singh too swears by colours, architectural styles and material choices. Even door hardware such as knobs and plates can bring all the design elements of the house together.

How they did it

Going bold, Kashyap and Mittal designed a stunning white Duco-painted entrance door for Maison Blanche, a farmhouse-style residence. It contrasted with the natural wood siding of the structure. A black metal front door was put in later to add a touch of modernity to the classic farmhouse design.

The double French doors at Kafe Fusion, another Alkove project, were Duco-painted in vibrant yellow, combined with half-round moulded wainscoting in white.

The designers also decided that the main entrance of the Secret Garden restaurant would be a visually striking combination of a vibrant yellow wall with a handcrafted artistic steel gate in blue. “The clever use of contrasting colours, yellow and blue, had an aesthetically pleasing effect – kind of enticing guests to enter and discover the culinary journey promised,” say Kashyap and Mittal.

Doffing their hats to heritage, both opted for a Chettinad-style door in seasoned teakwood for Courtyard House, a residential bungalow. Exposed bricks on either side contributed to the rustic charm of the entrance, while attention to detail in the gate design set the tone for stunning and distinctive design elements indoors.

Preferences and challenges

Preference for small and streamlined doors in the past ten years is now giving way to oversized doors, which get to be the focal point of a home, says Mittal-Dhawan.

As current trends in architecture and design lean towards minimalism and simplicity, large doors are a perfect fit as they look striking without being overly imposing, she adds.

Kashyap and Mittal find it challenging to select appropriate materials and finishes and figuring out practical layouts to maximise space. Then there's the question of balance - factoring in the client’s personality and style while working on the overall design concept of the building. So, for Pune home Casa Tao  they combined a Duco-painted blue door with a stained-glass panel to create a bold and elegant entrance that reflected the client’s style while enhancing the apartment’s overall design concept.

Singh is clear. You have to be smart enough to turn these design challenges into design features. “When we choose to have a full-height entrance door or perhaps just try to align the door details with our existing design, many concerns become important. Every material has its own limitations, but completing a project while having a budget in mind can be incredibly nerve-wracking,” she admits.

Getting it right

Entrances should be energy-efficient, says Mittal-Dhawan. As costs rise and homeowners become more environmentally conscious, large-sized doors have to have insulated glass and high-quality weatherstripping features to ensure maximum energy-efficiency.

Enjoy every part of a house or a building – and pay attention to the creativity and energy utilised to beautify it, designers advise.

Why not? There is a moment when you’ve almost reached the inner sanctum sanctorum of the Lord Venkateswara temple in Tirupati after walking for four hours in the long queue for the non-VIP darshan. As you walk through the Bangaru (golden) Vakili (entrance) towards Balaji, you are greeted by the  dwarapalakas, all of copper, named Jaya and Vijaya. The majestic doors made of wood with beautiful gilt plates depict the Dasavataram or 10 avatars of Lord Vishnu. As they smile down upon you, tiredness lifts magically from your shoulders. You feel you’ve come home.