We use them every day, but rarely stop to give them a second look. Here are some basics about the ubiquitous door and how its designs are shaping our living environments.
We use them every day, but rarely stop to give them a second look. Here are some basics about the ubiquitous door and how its designs are shaping our living environments.
Door anatomy
A doorway is comprised of many parts, which can vary depending on the door type, design, material and location.
1 The HEAD JAMB is the uppermost horizontal member of the door frame.
2 SIDE JAMBS are the two vertical members of the door frame on either side of the door. A swing door is secured to one of the side jambs using hinges. A side jamb bears the weight of the door through its hinges.
3 HARDWARE is necessary for the operation of a door and includes hinges, locksets and closers.
4 The DOOR PANEL is the moving part of a doorway.
5 The STOP is the projection on the inside of a door frame that limits a door swing to only one side. This means that the door can only swing either inwards or outwards.
6 The THRESHOLD or SILL is the lowest horizontal member of the door frame. Doorways leading outside the home or wet areas tend to have thresholds that project above the floor, to prevent water seepage.
Doors traditionally serve the purpose of allowing or denying access into a home or room, and also provide privacy and security. But these days, doors have evolved from purely functional roles to become part of the aesthetics of a home. “Doors have become as important a design element as any other feature in a home,” says Lawrence Puah, design director of Akihaus Design Studio.
Jeremy Tay, director of Prestige Global Designs, has noticed that door designs available in the market remain relatively limited. This may explain why many designers take it upon themselves to design doors that “articulate the link between two zones”, as Bu Shukun, design director of Architology Interiors, puts it.
There are many different approaches as to how doors can be incorporated into the overall interior design of a home. “Sometimes, they are expressed as the main element that defines the whole space. Or, they are dissolved into a hidden wall feature that surprises visitors,” elaborates Shukun.
Doors are also designed according to the interior design theme. At the height of the industrial trend, “we were seeing many mild steel-framed doors with wired glass infill”, observes Lawrence.
Door designs and materials.
Standard door designs include flush, panel, glass and louvered, just to name a few of the most common types. They can be fabricated from a range of materials such as timber, glass and metal. Some doors are clad with stone, copper or other special materials to achieve a particular look, or to blend in with the adjacent wall finishes. Designers play with this palette, combining various designs and materials to create doors that complement their interior concepts and styles.
Concealed doors are popular with homeowners. “Doors and walls are built using the same material, creating a continuous surface that visually ‘dissolves’ the door,” Shukun explains.
Oversized doors have also caught on, especially for main entrances to homes. A tall and wide door with the right proportions can have a stunning effect. “Full-height doors create the illusion of a higher ceiling and hence a bigger space,” says Lawrence. He offers a tip on having doors with exceptionally broad widths: “Much depends on the overall proportion of the space. A broad door in a home with a low ceiling will end up looking heavy and clumsy.”
Michael Ong, managing director of Prestige Global Designs, offers a word of caution: “Ensure that you select a door mechanism that is able to withstand its size and weight.”
Door types and applications.
A SWING DOOR is held by hinges on one side and is operated by pushing or pulling. This is one of the most common type of doors and can be used in almost any space. Wider doorways may have two swing doors (double leaf). The two panels may be equally sized or be comprised of one larger and one smaller panel.
A SLIDE AND FOLD DOOR is ideal when you want the flexibility of segregating two adjacent spaces, or combining them into one larger space. Slide and fold doors can be conceived as movable walls that provide separation between two spaces, or slide and fold away when desired. They can be timber, glass, or even designed as screens, depending on the design intention.
SLIDING DOOR There are many variations of sliding doors, and one of their biggest advantages over swing or pivot doors is that they can be used in tight spaces where a door’s swing may obstruct movement or compromise the space’s usability.
A typical sliding door slides over the adjacent wall surface when opening. Shukun suggests designing such doors so that they double as wall feature panels or cabinet screens.
A pocket sliding door slides into a pocket concealed within a partition wall. It is usually designed like a hidden door – when closed, it appears to be part of the wall and when opened, it retracts out of sight into the wall pocket.
Depending on the width of the opening, some sliding doors may require more than one panel. When two panels slide in opposite directions, this is called bi-parting. Telescopic sliding doors consist of two or more panels that can slide towards the same direction.
PIVOT DOOR Designers usually opt for a pivot door when they want a clean and sleek look. Doing away with the usual butt hinges used on swing doors eliminates unsightly hinge knuckles. As the name suggests, such doors pivot from the top and bottom edges of the door panel. Variations can be made by moving the pivot system from one end of the door panel towards the centre. This is usually done on wider doors to make a statement.
AUTOMATIC DOOR More people are embracing intelligent homes. While automatic doors are commonplace in public areas, it is still relatively rare in homes. They can be swing or sliding, and are usually operated using a push button or via motion sensor. Automatic doors can help to make homes more user-friendly, especially for the elderly and kids.
Apart from doors, it is also useful to think about how gates can complement doors. “The gate should be more than just a security feature. It should speak the same design language as the home,” says Eugene Yip, founder of Teetfa Grilles. A gate is also useful in providing visual depth to a door’s otherwise flat surface.
Aluminium and wrought iron gates are the most common types, due to their affordability and short production and installation time. “But their designs tend to be limited to linear or grid forms,” highlights Eugene. “Homeowners these days are going for designs with more character or a more bespoke look.”
Steel gates that were prevalent before the 1970s, but which waned in popularity due to higher cost and longer production time, are now making a comeback. Teetfa’s bespoke service uses steel to create gates with timeless patterns inspired by those found in old estates in Singapore, as well as new contemporary designs. Each piece is painstakingly handcrafted to form a lasting first impression of any home.
Text LYNN TAN illustration LIM YI LING.
