As that old saying goes, first impressions count and a solid timber door certainly makes a big one. When it comes to your home, the front door is the focal point of your frontage and sets the scene for what is to come inside, getting the design right is vital in creating a lasting first impression. A solid timber front door is not only impressive to look at, it has a heaviness when swinging open that is just not comparable to the other hollow options. This solidness also makes the door much less likely to be dented or scratched and therefore a more long lasting option.

A warm welcome

As the majority of frontages of houses are created from materials like brick, concrete or render, a timber door visually breaks up these harder materials to bring a welcoming and homely warmth. It creates a beacon that draws visitors to the entrance of your home.The beauty of having a timber front door made to order is that you can choose all aspects of the design including the size, wood type and finish. A large, impressive statement size door looks amazing with some homes whilst others suit a more subdued, minimalistic and almost camouflaged door.

Custom made timber door jamb

A custom made timber front door also provides an opportunity to play with the design of the frame whether it be using matching or contrasting timbers or an alternative material. For our front door, we chose a heavily featured recycled Messmate timber that matched our floor boards and then solid Jarrah timber to create the frame to provide a contrast and tie in with the red timber cladding of the garage. We also wanted to allow as much light into our entrance hall as possible whilst maintaining privacy so created a window to the side and above the door all within the same frame.

Which type of timber for solid front door?

The timber that you choose to create the front door greatly influences the aesthetic. For example, If you home is a minimilastic Scandinavian or contemporary style, a clean ash blonde toned American Oak would look stunning. If however your home is more of a modern coastal style, a character rich Red Ironbark or warm brown Messmate would be perfect. As with all of our furniture, we always encourage our clients to choose a timber that is naturally the tone they want rather than using a stain. This greatly increases the longevity of the piece and enables it to be easily renovatable in the case of any scratches.

It is important when designing your custom made timber door that you consider the exposure of the doorway. The amount of sun and water will influence what type of timber is suitable to use. If the door is has no exposure to either direct sun or water, any hardwood timber is fine. If the door is exposed to water however, the timbers that are suitable for outdoor furniture would be recommended such as Ironbark, Jarrah, or Red Gum.

Which finish for a timber front door?

Exposure to lots of water and direct sunlight would require a different finish, the UV protector. You will also need to consider how often you want to maintain the door. The clear product lets the natural beauty of the timber tones shine through but has much less UV protection so will need to be reapplied more often to prevent the timber from greying. The other option is a tinted finish that will change the colour of the timber but will need a reapplication much less often then the clear version.