Are you going to make your transom arched to accommodate the whole design? I think it would be great if you did that. Otherwise, you will lose a lot of the impact of the circular design. And clearly, you love it.

If you decide to do this, I think you might want to consider keeping your trim color very close to, if not the same as, the house cladding color, and to color the brick and the siding the same, to let the strong central element of your facade be that door.

Hi bronwynsmom and thanks again for helping me!

I did wonder if we should revisit the semi-circle transom. That is what we have currently on our house (this is a reno/addition project), but received advice that it would look better rectangular (prior to selecting the decorative glass though). The only problem is we had wanted the transom to be clear glass. It is nice from the kitchen to be able to see who is arriving home, supervise kids riding bikes on the cul-de-sac infront of our house, etc.

So, if the transom is to be clear glass, would you still suggest it be a semi-circle? Are there any other votes for a semi-circle transom over the rectangle? Any opinions on the deck door (full glass versus half glass)? I really needed votes on these issues -- I am on decision overload.

Thanks all for your support.

Carol

P.S. BTW, both the brick, trim and siding have been ordered, so too late for changes in this regard.

Carol

I think that if you are going to commit to this door glass, you should go all the way. If you have a plain clear transom, and if you don't make the arch, to be brutally honest, I think you will lose the impact, and waste the money.

Decision overload is a common affliction. The answer is to just knock off for a day, and then pull back and think about what your overall idea requires. If you start patching things together, you will lose any chance at a cohesive, harmonious whole.

Give it a rest, my dear, and come back in a day or so.

Hi bronwynsmom,

We have been thinking about the semi circle transom last night, and think you make a very good point in light of the decorative glass we are thinking about. However, I would still like the view from the transom. How about doing the caming for the transom, but substitute clear glass versus the other types of glass? The door could still be the same with decorative glass and caming. Would that help tie in the transom better than just clear glass and no caming? Thanks again for your help.

Is there anyone who thinks it would be a mistake to do a semi-circle transom rather than a rectangle? I know at one point on these boards some posted that the semi-circle did not belong. However, at that point we had a silly angled roof over the semi-circle window which probably made it look awkward. This angle (cat slide roof) is going as the framers are reworking the front elevation a bit.

As for taking a break -- good idea but the framers are here this week so need these decisions. We told them this morning to hold off on reframing the front door so we could decide on this transom.

Carol

I would not do the demilune transom - it just doesn't seem the right fit for the house on the outside.

I can understand your attraction to the design for the glass. But honestly, it says bulls-eye to me once it forms a complete circle.

And, as a sign of the pervasiveness of advertising in our lives, makes me think of Target.

I certainly can see some amazing and interesting pattern in your front door glass - I just don't see this one.

BUT, as is always the case, it is YOUR home, and you and your DH should do what makes YOU happy!

i think a rectangular transom would look best with your elevation and i think will look nice with the decorative glass door because of all the rectangles in the glass pattern...

i think a decorative glass transom would look best if the door was more recessed and a more 'separate' focal point, but given all the glass windows, and the front facing garage, and the balcony, etc, i think a clear glass rectangular transom above the decorative glass double door will look nice...
i would definitely not do a clear glass half circle transom!

"The chosen glass is described as contemporary which may work with the outside of the house, but not the inside."

I can't really get past this statement to think about much else. If the glass won't work with the inside of the house, why would you do it? Sounds like you may need to select another glass. My thought is that there are tons of stunning decorative glass doors, maybe one that can bridge the contemporary/traditional divide a little better. And since you have to decide now on the framing, go ahead and have the transom framed in a rectangle while you keep looking? Even if it is a rectangle and you decide to go with a circular glass pattern, and you decide to do that in the transom, as can be seen from the rectangular glass in the doors - just because it has a circle in the glass pattern doesn't mean it has to be in a semi circle transom.

All that said, I love the glass you have pictured, but you say yourself it doesn't really work with the inside of your house. Just my thoughts...

Thank you everyone for your opinions and ideas! Your suggestions are so helpful.

Les97 LOL about the Target analogy! We don't have a Target in our area as they are not wide spread in Canada. I wanted to double check that you were referring to the top two images, and not the third. I am not fond of the third image, and just posted it to give an idea that the two C's would form a circle.

busybee3 thanks for your vote of confidence. I am glad you think we can do a clear transom and a decorative glass door. Good to know also that you prefer the rectangular transom.

beeps thanks for your input and thoughts on the decorative glass. The reason I said I am not sure the chosen glass will work with the inside of the house had entirely to do with the glass supplier describing the glass as contemporary. The inside of our house is not contemporary. From my untrained eye, I think the glass looks nice and don't see it as strictly contemporary and see it as working with a variety of decors. However, my eye is untrained!!

I am going to go back to search for an alternate decorative glass to see if there is one that works better with our chosen doors and transom. If anyone knows of a good choice in glass, I would be open to your suggestions. We can choose from ODL or Novatech if we go with our first choice in door makers. In addition, we can choose from Trimlite and Masonite if we go with our second choice of for door makers. We would like to have a lower privacy rating (around 5). I will post some alternate glass choices for anyone who is willing to comment.

Carol

I have one other concern...the Sketch-up elevation proportions of doors and transom look different from the elevation drawing (even taking the single and double door difference into account). The Sketch-up elevation seems to me to have much more harmonious proportions, both in itself, and with the rest of the facade.

So given all the iterations you've been through already, I think that going back to that basic design, with a panel at the base - a simple flat panel and not a trimmed Georgian-style one - and glass in the top 2/3 or 3/4 of the doors, and the transom of the related size shown in that rendering, would be a pretty good cholce. And you might even want to use a deep, rich, glossy stain on the doors. Then perhaps a glass pattern more like the Frank Lloyd Wright styles?

My Flickr account if behaving strangely, and I can't get in it at the moment, but here is a page of FLW windows:

Here is a link that might be useful: Frank Lloyd Wright windows

I think the rectangular transom looks best. IMO, a semi-circular transom would not relate to the rest of the house. And I like the way your half-glass deck door mirrors the window. I'm looking forward to seeing alternate glass choices. Somehow the circular design just doesn't seem quite right. Maybe something with horizontal ridged lines, or water droplets?

Hi bronwynsmom and mjlb,

Thanks for your helpful thoughts and link. Regarding the inconsistency between the Sketch-up and elevation picture, I think the elevation picture is likely closer to being exact than the Sketch-up picture. For example, the deck door needs to be raised higher up than all the other front windows (in fact all windows) to account for the thickness of the deck i-joists. There will even be an interior step inside the room to step up to the door. None of this can be avoided -- so we need to live with that lack of asymmetry with front lintel height. The double door/transom is more accurate with the Sketch-up. Neither front picture shows the exterior wood trim we will be adding.

As for the deck door, I was in agreement with you mjlb until I chatted with our local interior designer. She made the point that typically decks are reached from full glass doors, and full glass doors do invite one onto a deck, not to mention bring more light into a room. Also, the door will never look like a window no matter how much glass is in it. I think she made some good points -- so hard to be sure either way.

I will be searching out alternate decorative glass and post tomorrow when I get a chance. I hope you will all check back and tell me which glass you prefer, assuming we don't stick with the original choice which DH does seem to still prefer.

Carol

Back with two more choices of decorative glass. Soooo contestants, would you choose door number 1 (Entropy), door number 2 (Lexington) or door number 3 (Mondrian)?

I would love to hear your votes!

Door 1 - Entropy -- this is the same as posted at the beginning of the thread. Please note in a double glass door each door would have a large C on it that together forms a circle shape.

Door 2 - Lexington

Door 3 - Mondrian -- We would need to customize this glass a bit by substituting some clear glass so the door would not be as opaque, as we like doors of privacy rating 5 or so.

Thanks in advance for letting us know your opinions!

Carol

Such pretty glass! I love decorative glass doors. My thoughts...

I still think the transom needs decorative glass to tie it into the front door. But I understand you want the view. So, for me that rules #1 out because I think you could modify #2 or #3 such that you could do decorative glass but keep the privacy rating at 1 and it would look great with the front door. Not sure you could do that with #1.

I vote #2 I think. Do privacy rating 1 in the transom, 5 in the door. Obviously make sure those different privacy ratings would look ok like that, but I think they would. I've always been a sucker for that style of glass work.

Lots of pretty options. I'm sure you won't go wrong.

I don't see the pattern of the glass doors as "contemporary" at all--- more arts and crafts meet Frank Lloyd Wright, if you will, but not modern. Also agree that a rectangular transom would look best and actually think that clear glazing in the transom will let the doors stand out as the decorative statement. Looks like a great remodel and would love to see photos!

I like the Mondrian, as I think the shapes echo the shapes on your garage door.

Would it be possible to do an all-glass door, rather than having the two panels at the bottom? I think the panels detract from the clean lines and visual appeal of the Mondrian glass.

As for the deck, I would rather see the door all glass, and see the windows on the left up there made full length as well to match that. To have the clear panels on the railing and then have a window and a door that are blocked off on the bottom and don't allow appreciation from inside of that railing seems odd to me.

Hi Beeps,

Thanks for your input! Good point about using some of the Lexington glass as a border for the mainly clear transom.

Everyone: I found one more door we also like. So this will be door number four. The glass is called Sedona. We would swap out a bit of the privacy glass for clear glass to reduce the opaque look. Please vote on your favourite door.

Thanks Carol

Door Number 4 - Sedona glass

Hi Kswl and les917,

Thank you both for your replies and input!

Kswl, glad to hear your opinion on the transom shape and reassurance that a rectangular shape is the way to go. Good to know you don't think any of the chosen decorative glass read too contemporary as that would not fit in with our interior house look. Also, despite the modern looking railing, I don't think the board and batten wood trim and window trim will make the house look modern either.

Les917 -- very creative and interesting idea about the deck door. I have sent your ideas to my designer and architect for their thoughts. I would want to have ventilation somewhere in the room, and had not planned on a screen door for deck door (but of course could add that). I would assume if we replace the standard sized window with a tall window, we would need to split it somewhere so part of the window would be operable (which would make it mirror the deck door less). BTW, we can't have full glass on the front door as the door is 8 foot and the tallest glass we can have is 64 inches high (which is 3/4 of the door).

Does anyone else have any thoughts on the idea posted by Les917 regarding replacing the standard sized window in room behind deck with a tall window to match the size of the deck door (and to align the top of this window with the top of deck door)?

Carol

I'd use anything other than the first one, which reminds me of a bull's eye!

I think les917 made an excellent point. It almost seems like a no-brainer now that he has pointed it out. I know you went from the full to half on the deck door to match the windows but I think his point about doing the reverse is a very good one.

Cindyloo and beeps and other helpful GW posters.

Thank you very much for your thoughts and votes. I too was liking the idea put forth by les917, but have another idea too. We could put a transom over the bedroom window (window beside the deck door) so that the top of the bedroom window is at the same height as the door. I have been told by the experts close to home that no matter what the door will look like a door and window like a window. To me the biggest issue is the fact that the top of the door is 9 inches higher than the top of the window which could be fixed with a transom over the window as well as the tall door shaped window. With this transom idea we would lower the window to accommodate a regular sized transom. Lowering of the window would be a good thing anyway as it was always on the high side especially for a child to look out of.

So much to decide on and the framers are back tomorrow, and will surely need to know at what height to re-install the window or if to prepare it for a large window or even a transom.

Carol

i like both the entropy and the lexington...

for whatever reason (maybe the rectangle pattern and the frosted glass??) the mondrian looks the most 'contemporary' to me...

I think I understand what you are describing, but am not sure. And I'm far from being an architect anyway. I don't think the window height difference would be an issue in the grand scheme of things, but maybe it would. If it would bug you, then it's an issue! :)

The thread linked below seems to have some applicability to what you are talking about. Basically, the issue of furniture placement becomes bigger the lower you drop that window. Will you be able to put anything on that wall if you need to/want to? I realize this issue applies to Les' plan also, just didn't know that was a bedroom then.

Here is a link that might be useful: Thread about new construction.

Ontario Mom, I hate to see you compromising a major design element on your home just because you want to be able to see out the transom. I think you can have your view AND a transom that matches the doors though.

Look into having a camera mounted on the front of your house. My cousin and I were out of town together recently when his wife called and informed him the fire department was on the way to his house, because the oven was smoking. He then accessed his eight security cameras on his phone. The screen on his phone split into eight windows and we could see all sides and angles of the house on the same screen. We watched as the fireman arrived! There was no fire btw, just some smoking grease.

I was just blown away by the camera system. He gets notices on his phone if anything activates the cameras during certain hours! Cousin tells me his system cost $1,000 but that there are plenty of more affordable set ups available.

So if I were you, I'd look into getting a camera with a monitor you can keep in your kitchen. My guess is that the camera will give you a much wider view (and you can zoom in or out too) than the transom would give you. It will have the added benefit of deterring intruders...which may get you a discount on your homeowners insurance.

Installing the wiring for a closed circuit system can be costly, but cousin says he did his own wiring. If your interior walls are still open, now is the time to install a system.

Hi Cindyloo and Beeps,

I don't know how I missed your comments before -- things have been crazy with all the construction going on and four kids! Anyway, Beeps, good points about the furniture placement. I think we will be okay with furniture placement if we keep the bedroom that leads to deck door to one door and one window with transom above the window. There would be room under the window/transom for furniture. If we go to two doors as Les brillantly suggested, I think we would miss the wall space.

Cindyloo, neat idea about the technology cameras. We will be roughing in for a few smart house features so will inquire about the camera as that would come in handy regardless of the transom. I guess I am old fashioned, but I still like the idea of looking out a real window.

To everyone, we have all but decided on doing the Lexington glass in our door, and to echo a few of the lines of this design by putting some caming lines in the transom above. We hope to place the order early next week.

Thanks for all your help!

Excellent! Sounds like it will be stunning.

Your choices are all beautiful~neither would be a mistake!

The style seems more art nouveau, than contemporary, or even art deco, both pleasing to the eye, and IMO, appropriate for your style of home.