Entry Closet Doors as Feature
The proposed design of our 5,800 sf modernist home includes a front entry with a vista of the entry clothes closet. However, by centering the entry door, visitors will see directly to the backyard.
Our architect writes "looking straight out to the backyard upon entry gives the house away all at once, nice to capture people upon entry into a foyer then let the house unfold.. we don’t see the closet door as a typical 'closet door in a frame' - rather a feature full height wood panel - on a pivot hinge with no visible hardware - we have handled this same condition in a few of our custom homes in similar fashion and has proven very successful each time . . . "
I agree with the premise. But, a closet door?
Here are some extra wide doors that might fill his prescription:
Are they the cure?
Comments (9)
worthy
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoSorry, one picture is worth...
As drawn, the entry view is directly to the closet door. The architect says if it's an extraordinarily large and beautiful door--perhaps like some of those above--it's an attractive vista that beats looking through to the backyard. I'm not convinced. And if the entry door was centred, I'd put a door at the end of that corridor.Related Discussions
help pls: entry door w adj closet - swing out? dummy sidelite
Comments (18)Thanks Lyfia! All three ideas could work well. The closet wall currently would be between the two transom windows, so it wouldn't block either. Still, I especially like your idea of putting in a nice PAX closet, at least initially. A 59" (or 49") PAX closet, with a bench or plant in front of the left sidelite. I think that could work very well (if DH will be willing to be unconventional. I'm from Europe, so I'm quite used to wardrobes and no closets). I've been wanting to do a closet organizer anyway, so PAX could accomplish that. And, as you'd said, it means we could see what the space really feels like after we move in. This makes me wonder whether the entry door should be 2'8" rather than 3'0" wide. A smaller door might make the space feel larger ... and would leave more of the closet accessible. I'd assumed that 3' was more practical for bringing in fridges, couches, etc. But if 2'8" is a standard, then there must be other ways movers cope with massive furniture. Thanks! Very interesting ideas for me to sleep on. :-) (Yawn)....See MoreEntrance from outside in kitchen? Closet pics to share?
Comments (15)In our old house, like nini, everyone we knew well entered the back door that leads into the kitchen and it drove me NUTS! We even had a little space in a tiny "hallway" and inevitably all the coats, shoes, bags, hats, change, wallets, and other junk ended up cluttering up my island. I even had a small desk to the side that couldn't hold it all. It was so frustrating. When we moved that was one of the top criteria for our new house...that there not be a main entrance from outside into my kitchen. That said, if that is all you have and you can't change that, then I would find some way to contain it. If not, you will have to be the crazy woman herding everyone's things into the designated places daily. I have not seen specific "closets" in kitchens but I'm sure they exist. I would look at houzz.com for ideas. I am linking the search on there under "Entry" and I clicked on "popular" at the top. Lots of neat ideas! Good luck containing it all :) Here is a link that might be useful: [Houzz Entryways[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/entryway-ideas-phbr0-bp~t_741)...See MoreBedroom closet and entry door layout question
Comments (10)Thanks again for taking your time on this. Extending the wall out to line up with the kitchen adds another 3'5" to the room. I've considered this. It would look about like this: My hesitation is what it does to the dining space. I've actually set up my sideboard/dining table as if there was a wall there and it just messes with things enough for me to not love it. It causes the dining table to be pushed towards the living area so it no longer lines up with the middle of the kitchen/ island and it cramps the space a bit horizontally (in the floor plan photo) which feels weird since there is so much space vertically. At the end of the day I'm sure it would be fine but maybe there is a better option. The bedroom door I put on the closet side because I thought it would mess with potential furniture placement too much if placed on the master side. I also have considered putting a door at the end of the new hallway to separate the bedrooms from the rest of the unit, but I think that might be odd since the 2nd bathroom/powder room is within that space. This is not a forever home for us I'd be shocked if we still lived here in 10 years. The second master as drawn is about the minimum width I would want for a walk in. It's 6'2" wide which for me is good for a hanging on one side and shelving/some drawers on the other side. Putting a reach in closet for the kids in the space I have allocated for the 2nd master closet is an option. But it seems to limit our options for more master bedroom closet space in ways that I do not really like. The first master is 7'2" x 8'8". So not really enough width to do as you suggested. We could put a 7' wall of wardrobes on the current wall just outside the closet but won't that look bad when entering the room? Alternatively, as you say, if we split the proposed master into a kids closet and a master closet (or wardrobes), the master side will be facing the foot of the bed, which I don't love in general + we do watch the tv some in bed and it makes that quite awkward. I don't think the dual walk in closet option is doable. There just isn't enough space. I guess we need to figure out what compromise is the best for us. I had thought the smaller bedroom would be fine but thank you for making me really analyze it....See Moreexterior entry built in water feature
Comments (6)I would do several things: The entrance is pretty dark. I would replace the black trim with a white and paint the door a softer lighter color that would also look good with the black ironwork on the glass, a slate gray/blue. I would fill in the water area. You can plant shade plants, looks like you live in the desert and they will do fine. You need some green in that area. Put in landscape lights, light colored landscape rock, or even white to lighten the area. Plants...gardenias would be one choice, green with white flowers. Any chance you can put in a skylight? I would maybe stucco the rock trim. I may update it. Make the old water area smaller and widen the entrance with large soft gray concrete tiles or travertine. Can the windows be make larger? I would actually take out the door and the 2 windows and make it all tall large windows. The front of the house, i would landscape with coordinating rock, boulders, plants to soften it. Stucco or wrap the pillars with more modern stone. Still using lighter colors. The roof is dark so i would stay away from anything dark. Maybe only use dark oil bronze light fixtures to balance it out. What a fun and challenging project! Show us what you did!...See More
PROVirgil Carter Fine Art
5 years agoWell...my $0.02 USD worth is:
--Having a design where a house unfolds as one progresses through the public spaces is always a good concept...the trick is to actually have it work. You house "unfolds" as one turns to the right and moves toward the living room...after entering the front door and seeing the dreaded closet door.
--Looking from the entry, through a corridor, and seeing the exterior beyond is not a bad thing at all, IMO. But your visitors won't typically move that way. Won't they typically turn right from the entry and move towards the living room? And even if they move straight ahead, towards the kitchen area, there's an intervening space between the entry and the kitchen which can easily be designed with lower ceiling as another "unfolding" space. Simple.
--Now for the entry closet: "...we have handled this same condition in a few of our custom homes in similar fashion and has proven very successful each time . . . " A picture is worth a thousand words, and an actual site visit to such an existing custom home is worth several thousand words. Ask for about 5,000 to 10,000 words of visual explanation.
All of the doors pictured are simply (expensive) doors. They are just doors! I, for one, would never want, nor design, a house with an entry door which directly faced a closet door. Of. Any. Kind. There are so many more interesting and imaginative things for an intial impression of a custom house, IMO.
For example:
An entry featuring art and natural light at the end of the tunnel:
Or, for something completely different, a floor to ceiling collection of books:
...Or an imaginative collection of anything which represents the Worthy family and some of the things they hold dear...
Almost anything one can think of, imaginatively arranged, will be immeasurably better than a closet door. Any. Closet. Door.worthy thanked Virgil Carter Fine Art
User
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoI don’t mind the concept of an enclosed womb like entry with a focal point that then leads to and unfolds to higher ceilings and more grand spaces. Compression and release, a la FLW.
This focal point is terrible. The path through that isn’t intuitive either.
If you’re going to do “interesting” Brutalist closet doors, they should at least be copper, brass, and enamel. A la Paul Evans.
Now, THAT is a focal point.
worthy thanked Userworthy
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoAlready emailed:
"... a vista to greenery (or ice and falling snow) still beats a closet door, no matter how beautiful. Please centre the entry."
THAT is a focal point.
Funny, I have wondered how hard it would be to emulate some of his furniture as finesse doesn't seem a preeminent requirement.
Paul Evans Cube chair.
CA$17,330.48 1stdibs.
cpartist