What style are your current doors?

Why not something like this idea and it would be nice to see the area where this needs to go.

Is this for an AC air handler? If there is no furnace then why do you need a louvre door? Are you planning to use the door as the return for the air handler?

Could they install the vent in the ceiling above( that’s where they put ours) or is that just too big of a job ( or not what they are allowed to do). Might be cheaper than replacing all the doors. We had a weird one where they put it on the lower half of the wall and made the door a weird half door. I get why you want the top of the stairs look nice rather than the focal point be a a/c closet. Good luck.

Also… the other upstairs vent is in the ceiling about 10 feet from that unit. This was a new concept for me. And another home…we had the unit in a closet in the garage while the air vent was high on the wall inside our mud room. 🤷‍♀️

This really is a questio for the HVAC company since we really are not getting much info from you

Sorry I haven’t responded sooner…newborn baby takes up most of my free time🙄
The HVAC guy said a louvered door is preferable but I was looking for something with a bit more design since it is the first thing you’ll see at the top of the entrance stairs. Venting the ceiling wouldn’t work, unfortunately there is a structure on the floor above. My other doors are raised 6 panel but I’m not opposed to switching them out. I’ve seen custom doors with caning💁‍♀️but haven’t actually meet anyone who has one.
Ah well, it was worth a try. Thanks for those of you who tried to help.

Did the HVAC guy why explain why an AC closet requires a louvered door? You should ask the question before your replace all the doors. I may be reading too much into what you have stated, but I don't have a lot of confidence in what this AC installation will look like when it is completed.

Hi Mike
Honestly my husband is handling the mechanical aspects of this project with the HVAC guy. It’s a second unit to accommodate the 2nd floor addition zone but he did say that a door that allowed air flow would be necessary. We’ve had 2 condos in Florida that housed the AC in a closet and both had louvered doors for air flow💁‍♀️
I’m charge with making it all look pretty😂😂

I will assume this is a small closet and the louvered door will provide the return air opening. The other possible solution is to install a duct inside the closet which connects to a return grille. That would allow the air to flow and you can keep the solid door. What the HVAC guy is proposing is easier and less expensive to install. If the closet is small the louvered door may be the only option.

What about a six-paneled door that matches the others (or comes close), but the panels are replaced with a grill or mesh or cane like stiley showed, painted the same color as the door?

Our house has a combination of doors: six-panel, fully-louvered, and half-louvered (came with the house). I suppose some would find it a design mess, but they define spaces in different types of rooms, so we think it looks fine.

What about installing a vent in the wall?

What's wrong with a louvered door, anyway? I like cane on a rocking chair and mesh on a pie safe, but louvers are classic for doors.

Still no idea why an hvac unit would need a Louvered door, it’s a sealed system. That said put a grill above the door to let air flow into the room.

Nothing really wrong with louvered door but in this case it will be the first thing you see as you come up the stairs to the living area. I was hoping for something a little more design forward.
Thanks to everyone for all your suggestions and input. I’m forwarding them to my husband and he can discuss them with the HVAC guy.

For those wondering why a louvered door might be needed in the first place … I don’t know what is going on in the OP’s situation, but, we have an air handler that does require a louvered door. Our air handler for our basement heat pump is in a closet. No return ducting (and none is possible). The closet door serves as the return. As such, it needs to be louvered.

In our previous home, we had one heat pump. The air handler was in a closet at the end of the main hallway. No return duct therefore, the door, again, had to be louvered. In this case, it might have been possible to install a return grate above the closet door. It might not have been possible because the air handler might have required a larger return opening than could be accomodated above the door.

My preference is a solid core fully weather-stripped to seal the "air handler" from the rest of the home interior, using a vent to the attic for combustion air I presume if its natural gas and of course a direct vent to the exterior for the exhaust.

I totally understand your question as I have the same one. My plan is to use a double panel shaker door and replace the bottom panel of the door with a decorative mesh. I just can’t find the metal or wood mesh. Any ideas?