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Remodeling Design Dilemma entry

Front door configuration (side lights and opening direction)

8 months ago

last modified: 8 months ago

We are remodeling our home and having trouble finalizing our front door choice.

We plan to get a 36" fiberglass door with some kind of window near the top (e.g. something like this). The door is currently a double 36" french door (pictured below exterior and interior). We are adding a 21" coat cabinet and boot bench inside the door so we will no longer be able to accomodate the double door. We'd love to get 1-2 sidelights around the door but we're not sure if they will fit well. Also note that due to the cabinet inside the door we know the door itself will be offset to the right and "off center" with respect to the outer wall. Note that the plans and renderring below show a 42" door but we decided to go with a 36" door due to the limited options in fiberglass at 42".

Question #1: How many sidelights and what size?

The outer wall is about 89.5". The current door frame is bookended by 9.5" returns (depending on how you measure). The new cabinet takes about 21" of space (depicted by the red line in the interior/exterior pictures. We know the new door will be 36".

Having trouble with the math on this. From the 89.5" wall we know we lose 21" for the cabinet. So, that leaves 68.5". Take 36" of that for the door leaves 32.5". That seems to be enough for at least a 12"/14" side light or two 12" sidelights but I'm not sure how much space I need to allow for door jamb, returns, the trim, etc.

So - should we get:

A. A 36" door alone with no sidelights?

B. A 36" door with a single sidelight? If so would 14" fit? Note that if we get a single sidelight we think we'd put it on the right side of the door (from the outside) so that the door is more central on the wall.

C. A 36" door with two sidelights? I think in this case only 12" sidelights would work.

Question #2: Which way should the door open? (we know it will open inward, so I mean left handed or right handed).

Option 1 - LEFT: As you are facing the house, the door should open in and to the LEFT. Pro: You get a view of our new open floor plan kitchen, front-room, etc. Con: Door can't open all the way and will definetely hit the boot bench. It will open more than 90 deg. but not that much more. Could be a pain for people coming in/out and taking off shoes on the bench.

Option 2 - RIGHT: As you are facting the house, the door should open in and to the RIGHT. Pro: The door will open nearly 180 deg. Con: The first thing you see when you open the door is the boot bench and stairway (that said once it opens past 90 deg. you will see much more).

Any thoughts or advice for this would help. For #1 we're just not sure how much flexibility we have, and for #2 we have not been able to find consistent design guidance. Any key factors or options we're not considering here that we should?

Thanks in advance!

Exterior for current front door (red line indicates where we think the cabinetry will stop):

Interior for current front door (red line indicates where we think the cabinetry will stop):

Plans for new front door (note 42" depicted but we know we won't go with that):

Rendering for new front door and cabinet (note 42" depicted but we know we won't go with that):

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Comments (11)

PRO
JAN MOYER
8 months ago
last modified: 8 months ago
"You get a view of our new open floor plan kitchen, front-room, etc."................

Where is that plan please?

Very sorry. But the rendering looks like something meant for a mudroom entry at the rear/garage entry of the home, and NOT the front.

Please post your interior first floor plans.

The current condition and the remodel plan. I'd like to see a much better option than your rendering is suggesting. Which is..not good.

Yes, I realize you only asked about the door: )
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
8 months ago
last modified: 8 months ago
I honestly do not like the whole idea for the main entry to your house .It looks like a mud room . Who uses the entry ? I need to see the whole entry in pics posted here in comments DO NOT start another post . I like double doors if the house can handle them . I always like glass in my front door for both light and looks usually. We need more info to really advise and IMO you need to get that help before proceeding with this plan I think a coat closet is a great choice for an entry I do not however think what you are planning is a good look for the entry of a home. So post some more info here as to whay this plan.
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Here is a very crude drawing, a brainstorm of how to use the space so that instead of it being split down the middle, you think of the room as front and back space. The front space is mudroom area, the back space is sitting area. They are very much connected though because of the console or chest of drawers that sits directly behind the sofa. In this picture, the grey shaded rectangles are mudroom pieces. Behind the sofa is a console table with baskets underneath for storage. Or, a wide chest of drawers / dresser. I have always had a chest of drawers in my living rooms / hallways in which to store keys, purses, and shoes. Dresser drawers are a perfect size for shoes! 1. I'm not suggesting this style of furniture but a console table like this, with some drawers too and baskets on the bottom for hats, scarves, backpacks work well behind a sofa. 2. Again, not suggesting this style, but a console table like this with big baskets for tall winter boots. You could like baskets like this with boot trays. 3. On the left side of the mud area, you could find a wardrobe closet for hanging coats. My brother has one in his living room. It is vintage and not very deep at all - not even the depth of a hanger. Instead it is full of hooks that their jackets are hung on. They can cram a lot in there. Here are some ideas for ones though I am not even sure what the interior of these looks like: 4. On the right side of the entry area where you come in you could place a bench for sitting and taking your shoes on and off. It could be a bench with storage underneath, an upholstered bench, whatever compliments the style of the furniture in the rest of the room. I like the idea of around coffee table so the room isn't all rectangles. I think a great lighting fixture could help here too. If you were to choose this set up you could get sitting room pieces and mudroom pieces that all look good together and create one cohesive space with two functions.
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Mary Elizabeth
8 months ago
I'm not clear on the layout and pictures. Is it the front entry? We changed one of our doors from an inswing to an outswing door, and love it! Not sure if that would be a possibility in your situation.
PRO
BeverlyFLADeziner
8 months ago
Make sure the style of your door complements the style of your home. You have posted a 6-panel Colonial door that is really best used on a Colonial-style home. If your home is of a different style consider a more appropriately designed door.

I agree with the other that the built-ins you show at the entrance are really better suited for a mudroom and not the foyer in a home. Your foyer is the first chance to make a good impression. The space should be a bit less utilitarian in style.
ci_lantro
8 months ago
Two sidelights or no sidelights. If no sidelights, I would consider a 42" door.

I have a visceral dislike of single sidelights. Doesn't matter how wonderful the house and landscaping is, a front door with a single sidelight is all I see. Major yuck factor.
PRO
JAN MOYER
8 months ago
If/when you get past the good advice to post the remodel plan, for the not great idea of mud style at the front door?

You may get some good alternatives to that plan. : )
ci_lantro
8 months ago
last modified: 8 months ago
Do you not have a coat closet near the front door? I don't see one in the pictures.

Do you routinely use the front door to enter & exit?

Household size, # of bedrooms, climate?

Asking because a 21" wide and presumably 24" deep 'coat cabinet' probably won't be useful enough to justify the expense. This is a configuration that I would expect to see in a studio sized apartment. A real coat closet should be at least 28" deep.

If you have a closet around the corner, I would suggest using just a bench in the entry area for changing footwear. A closed bottom bench with storage underneath for stashing shoes.
Nate A
Original Author
8 months ago
We currently have a somewhat free standing coat closet that you see as soon as you enter the home (ie right in front of the door, pictured). We will be removing that to allow for the open plan on entry level.

Right now we sometimes leave via front door, sometimes via garage door. Post remodel we hope that will shift to garage but unclear.

2 adults one kiddo, 3-4 br, temperate climate.
Nate A
Original Author
8 months ago
Appreciate the guidance. We will likely move away from the cost cabinet and boot bench and instead just do a shoe rack and coat hooks there. This has the side benefit of making front door selection much simpler (36” door with two side lites will fit easily).
PRO
JAN MOYER
8 months ago
last modified: 8 months ago
Well, you often never know what you don't know until its too late. Good luck with the project. :) Think about what you want to SEE through two sidelights. Hooks and coats and boots?
Nate A
Original Author
8 months ago
Sure. The nice thing about this approach is we can try it out and just not install the hooks if we dont like how it looks. Much more flexible than the cabinetry.

We plan to get obscured glass in the lites.

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