French Doors: A Guide
French doors are a style of door frame that have been known to add a touch of architectural class and excellence to every building they’ve occupied since they became popular in the country of their namesake. Since those times, French doors have spread around the globe where they continue to contribute a touch of class to the aesthetics of every home they occur in. When it comes to the category of windows and doors, French doors are essentially the Crème de la Crème of entrances. They offer several layers of customization when it comes to the degree of visibility they allow, the way they open and close, the hardware associated with their handles and locks, and much, much more. With this incredible style of door frame as our inspiration for this article, we’ve put together a guide that covers what makes French doors so excellent, and what kinds of locations they go best in.
Why Choose French Doors?
You’d be surprised by how many more great reasons there are to choose French doors than the simple fact that they look spectacular wherever they go. Certainly French doors are more ideal in certain locations than in others, however, it is beyond question that they add an aesthetic touch of sophistication wherever they are. French doors have a natural tendency to make the entrance to whatever doorway they cover feel welcoming. This is offers a unique kind of dynamic depending on where they go, but one thing is certain is that they will make you want to go through to the other side of them when you see them. Another unique aspect of French doors is that whether or not they are open or closed, the glass window panes inside of the door frame create a sense of connection between the rooms they border, which lends a feeling of continuous flow between rooms in a house. As a door style for the front entrance of the house, they make your home feel incredibly welcoming, both to you, as well as to guests. The great thing about these aspects of French doors is that they are completely optional. While French doors can be open or closed and still be transparent, you can easily take away that feature by incorporating curtains, which by themselves offer a great level of customization and beauty with the myriad fabric options available.
Another great reason to choose French doors is that they offer a huge degree of customization. French doors can operate on swinging hinges or they can serve as sliding glass doors that open and close on a track. They can also be designed to come in a huge variety of materials, from various woods and/or metals or vinyl, and much more. The hardware on these styles of doors also offers an enormous degree of customization. By hardware, we are referring to the handles and door locking mechanisms that are on the door. The knobs, handles, sliding latches and turning locks can all be customized to come in a huge variety of different materials from brass to glass to metal to wood, and the list goes on and on. Together, all of these things can be mixed and matched to fit the aesthetic vibe of the rooms they occupy to create a truly unique yet sophisticated look in any location they occupy.
A Few Suggestions on Where to Place French Doors
One of the most important things to consider when deciding where to place French doors is whether or not you want the door to open and close on a hinge or on a sliding track system. Sliding glass doors are ideal for rooms that have lots of furniture or a limited amount of space, because you don’t want the swinging door to be obstructed by any objects. Sliding French doors are ideal for rooms like this, as opening and closing them doesn’t interfere with any objects on either side of the doors. Entrances to living rooms and dining rooms, therefore, are good candidates for French door style door frames, but it’s likely that ones operating on a sliding track will be more ideal in these locations.
On the other hand, French doors that swing open and shut are the classic style, and they do have a great sense of aesthetic appeal that accompanies them. A few particularly good places for this style of French door is the entrance to the master bedroom, the front door to the house, or the entrance way to the backyard patio. All of these are doorways that you as the person who lives in the home will regularly use, and it makes a huge difference when you get to go through these extremely welcoming entrances.
Conclusion:
We hope this article has helped you see the aesthetic value of French doors and has got you thinking about where they might fit best in your own home! French doors are an incredible way to make your home feel even more welcoming, and they also add a nice extra bit of market value to your home. If you’re thinking about replacing any of the doors in your home, especially if you are considering replacing them with French doors, please get in touch with ASAP! We offer completely free estimates on any home remodeling job you might have in mind, no matter how big or how small. We look forward to hearing from you!
