An interesting, very modern trend in wood and glass entry doors is growing in popularity—glass panes (also called “lites”) filling narrow, horizontal “slots,” evenly spaced from top to bottom along the door’s surface.
The glass strips provide some measured privacy, while still allowing sunlight to filter into the home. And, adding glass is a great way to lighten up your door’s design, brightening your entryway by breaking up a heavier wood surface.
Above is an installed example on display at Sun Mountain’s boutique Denver Showroom. With 7 lites (design SQ-0007-D069-W), this entry door features a single matching sidelite. The pair is made of Select Walnut with Roan Creek glaze.
Widths of the glass slots and the door’s rails are customizable.
Here are some examples that have recently left the Sun Mountain factory:
Door No. 1, above, is a 5-lite example (design SQ-0005-D064-W). It is 8′ tall, made of Select White Oak (shown unfinished), with wide intermediate rails and a traditionally wider bottom (or “kick”) rail. It was installed in an Evergreen, Colorado, home.
Another 8’ tall door, No. 2. (design SQ-0008-D039-W) has 8 lites and is made of Select Poplar, shown here unfinished. It is heading to a home in Colorado’s ski country.
No. 3 is one-half of a spectacular double door entry. Again at 8’ tall, this Select Alder door with Yampa River glaze has 12 lites (design SQ-0012-D075-W). It is at home just outside San Jose, CA.
With fewer lites and wide intermediate rails (design SQ-0004-D063-W), No. 4 was designed with narrow top and bottom rails (matching the width of the side “stiles”)—an unusual but interesting feature. It is made of Select White Oak and, at 4′ wide and 8’ tall, this door makes an impressive entryway in Park City, Utah.
And, finally, standing at a whopping 9’ 9” tall and 8’ wide, No. 5 (below) is an amazing set of double doors made of Hard Maple and finished in Winter Rye stain (design SQ-0007-D069-W). The door’s top and bottom rails match the width of the intermediate rails, creating a beautifully balanced vertical symmetry. These double sliding barn doors are headed to Phoenix, Arizona, where they will open to the home’s sunroom.
