Knotty Woods + Modern Design

A home’s architectural style is an important consideration when choosing wood species for doors. In a modern home, often the choice is “select” species—those that are clear of knots, the clear surface coordinating with a clean modern aesthetic. However, doors made of knotty wood species are becoming a popular design choice.

The 5-panel double entry doors shown above (SQ-0500-D061) were built for a modern home in Santa Fe, NM. They are made of knotty Alder—a hardwood species with uniform color that varies slightly from reddish-brown to light tan or honey, and that accepts stain and finishes well. Its rugged appearance is characterized by knots that are random in size, quantity, and location. As this home demonstrates, doors made of knotty woods can provide a nice counterpoint to the spare, linear aspects of modern design.