The Entryway
When I started in business in 1968 one of the areas of architectural art I really enjoyed was the front door. The front door gives a large surface with many possibilities of expression, not just for me but for the home owner, the business owner, the architect, or even the local church or synagog. Nothing else has the potential to welcome or express a feeling or idea, no matter how abstract, than the front door. Think of the door as the first intimate meeting of the outside world with your world. And when that door is a well-designed and well-crafted door, it becomes a piece of art that brings joy every time you walk by it, walk through it, or greet someone at it.
Because each situation is different, picking a door from a catalog is seldom satisfying, and is merely filling a space. How boring! There are many companies making doors but very little variation between them, including most custom door makers who are, again, filling a space and not creating something special or creative.
A unique design doesn't have to be complex. It can be as simple as adding a small carving or molding detail, some art glass, a lovely finish, or fantastic hardware. What is most important is that this unique design must take into consideration the individual circumstance, creating something new and fresh, exclusively for that entryway.
A contemporary home or business doesn't necessarily dictate an abstract design. Likewise, a Spanish or French-styled structure need not follow that period strictly. There is much more involved in designing that distinctive front door for each and every project. The front door is the first thing someone sees upon approaching your home or business, the first impression of what might be on the other side of that door, and should be reflect the personality and style of the person or persons inside. That special design needs the artist's rare ability to see not just a building needing a door, but an architectural framework needing the embellishment I call architectural art.
The joy of life is in it's variations. Sometimes following an architectural style is the right thing to do. But sometimes, the road less traveled is the more interesting path to follow.
