Are you a fan of mid-century modern? I could definitely see your house with an MCM-inspired door and garage doors.

cyn427 - I'm afraid MCM would not fit in with what's inside the house, but I can see where you are coming from.

FWIW, here are a few pics of the sidelight.

From the inside:

And from the outside:

We really want to keep the sidelight because it would cost more than the door to replace!

Here is my feeble attempt to photo shop the 2 panel plank soft arch door into my front door picture.

And here's the other door.

Please ignore the color of the door. It would be darker, I believe. :) Right now, I'm just focusing on door style.

The plank style seems a little too rustic for the leaded glass -- which is lovely! I think instead of echoing the bevels on the glass, it looks too casual and down-home, and the straight lines become dominant and overpower the curves in the glass. Of the two, the second (smooth) seems more consistent with the sidelight.

But I'm not a big fan of the arched top/straight sides and bottom. Have you found one that has a racetrack or oval panel?

I think the front door should match your exterior more than your interior. The leaded glass is very nice on the side lite. Perhaps you could find a door with some leaded glass or glass panels.

Or for a more simple look and it echos your windows

I door with leaded glass would be beautiful, but also very expensive - way more than we want to spend at this point. Therefore, we are not looking at doors with any glass. Thanks for the suggestion, tho, Karenseb.

chibimimi - As much as I like the plank door, I see your point about it not working with the leaded glass.

How 'bout this?

Another:

This post was edited by anele on Sun, Sep 29, 13 at 21:52

I have a version of the plank door but think it's too rustic with your sidelight. Of the two you posted, definitely the one without planks.

We thought that a door with glass in it might be unaffordable. Here's one that is similar to our neighbor's -- from Lowe's, and less than $500!

Donna

With the style of your house, I think you need something simple. Maybe a one panel, which can have both a clean modern and a traditional look to it:

This post was edited by snookums2 on Mon, Sep 30, 13 at 14:56

I think the door snookums posted is a great choice-simple but classic and wouldn't outshine or fight with your leaded glass.

I too agree with snookums, your house has enough texture going on without adding more. A plain door would look the best in my opinion.

I think Snookums suggestion is great! Very classic and simple lines that won't fight with your sidelight!

Me too. Although I really like the doors you're considering, I'm not sure the arch looks right for the house.

What do you think of this one?

It's kind of the same idea as the soft arch with two panels, but with the straighter lines most seem to feel I should be looking for.

And here it is 'on' the house.

Would you leave it as-is, or painted?

I can't see the natural wood relating to anything else, but I do think the last one has lines that work the best out of the ones you've shown.

What's your budget? I saw some glass ones for around $400. I also like Snookum's suggestion.

The second panel picks up on the windows but I think it's more important to relate to the side panel, as they are one, and the style/lines of the house's exterior. That one feels a bit too traditional looking, imo. Although it is very distracting to see it in an orange wood! Can you make the image black and white?

Are you planning on paint or what color stain? Will the storm door stay?

This post was edited by snookums2 on Tue, Oct 1, 13 at 12:02

Here's what we currently have. As you can see, it is a stained door, nowhere near as orange as the examples. (It is a wood door with little to no weather stripping.) Can you imagine the 2 panel door in a stain similar to the current color?

The doors we are looking at are fiberglass doors from Therma Tru in their Classic Craft line which look exactly like a wood door with all the benefits of a fiberglass door. We do not want any glass in the door and do not want to replace the side light. We have had the current 6 panel door and leaded glass side light for at least 25 years. I never really thought they didn't go together. I guess I was wrong. I am thinking tho, since the side light has more going on, the door should have simple lines.

As far as a storm door, I would love to not have one, but for ventilation, we really need one.

Yeah, nothing there goes together, lol. The storm also interrupts the wood door panels. I understand not wanting to change the glass.

If you want to be more cohesive, I would get a one panel, with a full clear view storm door (no bottom panel just a frame, although you might not be able to do a screen on them that way; there are pull out screens but I don't know how they work). I'd also paint the outside of the door the trim color.

(Reworded to make sense, lol)

This post was edited by snookums2 on Tue, Oct 1, 13 at 17:57

At the end of the day, if you like it, go for it. It is about what makes you happy.

I do think something with glass goes best, but I can understand not wanting it. I like the light but didn't want it at our last house for safety reasons. Our house now has glass that looks like a spiderweb, which is weird, but I don't want to change it (we are always ready for Halloween).

What color are you considering?

Here's one:

Here is a link that might be useful: retractable full screen door

"Yeah nothing there goes together lol." Sheesh.

Many houses have a mix of styles. I think the latest door bac717 posted would look fine, as does the current door. If you like wood, stick with wood. It adds an organic element and a nice warmth. The storm door is quite subtle and, although it blocks some of the door, doesn't compete in an objectionable way. I completely understand the quest to make one change (the door) without changing everything else and spending more than you need to.

Good luck on your decision! I hope you pick something that's going to make you happy when you walk up the front walk!

Well, she wants to know if she is heading in the right direction. That requires honest opinions. I've heard much worse statements, to say the least, and I really don't think it's being particularly harsh to point out. It is going.

If she likes the current setup, that's fine, it's her house. But she is asking, to change it. What is there is not a successful mix of styles. If you think it is, please explain why it works, so we all can see your viewpoint. Mixing it up takes talent, not simply picking out things you like.

How about something like this? It's paintable, so you could have some fun with it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Therma Tru

Here's a 3 panel door from Simpson that, to my eye, looks transitional. It works with the grids of the garage & windows, but is traditional in feel.

If you want to keep the glass, which is Victorian or Edwardian in style, I would probably do a traditional looking panel door.The did a fair amount of 4-panel doors in the 19th c. and a plainish one would just look traditional.
The house is really mid-Century though, and I think the sidelight may be both limiting your options and steering what you do next in the wrong direction. The best door for the sidelight would be a door that has matching leaded glass in it, but that wouldn't really be the best door for the house.

If you like the leaded glass, could you use it framed hanging in front of a window somehere else? I might do better as a decorative piece instead of a part of the house.

I'm afraid I'm not much help on a door style - but I wanted to tell you that we have had a fiberglass ThermaTru door for about 10 years, and we love it. We live in North Dakota, and our foyer is much warmer since we replaced the old steel door.

Good luck!

Now, I'm confused. The white door suggested by anele and the black door suggested by awm03 have made me reconsider a stained wood door. Perhaps the 2 panel door I posted yesterday done in a very dark, almost black stain might work.

We will use a full view storm door like this, probably in black. Altho I know white would brighten up the space, I'm afraid using white will only emphasize the difference between the new white storm door and trim and the old white soffit and window trim that's been up for about 25 years.

I think the full storm door in black is perfect. Ties in with your sidelight very well and looks cohesive. Will open up a lot of options regarding the panels you choose (will be very clean and help with symmetry).

I didn't mean you needed to pick a white door-- it is paintable. I think you should pick the lines you like best and then the color. I do think a non-wood (or very dark stain, as you said) look will work well.

I think a door without any curves. For your house I would stay with straight lines and not the curved options.

Full view storm in black.
Charcoal stain on door style of your choice (I really like that 3 panel)
A door knocker (don't go too small) in a pewter tone to pick up on the 'leading', simple but curved, not straight lined.

Those will all link to the style of your house and not fight your sidelight.

As much as I, too, like the 3 panel Simpson door, I'm afraid it's not an option as it is a wood door and we want a fiberglass door. Right now, I'm thinking I like the 2 panel door I posted on Tues, in a charcoal stain with a black full view storm door.