Designed to Last Another Hundred Years

This front door was constructed to replace a door thought to be from the 1920’s – when the house was originally built. Its shape is like nothing I’ve ever seen for the entry door to a house. There are several unique details in the design, such as the pieces that fit together on a curve, the hand-carved trim and the bronze weatherstripping. The Boston family that commissioned this project was in love with the original design of their door, but wanted something that could last another hundred years. A door like this is, on one level, like a piece of furniture, but it must also be installed, fit it in a frame, and prepared for the elements. The top was a very fun shape to make, but tricky to figure out how to have cope and stick (the method used for constructing doors) fit into a curve. Curved doors are so rare and the world is not set up them. The hand carved details were also a treat to create. The original door was completed with trim that fit on top of the panels, but the seam between the molding and door frame was inconsistent, so I wanted to incorporate the molding into the stiles or vertical pieces and get rid of that seam. It is constructed of South American mahogany and finished with 6 coats of marine varnish.