Home Build: How We Choose Our Front Door
3D rendering of our exterior by LH Design
You know how they say that nothing is more important than making a good first impression? Well, the same is true for your home which is exactly why finding the right front door is so crucial! Your front door is the first thing people see as they enter your space and it’s one of the only pieces in your home that is visible from both the interior and exterior. Your front door will set up your entire space up for success and has a 100% return on investment down the line–but only if they are done right. So, how do you choose the right front door? If you’re stuck on where to start, I’ve got you covered!
Why I Chose a Pivot Door
As you may or may not know, we’ve been in the process of building and finishing our home (you can follow along for updates here) and throughout the design process, I found a TON of inspiration on Pinterest. One of the design elements that I found myself drawn to was a pivot door for the front of my home.
Pivot Door Inspiration from Pinterest
If you’re not familiar, a pivot door is essentially a swinging door that rotates instead of being attached to a normal door frame and hinge. Depending on the placement of the door, this means that you can actually see into the house on both sides of the door when it’s fully open. Pivot doors are popular in the front of homes but can be also used in the interior as well in bathrooms, at-home gyms, and more.
Where I Sourced Our Front Door
As soon as I saw pivot doors, I knew I had to have one in my home in the entryway to make the perfect first impression for anyone walking into the space. The problem? Traditional steel pivot doors are insanely expensive with an average price tag of $20k. This high price tag didn’t stop me though! I started to do some research and stumbled upon a company called US Door. I looked at a lot of reviews and did some research into the company, and knew that I was comfortable ordering from them.
With pivot doors, it’s all about sourcing a high-quality, hinge system that can withstand the weight of the door as well as the wear and tear with use over time. US Door uses System One, which is a pivot hinge from the pivot door experts themselves, FritsJurgens.
System One is the company’s most compact pivot hinge and offers a free-swing pivot door. This hinge is incredibly compact and versatile based on how you want your pivot door to open. Once I found out my pivot door would utilize the System One hinge by FritsJurgens, I knew I was in good hands with US Door.
How We Found Our Perfect Door
When we were designing the exterior of our home with our amazing designer, LH Design, we landed on a black front door. I just loved the contrast of a black door against the brown and white siding on the outside of the home. Since the size of our house is more on the modern size, I wanted our door to match that same look. Our garage door is also extremely modern and black in color, so I needed the front door to fit right in with a similar aesthetic.
When I was looking through US Door, I came across this amazing Contemporary Modern Shaker Pivot Door. I was instantly drawn to this specific design because it has horizontal window openings just like our garage door has! These small details make a world of difference to tie everything together so I knew this specific door was the right fit for our home!
This pivot door from US Door is made out of mahogany and is the perfect mid-century addition to the front of the house. Unlike many other pivot doors, this Modern Shaker Pivot Door starts at just $5,614 and goes up depending on the size and finish you want. And the best part? It’s totally customizable!
Ordering Process: Customizable Front Doors
The ordering process is pretty simple. The first thing you want to do when ordering a front door is confirm the exact size that you’re going to need. After framing was done at our house, I checked in with our contractor to confirm the net frame width + height, the threshold, framing, and jab.
Next, I hopped onto US Door and started to complete the customization form for our new door. During this process, they will ask you about the exact sizing information, the glass type you want in the window slots, what direction you want the door to swing in, if you want a sidelight, the type of door pulls, the lock, the frame, and the finish of the door. Yes, you can customize all of these features to fit your space perfectly!
From there, you place your order and you will receive a drawing from US Door to ensure that everything looks up to standard and that it will fit in your doorway. Once you approve this rendering, US Door will get to work on building your door. It typically takes 4-8 weeks to construct the door and then an additional 3 weeks if you want it to be finished. Our contractor is going to install the door for us but US Door has easy manuals online if you want to attempt it yourself!
Our Pivot Door Details
For our front door, we decided to leave it unfinished and are going to paint it once it arrives as I wanted to find the perfect black paint color in person to make sure it was the right match. We really wanted an oversized door to set the tone of the space so it’s going to end up being over 4’ wide and 8’ tall! I also included a 24” sidelight to allow for more natural sunlight to pour into the space. We decided on a left hand swing so it opens up into our home and into the living room.
I am beyond excited to receive our new pivot door and install it into our home. Make sure to stay tuned to my Instagram page as I will be providing updates and sharing more details about the installation process once it arrives!
I am beyond excited to receive our new pivot door and install it into our home. Make sure to stay tuned to my Instagram page as I will be providing updates and sharing more details about the installation process once it arrives!
© Sabrina tan
brand + web design by good on paper
