The New Possibilities for Residential Door Design

When we think of doors, we usually imagine basic barriers whose function it is to either allow or deny access to an area. In residential construction, traditional doors tend to be functional but not particularly pleasing to the eye. 

That’s changing. “Homeowners are increasingly looking to create combined indoor/outdoor spaces, and large doors are a key element of that design consideration,” explains Michael Wandschneider, Director of Group Product Management for Marvin. 

In fact, doors are no longer simply barriers, but a beautiful way to bring nature inside a home by offering unobstructed, panoramic views.

The Ultimate in Doors

Glass doors combined with minimalistic framing can provide natural sunlight and an open feeling to an interior space. With more people spending time working from home, feeling connected to the outdoors can improve mood and productivity. Natural light also helps prevent fatigue and has been shown to benefit overall health.

While an aesthetically pleasing design choice, innovative doors like those in the Marvin Ultimate collection offer additional benefits for architects, builders and their customers. With top-quality design and customization options, panoramic doors create unlimited possibilities for stunning design choices in any architectural style. 

Wandschneider says, “Ultimate doors are the industry benchmark for design detail and quality. Door panel designs allow architects the ability to maximize the views and optimize daylight for the client.”  

Customizing Door Designs for Residential Construction

A key feature of any quality door is the ability to personalize it to the space it will occupy. For example, Marvin Ultimate doors are shipped with factory-applied interior and exterior finishes made to customer specification. In addition, a variety of available door hardware styles and metals can be selected to provide an aesthetic consistent with the rest of the home. “This enables you to truly achieve your design vision,” says Wandschneider.

Ultimate doors also offer performance sills, multi-point locks for security and are weatherproof, yet offer “buttery smooth operation,” he adds. 

The new Marvin Ultimate Sliding French doors are designed with three-inch stiles and a four-and-three-quarter-inch bottom rail, which provides maximum, unobstructed daylight. The Marvin Ultimate Sliding door offers three-inch stiles and rails to meet a contemporary aesthetic. Another benefit of sliding doors is that they do not encroach on interior or exterior spaces, notes Wandschneider.

Swinging doors provide wider openings and the option for inswing or outswing. In addition, their Ultimate sliding door line shares a design style with swinging doors to enable a seamless appearance among door types used in the same residence.

Wandschneider also explains the concept of scenic doors: “These are a category of doors that offer expansive views and the widest possible openings,” he says. “There are two main types of scenic doors — multi-slide and bi-fold. Similar to standard sliding or swinging doors, these differ on how much they extend into or out of living spaces.”

Putting Ideas into Practice

One notable example of the beauty and versatility that innovative doors bring to a home is reflected in the 2023 Southern Living Idea House, a Tennessee farmhouse designed by Lake + Land Studio and built by Hatcliff Construction that utilized three types of Ultimate doors in its construction.

The sweeping views on the property were impressive and the owners wanted the inside and the outside of the home to connect visually. They used a Marvin Ultimate Multi-Slide door to connect the great room to an expansive covered porch, creating a light-washed center to the house that one of the designers referred to as a “transparent core.” This provided open access through the front of the 5,600 square-foot contemporary Southern farmhouse all the way to the back.

Another stunning application of Ultimate doors can be found nestled among Santa Fe’s surrounding canyons within a Pueblo-style home, which, after years of neglect, was carefully reimagined and remodeled by designer Jules Moore.

During golden hour, honey-hued light pours through the Ultimate Sliding doors into the great room. Echoing her globally informed aesthetic, Moore opted for a bronze finish that’s equally timeless and transportive. “I wanted a rich bronze and I wanted to see wood grain. And Marvin was the only one to present exactly what I wanted,” she said. To meet her vision, she selected an espresso stain on the wood interiors, which Marvin handled before sending the windows and doors to Santa Fe.
 

Achieving Design Visions with Doors

Door size, materials, color and finish, glass type and security features are all important considerations when selecting doors for a project. While large doors can create a stunning design, there are structural supports to consider as door assemblies get heavier, says Wandschneider. 

The ideal design for new doors in residential construction should reflect homeowners’ preferences and lifestyles. Lines like the Marvin Ultimate collection can bring those ideas to reality.