There is something about the word “Mansion” that conjures up images of wealth and architectural greatness. Admittedly, not all Mansions are perfect specimens of design. By today’s standards and tastes, some Victorian mansions, for example, are classics of heavy and overbearing architecture. The Gothic Revival, Romantic designs and even plain speaking Shaker design concepts are often disliked for one reason or another. As for Industrial Architecture, some people question it as being architecture worth considering at all.
The same applies to the various components of architecture and design principles, including doors. Yet, when it comes to something like the perception of Mansion Doors, the ugly and misbegotten is forgotten. What is automatically embraced is the symbolism behind those two words.
What Are Mansion Doors?
Depending upon your outlook, this door is not a specific style. It is, rather, an approach. It refers to a stereotype. Yet, that label can vary from individual to individual. What the versions have in common are the following concepts or perceptions based on the idea of mansion. Therefore, mansion doors are described as being:
* Luxurious in style and design
* Made from solid wood – often oak is perceived as being the wood considered as the norm. Others may look towards luxury or uncommon woods such as mahogany
* Featuring insets of stained glass, frosted glass or precious metals
* Carved with scrolls and impressive designs of flowers, coats of arms, trees and other subjects
* Possessing all the “right” or appropriate hardware, such as door knockers, special doorknobs
* Expanding beyond an actual doorframe with such features as sidelights, lintels, pediments and even pilasters
* The doors may be single or double
* Heavy in substance and presence – whatever the actual wood used in the construction, mansion doors are heavy. They look substantial – in terms of financial well being, weight and thickness.
In many ways, people see the doors as reflections of the people who live inside the actual residence.
Why Mansion Doors?
You don’t have to live in a mansion to have a mansion door. It does help, however, if your home is substantial enough to support the implied weightiness of such a design. Mansion doors need to fit in the appropriate setting. Although you can have some more suited to a Victorian residence or a colonial style home, it is always important to keep context in mind. Failure to do so could easily result in the door and home being hopelessly mismatched. The style you will have conjured up will then be one you would truly want to vanish.
Mansion Doors, if chosen wisely, can be an asset to your residence. They can add weight and give prominence. Yet, so much can go wrong. Talk to the professionals at Nick’s Building Supply first. They deal with wood doors exclusively and can advise you as to the popular and pertinent choices. Call 7 days a week 219-663-2279!
