Continuing our journey through standout projects from around 2021, this one was a particularly memorable install—not just for how it turned out, but also for the challenge it presented.
This entry system features a woodgrain fiberglass door finished in a clean painted exterior, crowned with a massive halfmoon transom above. Any carpenter will tell you: curved surfaces are no joke. They’re among the trickiest elements to get right. But in this case? Everything aligned perfectly.
Well, almost perfectly—hoisting a 6′ x 3′ curved transom on top of an 8-foot door frame took a bit of teamwork and a lot of core strength. But the result was well worth it.
Painted Woodgrain Fiberglass, Inside and Out
The fiberglass door slab came factory-finished on the exterior, while the interior side was left unfinished to be painted on site. That gave us the freedom to fine-tune all the trim work and casing details with a clean slate. Anyone who’s worked with finished trim knows how much easier it is to get things perfect when you’re not working around pre-painted surfaces.
I still need to follow up with the GC for some final interior shots—hoping to get those soon and share a few in an upcoming post.
Locking It Down with Ferco and Emtek
Of course, when you’re working with an 8-foot tall door system, a multi-point lock is non-negotiable. This one uses a Ferco GU mechanism paired with an Emtek leverset, giving it both strength and style.
As always, this setup improves long-term performance, seals the door more securely, and adds that extra peace of mind when it comes to security.
Final Thoughts
Curved elements, tall builds, mixed finishes, and clean hardware—it’s the kind of project that makes you step back and appreciate the details. From both a design and execution standpoint, this door system was a great reminder of what’s possible when everything lines up just right.