Time for another finished project — this one featuring two doors we installed on the same day for a home in Markham.
The front of the house received a beautiful 8-foot-tall woodgrain fiberglass single door with a sidelight, while the back of the house got a clean, simple white sliding patio door. Two very different door systems, but both needed the same level of attention to detail.
Classic Metalwork on the Front Door
After doing so many contemporary doors recently, it was great to get back to some classic custom metalwork.
The metal design on this front door was based on the railing next to the entrance. I used scrollwork elements to visually connect the door to the railing, creating a more cohesive look for the front of the house. The sidelight glass was also designed to match, so the whole entry system felt intentional rather than just decorative.
Choosing the Right Door Color
We spent a bit of time considering the front door color. With traditional woodgrain fiberglass doors, brown tones are usually the default choice. But in this case, we didn’t want the door to feel too traditional.
The exterior landscaping ended up giving us the answer. We chose a dark gray finish that tied in beautifully with the stonework at the front of the house. Against the warmer brick, the gray created just enough contrast to make the door stand out as a proper focal point.
A Clean Sliding Door for the Back
For the back of the house, we installed a classic white sliding patio door.
Over the years, I’ve worked with a few different sliding door brands. On paper, many of them look similar. But once you start installing them regularly, the small differences in materials, hardware, assembly, and overall feel become very obvious.
That’s why we now use the same sliding door manufacturer for almost every sliding door project we take on. They’re not the cheapest option, but in my opinion, they’re absolutely worth it.
Taking the Time to Get It Right
Even though both doors were installed on the same day, we made sure not to rush the details. Each system had to be properly aligned, sealed, trimmed, and finished.
It made for a longer day, but that’s usually what it takes to get the result right.
Luckily, we wrapped up just in time for golden hour, which gave us the perfect light for finished project photos.
Not a bad way to end the day.