Doors for a Hamptons Style

With any style, it is often the design elements that you don't always consider first that can either really enhance and finish the look or mean that you don't quite achieve it properly.  The much loved Hamptons Style is no exception.  While we may adapt it to suit our own homes and lifestyle, some elements are particularly important to get right.

Choosing the right doors for a Hamptons Style

Natalee Bowen of Interior Design company, Indah Island, recently designed a new Hamptons Style home in WA.  Doors were a central part of the design, which features the classic blues, whites and greys of the Hamptons style, with tones chosen to suit the farmland location. This included pairs of Classic PCL 4G entrance doors with clear glazing, by Corinthian Doors (Corinthian).

Providing an authentic period style, the Classic range features deep carvings with traditional mouldings. These elegant doors have a primed skin which is a perfect canvas for painting adding to the home’s colour palette. Here Natalee chose to finish her doors in Dulux Saxby blue, linking it to the interior beyond.

“Doors, especially front doors, have to be chosen carefully and speak to the design of the rest of the home. I love the way that the blue of ours introduces the colour choices within,” says Natalee. “The tall glazed panels not only create a sense of scale, but encourage the eye to glimpses of blues in pillows and traditional ginger jars inside. It has the effect of inviting you into the house before the door even opens,” she adds.

“The Hamptons look is about layers, from rugs and fabrics, through to exterior finishes. It would have been easy to go for larger panes of glass, but the French doors and windows add to that look and give it a timeless charm while not compromising on natural light,” adds Natalee.

“Blank solid doors can look fantastic, but not in a traditional Hamptons home, they are too modern to fit the look. You need depth and panels work perfectly, either with glazing, or through recessed or embossed fretwork on solid doors.  In bedrooms, bathrooms and other private spaces, we opted for Corinthian’s Moda PMOD8 solid internal doors with two panels. The subtle engraved detail and wrought iron handles and plates tie them to the rest of the home without looking fussy,” she adds.

The Moda interior door collection is based on the Shaker design principles of refining down to the bare essentials, working in harmony with the rest of the home. A look that is suited to the style, Natalee continues: “When people think of the Hamptons they think of lavish luxury, but what they may not know is that the style was inspired by farm houses further inland. Developers emulated these homes when building on the coast as the area became popular in the 90’s. In the process a lot of that simple, charming Shaker style came through and grounded the style, preventing it from looking ostentatious,” she adds.

“From the entrance to the alfresco, the doors tell the story of the home. The simple style that layers onto the décor speaks to the timeless elegance of the Hamptons, while the solid timber and glazing embody the traditional Australian rural roots of the building. They help capture the essence of what we wanted to achieve,” concludes Natalee.

Natalee Bowen, Indah Island

I really like the way that Natalee has mixed up the range of doors.  The front doors have more embellishment to create a grander entrance, while the internal doors are more pared back.  By also introducing feature French glazed doors throughout the home, you achieve a look that is cohesive but also curated well.  Rather than just select one door throughout, including the front door, consider how you can introduce more variety without bringing disorder to the look.

I have some tips for painting doors:

• If you have a feature colour on your front door, only paint the door this colour and paint the surrounding architraves to match the windows.
• Have you ever considered what to paint on the inside of your front door?  Just because you have a feature colour on the exterior of the door, the interior can be either the same colour or it can be a white to match the rest of the internal doors and trim in the home.  This really depends on whether or not you want to make a feature of the inside of the door.  I have more in my related article, What should you paint on the inside of your front door.

• A Hamptons style loves low sheen or matt finishes.  Do not consider painting the doors in any type of gloss finish.  Use a good quality low sheen, particularly if you also have wainscoting or VJ paneling.
• In terms of colour, for a Hamptons style I like to see a slight contrast to the wall colour.  I usually specify wall paneling the same colour as the skirting boards, architraves and internal doors.

I have two related articles: What colour do I paint my internal doors? 

What colour do I paint my skirting boards and architraves?

<