Period doors

If you live in the UK (particularly in England) in a house that wasn't built in the past seventy years, then you more than likely live in a period property.

Period properties are buildings that were built in certain periods, which can usually be identified by specific features of the property, like period windows and period doors. No matter what period the property is from, most people with an eye for the aesthetic would agree that it's important to keep the doors in keeping with the traditional style if you want to maintain the authentic appearance of the house. Not only this, but the value of a period home is often affected by how authentic and traditional it is. So, whether you're looking for a new period door to increase the aesthetic appeal of your modern home, or are just interested in replacing the original solid wood doors on your period home, we've got a range of different styles that can be handmade for your exact requirements. And whilst all of our beautiful bespoke front doors and external doors are made with tradition in mind, rest assured they are all built with the modern properties we are accustomed to. For example, they are durable to weather stripping, have modern security features, and are economical to keep the bills down. Read on for our guide to different period doors, so you can get a good grasp on exactly what doors you desire (or already have), and what period style they represent.

What is a period property

You might have heard the term period property thrown around, or maybe you've just been shopping for doors and ended up with an array of period front doors in your basket, without even knowing what it means. The term "period property" refers to a building made before around 1930, but this is a generalisation and there are exceptions to the rule. Generally, a period property will have some distinguishing features in its architectural style, which you can use to work out which period exactly it is from. One of the go-to identifying features of period homes are the windows, for example, big sash windows are exemplary of the Georgian and Victorian periods. If these are made with double glazing they are probably modern replacements, whilst a single pane of glass will usually mean they are original. Similarly, the front door of a property can be telling of the period in which it is from, and any good door company will be able to identify it by this alone. Even if the front doors have been replaced, period doors can be a giveaway too. Period buildings can also be listed which means that they are protected from being changed too much, so make sure to check before replacing any windows if there are any restrictions in place. Whatever doors you have, we supply top-quality solid wood replacement doors to measure, so that you can spruce up your home whilst keeping it to the traditional style.

Different types of period doors

If you've already had time to look through some of the images on our website, you'll most likely have seen something that would be the perfect fit for your property, or almost. We have lots of inspiration on site, but rest assured we can create each door bespoke to your needs, from the colour of the paint to the style of the stained glass. To find out what period door options are most suitable for your home, you'll first need to know which period your doors are from so that the new ones will perfectly match. Period doors fit into four loose categories; Georgian, Victorian, Edwardian, Art Deco & 1930s styles. Bear in mind that all of our bespoke doors are made with the highest quality materials to the best security and durability standards.

Georgian Period Doors

Georgian-style period doors are more commonly wooden doors that usually don't have any glass in them. The term is used much more for this style than for doors that are specifically from the Georgian period, which can be quite confusing if you've just started your search. Georgian period doors are usually 5 or 6-panelled pine doors that add an eloquent and rustic aesthetic to the inside of the home. They can be coloured or painted, but more often than not these doors are displayed in their natural wood colouring, which might have been sanded for effect. You can still get Georgian front doors, which may or may not have glass in place of some of the upper panels. Georgian doors are normally always quite wide, typifying the wide rooms that they were used for, and they may also have small details carved into the wood.

Victorian Period Doors

Victorian doors are unsurprisingly from the Victorian era, which is the time between 1830 and 1900 when Queen Victoria was the ruling monarch after King George IV. The population began to increase at a faster rate than seen before as a result of the industrial revolution, so houses became smaller to accommodate for this change in demographic. Terraced houses became popularised in cities in England with big industry like London in the South and Manchester and Sheffield in the North, and were generally built in proximity to the factories where people worked. Because of the increasing similarity in the designs of the actual houses, Victorian period doors often had more individualistic features so that they would stand out from the row of terraces. Generally a Victorian period door will have two stained glass panels in the top half of the door, with one or two smaller timber panels in place below. They were made from a variety of wood choices like oak or pine, and were created in many colours to enhance the look of the house from the outside.

Edwardian Period Doors

Even though the Edwardian period in England wasn't very long, the period doors from this era have been quite long-lasting in popularity. Bearing a lot of similarities to the preceding Victorian period, Edwardian period front doors would generally have larger areas for glass in order to allow more light in, to suit living in smaller homes with fewer external walls and therefore fewer windows. Smaller details in the wood itself were dropped in favour of multiple panels of glazing, and although there was a short-lived propensity to have these doors painted blue, choices in door furniture aesthetic quickly expanded into a much wider range of colours.