8 Door Designs for a Traditional Welcome

Create an intriguing entry and a memorable exit with front doors that also usher in an old-world charm

Shristi Nangalia5 August 2017

Houzz India Contributor, Architect, Architectural Writer and Content Writer. Painting, craft work, pets and good food are my getaways. Cultures and colours always inspire me. Email: shristi012@gmail.com, Business profile: @decoretteindia.

For me, the entryway is one of the most expressive parts of a home. It can foretell what is inside and set the tone for the decor. A traditional entry door is the cherry on the cake if you have traditional decor inside. Even for modern interiors, it can contrast as an element of surprise and bring in a dose of eclecticism. Here are eight such doors, ready to inspire you.

Dipen Gada and Associates

1. This is a two-in-one entry door which allows the residents to open differently sized doors individually as per need. Traditional minimalism is exhibited by the dark, oversized handles and the cow-bell door bell. On closer inspection, you’ll notice that the smaller panel features see-through words from Tagore’s poem ‘Where the Mind Is Without Fear’, obtained through a laser-cut panel technique.

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Kumar Moorthy & Associates

2. Antique doors in a modern home can be unexpected stunners. This bungalow in Delhi exhibits a teakwood entry door with heavy frames, similar to doors found in traditional homes in Gujarat. The hardwood carvings, old-style lantern and wooden flooring give a flavour of what follows inside. Black tile cladding and a wooden door combine to create a warm entryway.

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The Working Ants

3. If an antique is hard to come by, you can always use other traditional elements to make a classic statement. This perforated entry door reminds me of our age-old design element, the jali. This front door is backed by a standard opaque panel door for a closed arrangement. I love how the punch of red accents the adjacent grey tiles. Further, Buddha-inspired wall pieces and a lantern wall light make the visual frame more special.

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H. A. Kanitkar & Co.

4. This Pune residence channels the design of its entrance from the grand entry door of wadas (traditional mansions typical to western India). Ekbote’s Logs and Lumbers (located in Pune) crafted all parts of this entry door in teak and plywood, finished with a water-based coat to achieve a rough look. The niches on either side also replicate the niches of a wada entrance, which used to be carved in stone.

Shabnam Gupta

5. Don’t care much for heavily carved doors? Then how about this all-wood door of a Mumbai home? See how the star-shaped mouldings add an artistic appeal to the plain panel. The blue green of the door finds resonance in the Gond painting on the passage wall.

The charm is heightened by the lamp on the stone floor, niches and the curved ceiling.

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Nayan Soni Photography

6. This one from Bengaluru is another beauty that demands to be noticed. This custom solid-teak door has been embellished with brass inlays. The floral patterns form motifs, a prominent element of India’s design history.

P S Design

7. The centre of attention of this foyer, the entry door, is framed with sooty white carvings replicating a carved marble slab. Repetitive patterns made of dark slanted grooves create a distinct entrance door to actor Sushant Rajput’s home in Mumbai. Hanging lamps and wall art bring warmth to the crisp white setup.

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SPASM

8. According to Hindu shastra (literature), the sound of a bell dispels bad thoughts from minds and helps build concentration and sharpness. That is why every visitor is asked to ring the bell at the entrance before entering a Hindu temple.

This Mandvi home has installed numerous little bells on its entry door. Whether you wish to celebrate your entrance with ritualistic tinkling or you just like the soft, soothing chimes, doors with such metal bells can be great.

Read more:
How to Infuse Traditional Indian Elements Into Your Modern Home
10 Refreshing Ideas for Internal Doors

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Did any of these doors impress you? Pick your favourite and let us know in Comments below.