Open the door to elegance

The main doorway to your home can tell a lot about the life you lead, and about the path you probably have chosen. The main door symbolises health, wealth and speaks of an identity that belongs to the family residing inside . When planned appropriately , in terms of look, direction and material, it can make a dramatic, impressive style statement.
There are a couple of things to consider before you plan for the main door. Its size, shape, direction that it faces - which is critical, as Vaastu experts would tell you - durability or strength, the material to use, teak wood would be ideal, or if you can afford mahogany or rosewood, and if it will have a particular design. For instance, a designer door with a mix of metals - say wood and stained glass, wood and glass or wood and metal, or a heavily carved door - would speak of a contemporary mind, very styleoriented and generous frame of mind.
If planning a door, then its direction facing either the north, east or the northeast is considered auspicious .
Option in doors
Classic wooden doors: Those with different veneers like chestnut, rose, mahogany, walnut or birch, with a grain effect, and very clean, straight lines are opted for by most people. Some new textured paint finishes can give your door an added dimension. For those who wouldn't mind a bit of carving, they need to opt for teak wood.
Wood-finished metal doors: These would also come in classical styles - oval, paneled, or with single straight lines - and in different simulated wood veneers. Elegant doorknobs in bronze hues enhance this door, which also have a metal sheet running through both sides of wood, increasing their durability and strength ten-fold and therefore safety.
Wooden doors with stained glass: Here, more than half the door is made in wood, and just the top end or the side panels can be done up in some exquisite original stained glass. The area where glass is provided is doubly reinforced with grills on the inside so there are no weak spots to tamper with
Wood carved doors: These can be done only on solid teak wood, and would require time to complete. Doors can be carved according to themes like the tree of life, or the pot of gold found at the end of the rainbow, or even the picture of a shrine is quite sought-after .
Antique doors: These are usually sourced from old homes by furniture dealers, and if you'd like a certain look for your house, a Keralastyle door or a Rajasthan-style jharoka would work for you. Essentially , these doors are transported from the old, ancestral homes, brought into a contemporary setting with a twist of varnish, a smidgen of design - and voila, you get a rare, charming doorway to your house. You can create an antique look with new furniture and so too with doors.
Door embellishments
Besides using beveled glass on doors - both on the main doors or the ones connecting rooms - you can also use carvings, murals, stained glass, metal embossing, etching, and gold or silver engravings. They are trendy and add charm to the entrance.
Door bells, either the traditional variety, or the modern chime ones, antique door knobs and fancy name plates - custom-designed ceramic ones are very popular today - are other decorative elements that could go into your main door.
Ideally, the best time to think about your main door is when the outer shell of your house, including the plastering, is complete. It would give you enough time to select, design , and have an elaborately carved main door, custom-made , and ready by the time you move in.