THE MODERN MOVEMENT 1920-1950
The Modern Movement sought to eliminate superfluous detail and to achieve broad unified surfaces. This desire coincided with the popularization of plywood, which revolutionized the door however panelled and carved doors still remain popular.
On Panel doors the thin layers of wood, which were bonded together under pressure, produced flush doors with no panels of mouldings; and the layers could be built up so that their total weight was equal to that of a solid wood traditional door. Plywood was used for both external and internal doors. Internal sliding doors were popular in the United States. In Britain in the 1920s a metal-faced plywood was developed by the Venesta Company.
Panelled doors and carved doors and Glazed doors also became popular, as front doors and as garden doors: in apartments they were used to integrate living spaces with balconies. Doors leading to outdoor areas were often metal-framed with wire-reinforced glass panes: in Britain this was know as “Georgian” wired glass (surely one of the most inappropriate product descriptions in history).
By the late 30s, hardwood-framed front panelled doors and carved doors with large glazed panels were popular. It became fashionable for doors to have “radiussed” curved corners; this type of carved door continued to be produced during the post-war period. Door fittings were kept to the minimum and the letterbox/mailslot was often set into a panel flanking the carved door to preserve the unity of the surface.
BEYOND MODERN 1950-1975
One of the ways in which mature modern architecture revealed itself was in the disguise or complete abolition of doors.
The traditional celebration of an entrance door in combination with a doorcase and steps to a style that wanted openness and free-flowing space.
Panelled doors and carved door were of course still popular, however, and there are some typical forms in the period. For external doors, glass panels were often included, or a solid door was flanked by glass so that the door did not stand out on its own, but it always formed part of a larger design unit. It was common for the mail slot to be cut in a panel to the side of the door.
Strong colours were popular. Internal doors took alternative forms. Sliding doors (“pocket doors” in America) were popular as a means of saving space in the area where a conventional door might swing, and for allowing wider internal openings between rooms. Pivoting off-centre doors were more unusual, but when open allowed the door opening to be “read” as a pure rectangle. Where possible, the door frame itself was removed entirely as an unwelcome intrusion of ornamental detail into an otherwise pure wall surface.
Door furniture was elegant, with simplified versions of classic knobs and a range of simple lever handles. Letter boxes with engraved numbers of personal names showed the continuation of old-fashioned craft skills.
CONTEMPORARY ERA 1975-PRESENT DAY
The pictures on these pages indicate clearly the depth of the taste divide in late 20th century architecture.
Some architects, and all non-architectural housing developers, give you a new door that looks just like an old-fashioned panelled doors or carved doors , with an important position in the middle of the elevation and the kind of visual accentuation that doors have traditionally had, with an arch, an inverted V in the form of a porch or pediment, or at the very least a plain surround.
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Door furniture equally reflects the split. More established manufacturing companies cross the divide an doffer a range of traditional and modern styles, while newcomers are apt to be more exclusively modern. There is not much that can be changed in the basic function of door handles, but there are infinite small variations.
MAIN DOORS
In this chapter is a kind of comparative study between the most beautiful exterior plain doors ,Panelled Doors and Carved Doors of the past and the ones that are produced nowadays, without using difficult reconstructions and restorations.
Naturally, the differences between the products of a time whose work effort and hours of the most skilled woodcarvers craftsmanship on carved doors was valued: the current features
They reflect in a union of measures and procedures in which the most sophisticated equipment reproduces several models of all styles.
These differences do not impede the final carved door quality and sometimes “Authentic” antique piece of furniture (with its all defects and its ageing) or the current reproduction of a model of “Museum”.
The choice corresponds to the taste and options available to the customer. Fortunately the cultural level of everyone has increased including the administrations and authorities charged with the preservation and care of a cultural heritage that belongs to people and a culture.
It achieves the restoration and value of numerous architectural features like carved doors that have become irreplaceable. But we should not forget that in today’s buildings, a modern and innovatory style is also required without which loses its importance if it is not placed in an ambience with suitable decoration, furniture and other elements for example, an entrance carved door, doors are selected together with all necessary features that can offer noble material, farms and artistic styles similar to the door shown on the web catalogue pages.
INTERIOR DOORS
The decoration of a dwelling consists in all details and elements of the architecture like carved doors and furniture.
As elements of a building, carved doors can take place in both part: they can either complete the architecture but also for being in carved wood they can combine with the furniture as the style the design, the materials and the finish.
It does not imply that everything has to be similar such as the furniture of different style that can compete in the same ambience. The same occurs especially with the interior carved doors presented in this web catalogue.
To facilitate the work of professions (designers, woodcarvers, decorators, architects, interior designers, and furniture and upholstery specialists) and to their customers that require an orientation and help to choose better carved door.
Not only a wide range of selection of doors is shown but is also situated in different ambience and with several furnishings. They can furthermore be installed in the suitable place: white walls, decorated in different tones and with a luxurious finish.
It is not the same door that corresponds to a kitchen than the one installed in a living room, which’s panelled or carved doors can be enriched with paintings, upholstered panels, etc.
It is essential to be able to identify the specific design of any kind of panelled or carved door in order to obtain them easily from the woodcarversguild.com but also to reveal the most important technical data to be able to choose not only the aspect but also their technical characteristics and qualities of the timber used, such as the resistance, the durability, and the easy maintenance.