First Impressions

For new homes, Aulik has occasionally built tandem garages, in which two of the cars are parked behind one another instead of side by side. That way, a three-car garage can have the look of a two-car from the exterior. “That enables you to take the money you would otherwise put into the third door and refine the cost of those two,” Aulik says. “We’ll apply hardware to doors so that they look like they swing like an old carriage door. Often we’ll include some glass just to break up the massing of the door and add some charm to it.”

For remodels, Anschel’s first preference is to create a detached garage that’s tucked away from the streetscape. He will convert the existing garage into extended living space in which the garage door disappears, replaced by a bank of windows. However, in instances where garages cannot be moved, Anschel will do everything he can to downplay its prevalence in the streetscape by seamlessly tying it into the overall look of the entrance. In one project, he replaced the existing garage door with a folding barn-style door and windows. “It gave it more of a historical feel and made it pretty to look at,” Anschel says. “We brought the same colors and accents to the front door so now there was a relationship between the two.”

The Final Stop

Ultimately, all the exterior elements and landscaping draw you up to the final stop:   the main entry. Architects and builders will commonly use enhancements such as awnings, pergolas, vestibules, porches, and columns to highlight a home’s front entrance. But along with being beautiful, the portal to the home needs to function. “So many times when I get to an existing home, the stoop is so small that . . . guests have to take a couple of steps back when the door opens,” Kopfmann says. “That’s a very uncomfortable area.”

The front door itself is a critical aspect of any entrance, but “that doesn’t mean that it should be this massive statement, just that the detail into it is important,” Anschel notes. He prefers using doors made of wood, along with adding architecturally appropriate glass and moldings.

In his new-construction projects, Aulik will search for antique doors; for instance, he has used Dutch doors, in which the top operates independently from the bottom. He has also added details such as mail slots, leaded glass, and old hardware because “they add a layer of depth and authenticity to the home,” he says. Even when Aulik installs new front doors, he will distress them for an aged appearance.