Project Description
1714 – 1837
The Georgian period saw panelled doors become the height of fashion for the first time, marking a move away from the simple planked doors of the past and towards a more stable mortise and tenon construction. A classic Georgian front door is based upon an elegant design of six panels. Typically, these would all be made of wood, although towards the end of the period we also see glass inserted into the two upper panels.
Georgian and Regency front doors tend to sit exposed at the front of the house, rather than being recessed into a porch. Because of this, door design often incorporates butt and bead panels – designed to be very flat on the outside, so that there is nowhere for rainwater to collect.
Above the front door there is often a semi-circular fanlight, allowing extra light into the hallway beyond. Georgian glazing technology could not produce large sheets of glass, so the fanlights were pieced together from a number of smaller panes, radiating out from a central point. The individual panes were joined by lead, or by wooden or wrought iron glazing bars, to striking effect.