The Portals of Paradise
by Bonnie Brownell

   A home’s front door has no words to inform visitors about what lies within, but its size and style speak volumes. Entries create the first impression of a home and the homeowner’s personality.
   Design pros know the value of a knockout entryway and agree that the entrance to your home is the threshold of expression; it establishes the basic sense of character, originality and identity of one’s self.
   The importance of the first impression, whether it’s a person or a building, can’t be overestimated. In the case of a building, the style and character of the entry doors set the stage for what’s to come. When the entry is designed with imagination and harmony with the overall design, the personality of the interior gets a strong lead-in, and the “wow power” starts sparking before anyone steps inside.
   But the folks who sell doors know that making the right choice is not always easy. Material, design and theme harmony all affect the outcome, and in Southwest Florida, storm resistance is an essential consideration.
   Steven DeShields, of Smith & DeShields, Naples, has seen many changes in the industry since he first began taking an interest in his father’s business as a teen in Boca Raton.
   “Dad started the business with his former partner in 1957 in Boca and followed with a branch in Jupiter,” he recalled. “I came on board in 1982 and came over to open our Trade Center Way location in 1990.”
   The company outgrew its two original buildings of 10,000 feet and moved across the street to a 40,000 square-foot structure that houses a showroom, workshop and 40 employees engaged in door, door hard-ware, window and millwork sales.
   De Shields noted that the ever-expanding size of local homes means bigger, thicker and more interesting doors, inside and out. Side panels, over-door details and grillwork are among the features incorporated into the latest entry designs.
   Honduran mahogany has been the most popular choice for upscale entry doors because the trees are so large that wide planks are easily obtained, he noted. Since that wood grows in a climate similar to South Florida’s, it adapted well here, and its natural dark color lends itself to the rich stains homeowners now favor.
   But recent restrictions on harvesting by the government of Honduras have necessitated a search for similar woods elsewhere. DeShields said that sapele mahogany from Africa and Chilean and Brazilian mahoganies are now being used to meet consumer needs.
   Although wood allows the greatest latitude in height—the company’s office door is 20-feet tall—there are other options. DeShields pointed out that fiberglass doors have a bevy of attractive attributes that include less tendency to warp and easier maintenance than wood doors. The insulation within a fiberglass door helps the surfaces endure the dual punishment of blazing heat on one side and air-cooled chill on the other.
   A wood door should be refinished every year, he stated, but a fiberglass door can be refinished every five years. While fiberglass can be painted to simulate wood quite amazingly, he added, there are less size options available.
   What any new door cannot do in Southwest Florida is be vulnerable to hurricane hazards. Buyers can choose doors that have been approved for impact resistance by an independent testing laboratory, or they can choose to install a non-tested door and pair it with Florida Code-compliant shutters.
   When a door is custom built at Smith & DeShields, an engineer must provide certification to its code compliance. So after the material is chosen and the storm worthiness is considered, the consumer can concentrate on the happy aspect of the design. DeShields said the computerized router now enables a limitless array of door decoration, and the current trend is to team wood, glass and iron grillwork for a distinctive look.That would be most appropriate when the home has Mediterranean or Spanish architecture. (He cautioned that the door style should blend with the architectural theme.)
   Spanish and Mediterranean building styles are hugely popular in Southwest Florida, and so is the courtyard amenity. That means that decorative gates are often the first introduction to local homes. When this is the case, the ornamental gates, doors and railings of Cantera Doors can deliver the spirit and artistry of Old World villas and haciendas.
   According to Maria Garcia, branch manager of the Bonita Springs showroom, Cantera gates and doors are fabricated from steel and glass and painted in a 95,000-square-foot facility in Escobedo, a little town outside Monterrey, Mexico.
   “We use our idea book to work with builders and homeowners here to compose a design that blends with the architecture and makes the desired statement,” she explained. ”Then our CAD (computer-assisted design) staff in Escobedo comes up with the finished drawings.”
   As houses in Southwest Florida have increased in size, so has the demand to fill the stately entries, not only with impressive entry doors, but with dramatizing transoms and arches. When the embellishment is hand-forged as it is at Cantera, the options for distinctive design seem almost endless, Garcia stated.
   One home might benefit from a double-door treatment with side panels, or a single door with a crowning arch might be the best choice. Garcia, who has been with Cantera for four years, said she and her staff are experienced in what works best in certain situations, and are happy to share that knowledge with customers. For example, their guidance might help someone who wanted to apply a design made specifically for a single door to a double-door format. Longtime familiarity with the product enables the staff to provide good counsel on whether that particular design would translate well or not.
   When the door design is an arrangement of graphic lines or simple swirls, the message could be that a contemporary or Art Deco décor lies within. Intricately scrolled patterns are usually used to convey the charm of an Old World ambiance.
   Cantera doors are made with 5/8-inch, double paned, insulated tempered glass, but customers may order laminated glass if they prefer. The tempered glass doors have been certified for pressure and wind load and are currently being tested for code compliance for impact resistance.
   Garcia said the company’s warranted doors are made so well that potential problems, such as dents and corrosion, are minimal. Stainless steel hinges and patent-pending glass support panels also enhance durability.
   “Our staff is always researching new ways to improve quality by reducing weight and enhancing durability, “ Garcia said. “We have a luxury product desired by homeowners who realize their entry door is the centerpiece of their home.”