Dutch doors, the rustic doors of the olden time are back in trend. Many people who are planning to renovate their house or building a new one are considering this door to get a warm and rustic feeling in their house. These doors have a beautiful era where all the houses in Europe and America hosted these doors. There are a couple of good benefits of this door which we are going to let you know today.
If you are planning to refinish your house, thinking of buying a new one or just want to read a valuable piece of information then hold on to the track as we will provide you a complete guide for this door style. Let us start by making you know what exactly is the Dutch door…
What Are Dutch Doors?
A door that is split into two parts horizontally is a Dutch door. The upper half of the door can open and the lower half usually remains closed. That’s why it is called a split door too.
source: homedit.com
A Brief Overview of the History of Dutch Doors
These doors are in existence since the 17th century. You will see these doors wherever the Dutch got settled across the globe. In America, you will see a good number of houses having these doors. The colonial era of America has significant remarks of Dutch architecture so you will see many houses having these doors in East America, especially New Jersey and New York.
Why the Need for Dutch Doors?
Earlier, people in rural areas used to stay on farms. There were animals outside the houses. People wanted to keep these animals away from entering the house but at the same time, fresh air was a necessity so one can’t close the door completely.
To solve the problem, this door was invented. After this door was fixed in the houses, people could get fresh air and sunlight through the upper half of the door and the animals also stayed away. Also, people could accept deliveries from visitors without opening the door and eventually restricting them to enter the house.
In the olden days, people used to talk with the passers-by from the open upper half of the door so we can see that this half door used to serve too many use-cases.
How is the Structure of Dutch Doors?
As said, there are two halves in the door. Both these halves are independent doors that need 4 hinges unlike the 3 hinges on traditional doors. These two halves are connected with a latch, if they are latched together then it will act as a traditional door and if not latched then it will act as a split door. The bottom door will be having a doorknob and lock. Open the lock and the door will get opened.
Benefits of having Dutch Doors:
Add the Rustic feeling
source: countryliving.com
When you have such a door at the front, you will have a rustic, countryside feeling for sure. You will get nostalgic and remember your old days. Also, your guests will feel a more welcoming, joyful and relaxed feeling when they enter your house through such a door.
Keep Animals Out
source: loghome.com
Again, the main purpose with which these doors were made comes into the picture. If you have a house in the rural area or on a farm then you will be having many animals roaming here and there. To stop them from entering your house, you should have this door. Also, your children and pets won’t go out when the door is locked, they can view outside from the upper half and feel like they are already out of the house.
Interact with the delivery personnel in a better way
source: todaysentrydoors.com
You want to receive your parcel then no need to open the door anymore, just open the upper half of the door and receive it. This way, you will be preventing the delivery person from entering your house which will be a way safer.
Have fresh air come inside
source: homedit.com
In the case of a traditional door, fresh air is blocked. This door has the benefit of letting the fresh air come inside. Just open the window of the upper half and enjoy the cool breeze. With this, you won’t need to start the fan too much, saving your electricity costs…
It will be helpful in winter too when the sunlight will come inside. Just take a chair and sit near the door and enjoy both cool breeze and sunlight with this door.
Use it as a baby gate
source: impressiveinteriordesign.com
If you have a baby in your house then you can also use it as an alternative to a baby gate. This will give a new look to the boring baby gates. Try to match up with the interior of your house and it will surely look new and nice. Your guests will appreciate your choice too.
Types Of Dutch Doors
Now, let us get some ideas about what different types this split door can have. In different parts of the world, you will see different styles of the door but let us check out some generic styles which we can see across the globe.
Exterior Dutch Door
source: residencestyle.com
Exterior Dutch door is the one that you use at the front part; the main entryway to enter your house. It should be attractive and welcoming to get a very good first impression before your guests. You can do some research as to what color will suit it perfectly and what design can be put on it or rather it will look good when it is plain… all these questions will be answered when you do some market research on your own and select the best that suits the house.
Interior Dutch Door
source: pinterest.com
Not only in the exterior, but this door will also look perfect in your interior as well. You can have the room doors designed in this style and it will be an altogether new and different experience for you. There will be a latch for closing both the doors together so there is no issue of privacy too. But keep one thing in mind that if you are keeping one door of this style then your house interior will look the best when you have all the doors of this style.
Farm Dutch Door
source: oldsaltfarm.com
If you want to have a rustic, countryside and a warm feeling in your house then you can have a farm Dutch door. It suits the most when you have the entire interior of your house designed in a rustic style. Not much finishing is required for the door when you want to give a farm-like look.
Dutch Door with Windows
source: horseexerciser.com
The upper half of the door can have windows. You can customize the windows as per your needs and choice. There is a choice in the windows too, you can have a single window, two windows that open apart, anything you want. Select the necessary glass material and get this window designed from your carpenter.
Modified Dutch Door
source: countryliving.com
You can have the upper part modified as per your need; you can have the window structure as required. In different houses, you will see different shapes of the upper part, somewhere there is a diamond-shaped design, somewhere there is a square matrix of 2×2 or 3×3, etc.
You can have any Dutch door design that you like for your house. Do some brainstorming and think about which one will suit your home perfectly. You can consult a good interior designer and take their advice to get better results.
So, this was all about the Dutch doors. I hope you had a good time reading it and getting valuable information on these vintage doors. Take the next step now and get this door designed for your house if you think it is an appropriate option to think of! For more details, Visit Homedesignnow.