Ideas For Front Doors Using Sidelights and Transoms

June 9, 2023

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Expand The Beauty In Your Ashburn VA Home With Sidelights & Transoms

Let Your Entry Door Become A Centerpiece

When replacing your Ashburn, VA, entry door, you have several choices not only in terms of the door itself, such as using a steel or fiberglass entry door – but also on whether to use sidelights and transoms.

Sidelights and transoms are a way to add a little more personalization to your entry door – while also enhancing the beauty of your home. What are sidelights and transoms? How can you use these in your entryway?

We have the answers to these questions and so much more!

What Are Sidelights And Transoms?

You probably have a good visual of what sidelights and transoms are – but you may not know the actual name of what you see.

Sidelights

Sidelights are the windows that may be next to the entry door. They are not operational, as they cannot be opened, but they allow light into the entryway. Categorized as narrow, vertical windows on one or both sides of your entry door, they allow tons of light into your home.

These sidelights are seen in historic homes, even those dated back to the Victorian ages, as they were considered a way to enhance the beauty of the front entryway.

Transoms

Transoms are stationary windows above your entry door to allow more light into the entryway. Once again, it does not open but allows sunlight to reach your entrance.

Believe it or not, transoms can be traced back to 14th century Europe, where the space above a door would be open, allowing for a glimpse of the sky and fresh air – while minimizing prying eyes from seeing into the home. The transom windows stayed popular but fell out of fashion in the 1970s and the 1980s.

Today, transoms are being rediscovered as homeowners realize they can add a touch of personality to their Loudoun County homes.

How To Use Sidelights With Your Entry Door

Sidelights can be used in every entryway. Even if your home does not have sidelights with your entry door, a professional can add these in. But how can you use these in your Ashburn, VA, home?

You can opt for one sidelight on one side of your entry door, or you can opt for a sidelight on each side of the door. From there, you must choose how much glass is in the sidelights. The options include:

Full view, which has windows going from the top to the bottom of the sidelight

A ¾ glass in the sidelight
Craftsman style, in which you make a custom type of glass in the sidelight
½ view window within the sidelight

From there, you can opt for the glass to be transparent or frosted – depending on the amount of privacy you want or need. Also, remember, you can also put up curtains, shades, or blinds onto the side blinds if privacy is a concern.

Using Transoms For Your Home

A transom is a great option for those who want to add more natural light into their entryway while not worrying about privacy due to the window’s height. However, the type of transom used within an Ashburn, VA, home will be based on the location of your entry door.

Those with high ceilings will find it easier to fit a transom into their home compared to those with low ceilings. From there, you are going to find that there are tons of styles. You will find that the basic shapes you can opt to choose from are:

Rectangle
Square
Round Top
Elliptical

From there, you will find that the glass can be glossy, tinted, frosted, and the like – any way you want to make it fit in with your design taste.

Design Tips For Your Sidelights And Transoms

While sidelights and transoms can provide a whole new level of beauty to your Loudoun County area home – there are still some design tips you may want to keep in mind when opting to have these in your home!

Pay Attention To Color

There are some tips that many professionals give people who have sidelights and transoms with their entry door that you need to remember:

If your door is a unique color, the sidelights and transoms should be the same color.
With a dark-colored door like dark walnut or black, then having the sidelights and transoms in a lighter color than the door trim
The arched transom and sidelights should be the same color in most cases.
If there is a trim between the sidelights, transoms, and door, consider having the trim work in a slightly different color to help it stand out.

Remember the color rules everyone knows – complimentary colors are a must to ensure curb appeal!

Privacy Does Not Mean You Give Up Looks

For those who want their sidelights to have frosted glass or even be covered – that does not mean that you have to sacrifice the beauty sidelights will give your entryway. Frosted glass is a great way to prevent people from seeing in while allowing natural light into the home.

Use With Any Entry Door

Whether you have a single-entry or double-entry door, sidelights and transoms can be utilized with any combination. And you can even have your transom span the entire width of your entry door and the sidelights.

Free Estimates For Your Ashburn, VA, Entry Door

If you want to replace your Ashburn, VA, entry door, Milcon is here to make it easier! We offer steel and fiberglass entry doors you can easily personalize to create your beautiful entryway – whether you want sidelights or transoms in your entrance.

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