House tour: Modern meets traditional

Amanda Ncube
RECENTLY I had a chance to visit different houses in high-density suburbs and I noticed something unique on their doors.

Most of the doors had different unique styles which complemented the rest of the items in the house.

The detail on the door is often taken for granted, yet without its careful choice both the look of the door and the look of the entire house may be compromised.

Beading (decoration or ornamental moulding resembling a string of beads or having a semi-circular cross section) also known as moulding is an important element of many styles of timber doors.

Beading styles can vary considerably, selected for traditional or a modern appearance this simple detail can really alter the personality of a door.

Here are some tips on different types of beading that I was given by homeowners that can assist other homeowners to spruce up the look of their homes.

Mr Ndumiso Sibanda, a homeowner from Cowdray Park said quadrant beading is one of the most common and cheap beading.

“For quadrant beading it is important to understand that some doors have the appearance of quadrant beading without the use of separate mouldings, this effect is an integral part of the door construction which means that the beads cannot be removed,” he said.

He said the reason why he chose quadrant beading is because it can be integrated perfectly with both modern and traditional designs.

“Quadrant beading is often used for glazed doors as it is narrow and it is less likely to obscure the glass, which is particularly important when the glass also has an attractive, decorative finish or a sloping edge,” said Mr Sibanda.

Mrs Nobuhle Dube, a homeowner from Gwabalanda said she chose traditional beading because it is more intricate than any other styles.

“The reason why I chose this type of beading is because my home has a traditional design hence traditional beading is more suited for older character homes, as the sculpted curves often imitate older door styles,” she said.

Mr Dominic Mabhena, a carpenter said: “Traditional beading is more suited for decorative panelled doors and is not often used with glass as the beading would obscure a larger part of the window.”

To be continued . . .