On Location – How To Detail A Front Entry Closet

Posted on: February 10th, 2012 | 1 Comment



We like to detail our front entry closets like pieces of millwork as opposed to just passage doors with standard trim. In our case study house, we have created a millwork composition with the front entry closet that merges the trim and closet doors and includes an off-set display niche.


The closet opening is drywalled in a standard way, but to make it look like millwork, we have used 3/4 inch lacquered cabinet door material – the same that we would use for millwork – and have installed the doors using standard cabinet hinges. It is important to use a lot of cabinet hinges to support the weight of the doors and mount the them forward in the frame so when closed, the doors are flush with the exterior trim. We have also used millwork bar pull handles instead of a more normative door handle.


The final details involve the trim. In this case we have extended the trim around the corner to make the front closet appear to be a millwork unit that is slid into the drywall. We have also extended the trim to the left of the door to encase a vertical display niche in a contrasting wood material.


Today’s Slides:

  • http://www.thirdstone.ca Louis Pereira

    That was an excellent tip! 

    For me personally, any opportunity to reduce or eliminate trim-work is great.  So this segment inspired me to detail something similar by subsituting the trim around the doors with drywall.  The drywall is now flush with the door(s).  The key is how it’s framed and by fininshing between the drywall and the door with a corner drywall bead. 

    You could also consider having the door pull shown in the video with a standard ‘hollow-core’ door and use standard hinges (although exposed), and specify a closet door ”ball catch’.  It would probably result in the door(s) being slightly recessed but that’s a good look too!…