Can I buy a hint?

I don't love a recessed entry. It feels ... well, the opposite of welcoming. Is it an absoloute make-or-break? No, other items in the house could outweigh this entry, but it is a negative in my book.

Umm. I see a gorgeous house that's almost done. What do you see?

And the missing step. But I assume that's coming?

Is that the doorbell wire way over on the right?

Amberm beat me to it......the 36" required exterior landing (code in most states) is missing.

Because of the door being open.....are you concerned about the view/windows? They look fine to me, even with the different style (looks like bottoms can be opened).

I'd expect the right door to be the operative door. (Not a fan of double doors though.)

I'd expect the doorbell to be nearer to the door itself.

I'd expect to step up when entering the enclosed space, not just at the door.

No way to see who is at the door. I would also want a handle on the right door and the door to function. I would not be okay with no windows in the door because it doesn't seem safe or welcoming.

I'm totally confused as to what might be bothering you, Rachel. Is it something to do with the door trim? Please respond quickly before more comments start to make you concerned for new things other than the thing you originally were asking about.

Yeah, we can keep coming up with flaws for days! :)

Is it the Virgin Mary in the door's wood grain?

Just kidding.

Your door and doorbell are fine!!!

You guys are pretty sharp. I ordered a door that opens on the right, and this opens on the left. I think that's weird. Plus, my doorbell is wired on the right. Plus you approach my house by coming around and it feels like the operative door should be on the right.

Builder wants me to "stew on the left door" for a day before he re-orders. I've stewed and I think the left opening is weird.

(sidewalk, pad, etc are not poured).

I LOVE the recessed porch. It rains about 50" a year here so we need the shelter. That porch ceiling is at about 15ft. I have to come up with something to up under the front door. That was supposed to be a transom but it didn't work with the required load-beam that had to go through that space. I'm thinking I'll do big house numbers there. The bottom of the columns will be stone wrapped once the concrete walk is in.
So what say you? Operational door on the right, or left is okay?

lalalalalala, I'm ignoring flaws I don't care about. I'm good at that. I'm putting in a peep hole. It was a condition of the double door choice. I wanted side light windows and DH really wanted the double door. I wanted to put glass in the door, he preferred not to. He works from home ALL day and just does not want to deal with it so he wins. That is his office on the right.

Are you the type of person who plans to decorate the front stoop or put a bench or something? If so, that might create a problem if you have to reach over a bench or through a decorative shrub to reach the door bell.

How wide is the stoop in front of the door also?

Will you have some sort of camera so you can see who is at the door?

You don't need a peep hole in that pretty door, just put a surveillance camera out there.

The doorbell wire seems more appropriate if the right door is the opening one.

Absolutely have them change the door to the right. Your doorbell is on the right and it would be very strange to have to come up, ring the doorbell on the right and then enter on the left. Plus we read and move left to right so you are correct.

cpartist

How wide is the stoop in front of the door also?

Six feet wide, twelve feet deep.

I'm going to make them change the door. :)

mimipadv

Will you have some sort of camera so you can see who is at the door?

Yes or maybe not. Not seeing who's outside is not of concern for me. Honestly, I dislike people standing out front and WATCHING me, TAUNTING me to ignore them. We don't get any unexpected visitors and if it's someone important they have a key or call me and say "open the door you fool!".

benjesbride

Are
you the type of person who plans to decorate the front stoop or put a
bench or something? If so, that might create a problem if you have to
reach over a bench or through a decorative shrub to reach the door bell.

YES! Or a planter, or a welcome log or something. Yes and again yes. DH doesn't realize that this is a big issue for me. He voted to just leave it as it is.

It's not going to cost you anything to correct this, is it?

First off, I would like door handles.

We've been using a set of Andersen inswing patio doors as our 'main' door for 25 years with no problems. The left-hand is the opening one.

No, it's not. The door opening direction is clearly spray-painted on the foyer subfloor. It was discussed. Even the light switches are on the right when you go through the door. The coat closet is on the right. I intend to have an entry table on the left side and a piece of art.

Oh good! And when you mention the light switch on the right I realized how much this goof would drive me BANANAS. The right door has to be the primary door.

I agree, door in the right should be the one that opens.

We have a double door and I can't imagine opening the left one. I think only left handed people would find that normal, but as a right handed person, my right hand goes for the right door knob.

Shouldn't you step up onto a stoop as you enter the enclosed space...not just a step outside the door?

We have a covered entry. You step up onto the bluestone stoop, then step up and over the threshold at the entry door.

chisue, that was mentioned above, it's just not poured yet.

The stoop isn't poured. The aproach will be relatively flat.

DH is a lefty. He didn't feel there was anything wrong with the door like this.

I will need a door stop either way.

I think your porch and your house are lovely. When you get the columns wrapped in stone it will be even nicer.

i guess I am the only voice of dissent here. I never even considered this until I read your post. I have a recessed front door like yours. The left door is the one we use and the right one stays locked unless we need it to open for something oversized. The doorbell is on the right.

honestly, ten years I've lived here I've never given it a second thought. When you are inside the house, answering the door, the right door (right when you are inside) makes more sense, to me anyway. Pick your battles and leave this as is. Ok I've voted ;-)

Sorry I missed the bit about the stoop. I'm sure your builder knows to give it enough pitch towards the front to shed water.

I would want to be able to see who is out there -- or make sure no one is out there. The peep hole is easiest, cheapest. (I've lived in a house where I had to go TO the entry door to see who was 'out front'. It's not ideal, but here you are!)

My favorite quote of the day: "lalalalalala, I'm ignoring flaws I don't care about. I'm good at that." Amen Rachel, lol!

Only you can tell if it bugs you and I think it's a good point to check it out from the inside which is where you'll be using it 99% of the time and what feels natural - but then again I'm a lefty and most things feel natural.

The light switch on the right inside, how far away is it from the door? When the door opens, will it cover the light switch?

And for those of you saying it is strange to open the door on the left, what do you think you are going to be doing when you are inside and headed out the door?

And for those of you saying it is strange to open the door on the left, what do you think you are going to be doing when you are inside and headed out the door?

I was thinking that as I was browsing the responses. From what I can tell it doesn't matter.

Will you not be opening the door for guests more often than entering yourself? If so I see no reason to change it unless the switches would be behind the operable leaf when open.

When possible, residential entrance doors commonly open in and to the left (both of mine do) because that makes it possible to insert a key with your right hand and get it back out as you swing the door open with your left hand. Of course, that is only true for right-handed people.

I was going to guess that the entry doors seem grander than the space that leads to them but apparently that was intentional.

Both my current house and the old house had a single front door with the knob/lock on the left side, hinges on the right, when you're standing outside. I use my right hand to unlock and open the door. The back door at the new house, which we use more often, is reversed. I have to open it with my left hand. Trying to open a door that swings to the left with my right hand is awkward.

"Trying to open a door that swings to the left with my right hand is awkward."

When unlocking a door that swings to the left, a right handed person would be likely to have the key in their right hand and use their left hand to unlatch the door and swing it open as they extracted the key rather than switching.

Exterior doors keyed only in the knob might be an exception but that would not provide much security. IMO minimum residential security requires a dead bolt lock separate from a latch set which appears to be the case in the OP's photo.

If the doors were to be reversed it would be necessary to unlock the upper deadbolt with your right hand while reaching under your right wrist with your left hand to press the lever handle down in a "backhanded" manner and then swing the door open across your body unless you switched your keys to your other hand which would be equally awkward.

This issue is about the owner's use of a key to enter; a guest would not care which way the door was opened for them by the owner nor which side the doorbell was located.

The door works best from both sides as installed so I think the builder got it right but failed to explain it to you or the electrician so he should pay to relocate the switch if needed.

Rather than worrying about door swings, I would be looking for an opportunity to use accent lighting, wood decking, a small window (real or fake) or something interesting to relieve the plainness of this tight space.

I hope that's not a bath or dryer exhaust high on the right side wall.

I almost always have something in one hand when I come home, a purse or shopping bags. I unlock the deadbolt and then open the door with the same hand, my right.

I assume the thing on the right is the light fixture, which should highlight the door that opens.

JDS - Did you miss the part where Rachel said she discussed the operable door being the right door, the decision is even written on the subfloor and she clearly ordered it differently than what she got? Why should she compromise what she wants because of someone elses' error. Why should she have to reach across 36" to just turn the light on when she walks in? That would greatly annoy me.

Also, the argument for door swing based on how to use a deadbolt doesn't apply to everyone. When I come home I use the front door. I usually have a toddler in my left arm so I punch in the deadbolt code with my right hand and turn the knob with my right hand. The hinge is on the left and the knob is on the right. We've been in this house since March and unlocking the door has never felt ergonomically odd.

It's so funny to me how invested other people have gotten in this issue.

To relieve some of you of your intense worry.... lol

The area above the door has an 18" lam beam running to support the two story great room. It was not possible to put a transom there. We will likely put our house number in that spot. From the lam beam straight up are 6 sistered 2x4s to support the porch truss. There is a window above the porch roof instead.

My DH greatly dislikes side lite type doors as he works from home and likes to be able to ignore unannounced solicitation.

The entry foyer has power on the left which will serve a foyer table which I'd like to maintain as a place for guest handbags, shoes, and keys. A left opening door would interfere with this.

The doorbell and light switch are on the right.

The slab for the porch is not poured yet. The approach will have some stairs prior to the porch area. The porch is 12' deep, 6' wide with a 15' tall wood truss entry. I think it's very grand looking this way and is relevant to the architecture of the PNW. We could have done timber but the upgrade price on that was 12k. This gives a nice effect for the money.

The entire entry will be stained a dark mahogany color. Front door, entry roof, garage detail, etc. It's going to match with our rear patio which also has car decking as the ceiling. These doors are solid wood, and will be stained. I do not find them to be plain at all. We considered other doors.

I originally had a large lantern spec'd for the light but was strongly advised against it because of wind issues in my region. It would have spun and become dangerous. We picked carriage lights deliberately to resolve. There are two carriage lights, one on each side of the porch area, about 2' forward of the doors.

I think the door has to swing wherever it rests best inside the house? I wouldn't automatically assume a door that swings to the left is for left handed people. It may be what works best with the floor plan. That said if it is set up for the door on the right, that's what it should be

benjesbride - since you directed your comments to me I will respond to you.

My earlier comments were based on the OP's situation. I would not expect someone with a 3 car garage in a rainy climate to be likely to carry large objects or a child through their front door and the deadbolt in question appears to require a key instead of a combination and the door currently swings in the same direction that you said your door does so we must agree the current setup works fine.

Also, I believe the right hand door, when open, would overlap the door to the office unless the design has changed.