The Architecture of Paradise Palms: Mid-Century Modern Doors

Original Palmer & Krisel door with Ming escutcheon

Some of the great details that provide character and identity to Paradise Palms are the terrific mid-century modern doors found throughout the neighborhood.  All of the builders offered something unique to each home and tract. Details included escutcheons, sidelights with textured or colored glass, trim, raised mullions, raised and/or carved panels in single and double door combinations.  Many of the Palmer& Krisel-designed homes featured simple, flat panel doors with a Schlage ‘Ming’ escutcheon which allowed for the architecture of the home to be the star.

Other tracts including TropicalEstates and FontainebleauEstates featured gracious double-doored entries into their homes with raised-embellishments and Asian-themed ‘Shu’ Schlage escutcheons and grand wrought iron light fixtures.  The Americana homes offered more traditional doors with textured, colored or clear sidelights while the semi-custom homes of StellarGreens offered a variety of doors ranging from flat-panels to ornate, carved doors with raised panels.  The custom-built homes of Paradise Palms offer everything from traditional door styles to full-atomic mid-century detailing including starbursts and center knob pulls. 

Detail view of the Schlage 'Ming' Escutcheon found on Palmer & Krisel homes in Paradise Palms

Detail view of the Schlage 'Shu' Escutcheon found throughout  Fontainebleau Estates

Schlage Manhattan Escutcheon - We haven't seen any of these in Paradise Palms yet, but most of you will recognize these from their  starring role on the Brady Bunch

After fifty years in the desert sun coupled with changing tastes, wear and tear, mishaps and other maladies not all of the original entry doors have survived, and many times homeowners are left searching for replacement options.  Local big-box retailers carry a wide variety of Colonial, Victorian, Craftsman, English-country and Tuscan styled doors which can sometimes be a tricky-fit for the desert modern and contemporary ranch homes of Paradise Palms.   One of the most popular sources for replacement options is Crestview Doors which offer a wide variety of ranch, contemporary and modern styles.  A recent source that offers an alternative to Crestview is the ‘Pulse’ line from Therma-Tru Doors which offer solid fiberglass construction.  Flat-panel solid wood doors can still be obtained from most home-improvement retailers, yet interestingly these seemingly common doors are not always on the rack and may require additional time to order. 

Visual interest in flat-paneled doors can be obtained through the use of bold colors, escutcheons or a combination of both.  Vintage used and new-original-stock escutcheons can still be found on sites such as EBay and Etsy.  Rejuvenation offers a wide range of new square, round, starburst and Asian-themed escutcheons in a variety of finishes to offer uniqueness to each home - as well as offering lots of mid-century home products, from starburst towel racks to light fixtures.  Keep in mind that door handle placement has evolved over the years, and while most escutcheons will fit on original doors, new doors may not accommodate all designs.  Custom millwork, frames and patterns were typically found with more squared-off styles, and carpenters or millworkers can recreate traditional Paradise Palms mid-century patterns on flat-paneled doors.  The variety of mid-century modern entry doors found in our community offer definition and character to the places we call home.  Their unique designs, finishes and details are architectural components which complement and enhance our mid-century architecture.  Here's a look at some of the classic mid-century modern doors of Paradise Palms:

Original Palmer & Krisel door with Ming escutcheon 

Original Palmer & Krisel door with Ming escutcheon

Original Palmer & Krisel door with Ming ecutcheon

Bold, colorful flat-paneled door on a Palmer & Krisel home

Bold, colorful flat-paneled door on a Palmer & Krisel home

Bold, colorful flat-paneled door on a Palmer & Krisel home

Bold, colorful flat-paneled door on a Palmer & Krisel home

Bold, colorful flat-paneled door on a Palmer & Krisel home

Bold, colorful flat-paneled door on a Palmer & Krisel home

Original 'Hawaiian'  door with ceramic tile plate inserts found on a Palmer & Krisel Model 4H

Mid-century modern door on a Palmer & Krisel home

Contemporary-style door on a Palmer & Krisel home

Classic mid-century carved door on a Palmer & Krisel home

Original Service Porch door on a Palmer and Krisel home

Mid-century raised panel embellished doors in Stellar Greens

Classic mid-century flat paneled double doors with scrolled raised trim embellishments on a Stellar Greens home

Carved mid-century doors on a Stellar Greens home

Carved raised-panel doors on a Stellar Greens home

Classic mid-century flat panel door with raised trim on a Stellar Greens home

Classic mid-century flat paneled double doors with raised trim embellishments on a Stellar Greens home

Flat-paneled double doors on a Stellar Greens home

Classic carved mid-century modern raised-panel doors on the one-of-a kind Paradise Palms home once owned by Buddy Hackett

Flat paneled double doors with starburst escutcheons on a custom Paradise Palms home

Metal double doors on the Custom Paradise Palms home once owned by Phyllis Diller

Flat-paneled double doors with twin snowflake escutcheons on a Paradise Palms custom home

Flat-paneled double doors with twin Schlage 'Shu' escutcheons on a Miranti home

Classic mid-century flat paneled double doors with scrolled raised trim embellishments on a Miranti home

Contemporary mid-century modern door on a Miranti home

Classic mid-century ranch-style double doors on a Tropical Estates home

Flat panel double doors in a Tropical Estates home

Flat mid-century door with raised trim embellishments on a Tropical Estates home

Flat paneled door with diamond escutcheon in Tropical Estates

Carved mid-century double doors on a Tropical Estates home

Raised-panel double doors with classic mid-century pulls in Tropical Estates

Flat-paneled double doors with twin square escutcheons on an Americana home

Classic mid-century ranch-style door on an Americana home

Flat-paneled door with ornate round escutcheon on an Americana home

Mid-century raised panel door on an Americana Home

Mid-century carved raised-panel door on a Fontainebleau Estates home

Flat-paneled door with ornate round escutcheon on a 

Fontainebleau Estates home

Flat-paneled door with square/diamond escutcheon on a 

Fontainebleau Estates home

Double entry doors with square starburst escutcheons and raised-panel embellishments on a Fontainebleau Estates home

Flat-paneled door with twin square escutcheons on a

Fontainebleau Estates home

Double entry doors with scrolled raised panel embellishments on a Fontainebleau Estates home

Double entry doors with raised-panel embellishments on a Fontainebleau Estates home

Flat-paneled double entry doors with ornate square escutcheons on a Fontainebleau Estates home

Flat-paneled double entry doors with rectangular escutcheons on a Fontainebleau Estates home

Flat-paneled double entry doors with half-circle escutcheons on a Fontainebleau Estates home

Double entry doors with raised-panel embellishments on a Fontainebleau Estates home