Knightsbridge Living
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Architraves
It was traditional to cover the door frame with an architrave. Georgian architraves were often fluted rectangular sections with decorated blocks at the corners. Victorian architraves were often in the form of mouldings. From the Middle Ages, builders inserted dripstone mouldings above doors and windows to protect the wood against rainwater dripping onto it.
Hoods
By Queen Anne’s day, there was often a hood extended over the doorway on beams or brackets projecting from the wall. These were made progressively more decorative. The hood might be covered by a lead sheet.
Consoles
The Georgians replaced the beams or brackets with consoles, which were narrow pilasters or columns running from the ground to the hood.
Door cases
Early Georgian door cases were elaborate, with columns and pediments. Sometimes the approach to the main door was made even more impressive and the main door was surrounded by a porch. The Palladian or neo-Classical styles were able to exploit the porch to mimic the appearance of ancient Roman or Greek temples with columns on either side and a pediment above. The whole arrangement often developed into something akin to a pocket Parthenon. As the Regency period progressed the style became much more restrained. Typical Regency door cases were flat, with no more than an architrave and front doors were placed within round-headed arches without hoods.
