Light beside a closed door
Share light between rooms with solid wood interior sidelights made to complement your door. These narrow glazed panels sit beside the doorway, adding a view or filtered light while keeping the rooms clearly defined.
An interior door with sidelights can bring light from a bright room into a hallway or adjoining space even when the door is shut. One sidelight can suit an opening with room on a single side; a pair frames the doorway on both sides.
Think about what will be visible through that glass. Beside a home office, a clear sidelight can keep a visual connection with the hall. Elsewhere, a more obscured view may be welcome. The door and sidelights can use different amounts of glass while sharing the same wood and detailing.
Coordinate the glass and woodwork
Clear, non-insulated tempered glass is standard for interior sidelights. Beveled, acid-etched and stained glass offer other ways to shape the appearance and view, with choices depending on the design. Obscured glass changes visibility, but the effect varies with the glass, lighting and distance from it.
Aligning the sidelight’s horizontal rails with those in the door creates continuity across the opening. Glass divisions can also relate to one another without making each section identical. Browse glass interior doors to choose the door alongside the sidelight design.
For additional light above the doorway, consider interior transoms. Plan the glass pattern across all the components so the overhead section works with the door and sidelights below.
Size the complete opening
We make interior sidelights to custom widths and heights. Start with the space available for the whole assembly, including the door, sidelights and framing. The sidelight width then determines how much of that space remains for the working doorway.
Interior sidelights are 1½ inches thick as standard, with a 1¾-inch option, and use solid wood stile-and-rail construction. They can be supplied separately or framed with a jamb. If you are keeping an existing door, share its dimensions and rail layout so we can discuss the adjoining pieces.
Finish the pieces together
Our standard African Mahogany makes a beautiful, durable frame for the glass. Coordinate it with your door or select from the interior range of 17 woods. Plan the species and finish across the assembly; natural grain and color will vary from piece to piece.
Choose a design above to customize your interior sidelight online. The wood arrives unfinished, ready for sealing and your chosen finish before installation. Our craftspeople can help with dimensions, glass choices or coordination with the door. For other applications, our Sidelights overview directs you to the appropriate collection.
Unsure if this the style you’re looking for? Visit our Door Buyer's Guide to Architectural Styles.
