Find the sidelights for your door
Exterior sidelights use insulated tempered glass beside the main entry door. They can provide a view outside or soften it with decorative glazing, depending on the glass selected. For a new door and sidelights planned as a complete assembly, start with our entrance units.
Interior sidelights use non-insulated glass to share light between rooms. They can keep a hallway connected to an adjoining space while the door stays closed. Consider what you want visible through the glass from each side.
Screen and storm sidelights serve a porch opening or provide an additional layer in front of existing entry sidelights. Screen allows ventilation, and glass adds weather protection. Fixed glass and removable insert options serve different uses; the collection explains how to choose between them.
Balance the door and the panels beside it
One sidelight can use extra space on a single side of the door. A pair frames both sides. Begin with the width of the complete opening, including its framing, and the passage you need through the door itself.
Then compare the panel layout. Aligning a horizontal rail or the lower edge of the glass can connect the door and sidelights visually. They can share a pattern without repeating every detail. A simpler sidelight may be a useful companion to a more elaborate door.
Glass at eye level affects the view as well as the amount of light. Clear, textured and decorative choices differ in how much they reveal, and availability depends on the application. Consider the sightline from a path, porch or adjoining room before selecting the glass.
Choose the details together
Our standard African Mahogany gives the wood around the glass a beautiful, durable frame. Select the species and finish alongside the door, using wood suitable for weather exposure where the sidelights will be outdoors. The pieces arrive unfinished so you can coordinate their paint or stain.
Choose a collection above to customize the dimensions and available options online. Our craftspeople can help with framing or matching the door’s proportions. For light above the opening as well, explore our transoms and plan the surrounding components together.
