Friday, April 29, 2011

The Great French Door Controversy

Can there be one french door? Can a door which has no partner truely be described as French or at least Frenchified? This controversy has raged on for some time in my house.

Apparently there is some debate amongst the academic community, to whit
"When most people think of French doors, they picture a set of two doors that swing open from the middle. There is some debate in the world of architecture and home building as to whether you can have a single French door, but the double-door concept is still the most popular." http://homeimprovement.lovetoknow.com/French_Doors
How can the "world of architecture" not vigorously debate this subject? "Some debat" indeed. And they call themselves a "world?" The popularity of the "double-door concept" doesn't mean that all reason must be thrown out the French door doggie flap. I say that "most people" are not always right, and in fact, most people are often wrong. That's just my personal opinion, however, as I am often wrong. I certainly don't want my personal opinion to stand in the way of popular progress, but how can we live in a world where the individual is subjugated to the group? Before I shuffle myself off the popular stage with my rubber chicken in hand, I want to give you popular folks a little something to think about. I feel this is in my rights as a member of the minority, or the architectural biosphere as we prefer to call ourselves.
Here I offer as my evidence - the dictionary definition, well, the Internet thingie one:
French door: (noun)   -a door having glass panes throughout or nearly throughout its length.  Also called casement door. Origin: 1920–25
french door: (noun) a light door with transparent or glazed panels extending the full length
WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
This is not an argument as to whether half of a pair of scissors is a scissor. It is not even an argument that of whether one sock can be called a sock, or that a horseshoe is the same as horseshoes to a one legged horse. I say the french door stands alone proud and illuminating. Light is it's function and in the world of darkness in the architectural void, as we in the biosphere like to call them, light should be appreciated as more important than simplying pairing off willy nilly. A french door stands alone even if popular wisdom is to pair it. Oh the humanity!