Do you agree with me or my joiner? Aesthetic advice needed!

[tinseloclock]

My joiner is fitting a door on an alcove in my bedroom. He has bought a door which matches the door to the room, but narrower. As the alcove isn't as high as the main door he will need to cut it down by 7.5cm, so we've been discussing the best way to do that. Options are:

1. Take the full amount off the bottom of the door so that all the mouldings are 7.5cm lower than the adjacent door.

1. Take the full amount off the bottom of the door so that the mouldings line up, but there's a narrower border between the mouldings and the top of the door.

1. Take some off the top and some off the bottom.

My joiner was originally inclined towards number 1, whereas I was inclined towards number 2, so we've compromised on 3. He's currently planning to take 2.5cm off the top and 5cm off the bottom, but until he makes a start there's still time to change tack.

Opinions?

Option three

3

I think I'd go with option 2, to me that's keeping the most eye-catching feature matching!

2

I think the mouldings need to match up, so 2.
I think it will look odd if they don't.

2 or 3 would look fine I think, but definitely not 1!

2 - otherwise I think it will be frustratingly mismatched

Hmm 3 then 2 I think. Although I'd probably have gone for a door without mouldings.

I’d go with 2, so it won’t look mismatched.

It would bug me to look at if the mouldings didn't line up.

Take it off the top, otherwise the handles won't line up...

I’d have gone for a flat door either mirrored or with a nice framed mirror on it. Otherwise match up the mouldings.

I would line up the horizontal panels (where the doorhandles are) to the same height

... and get a four panel door not a six panel door!

I'd have to go with 2.

To late now, but I wouldn't have gone for a matching door anyway, unless your joiner was going to make it himself to ensure it matches properly.

I'm quite surprised he's suggested it to be honest.

I'd start again, ask him to take it back and get a mirrored door on push hinges. No need for mouldings at all then.

On option 2 do you mean top not bottom? If you do, I'd pick that.

Because for me the mouldings not lining up would be really obvious and bug me forever. The smaller space at the top would not.

I’d need the handles and mouldings to match up or it would annoy me every day.

None of those. Consider building out the cupboard door frame a little so that the door can be hung full height and flat against the wall rather than in the gap, but with a little bit taken off the top left corner.

Actually I agree with the mirrored door idea.

I would get a plain or mirrored door. Otherwise I would take it off the top so everything lines up. But looking at the height of the alcove would this cut across the mouldings or be very close and depending on construction of the door could this affect its strength?

2 - it's the only way I'd even consider, it's going to be so visually jarring every time you look at it if the mouldings and door handles aren't aligned. It'll always look 'wrong'. Either that or get a completely different door altogether, louvred or a bi-fold or mirrored as a pp suggested.

Thanks all. Maybe those that say "none of the above" are right. The door itself was cheap, and he hasn't started work on it yet, so it's not too late. I already have mirrored wardrobes that stare me in the face each morning when I wake up, so another mirrored door next to my bed would be overkill, but what do you think about the idea of a louvre door instead?

ooh, cross-posted with RibbonAurora. It's a sign!