Custom Entry Door, Lanterns and Stair Railing in Preston Hollow

Preston Hollow · Dallas, Texas · Built with Ellen Grasso

Contemporary Preston Hollow facade with custom steel entry door and matching wall lanterns

A contemporary Preston Hollow residence brings its architectural ironwork together through a steel entry, three satin-glass lanterns, and a hand-forged stair railing with a crisp modern rhythm.

Type: Private residence
Location: Preston Hollow, Dallas, Texas
Builder: Ellen Grasso
Scope: Entry, lantern, and stair package
Materials: Steel · Insulated tempered glass · Satin lantern glass
Glass: Clear insulated tempered Low-E glass at the entry · Satin glass at the Rama lanterns
Hardware: Two coordinated Emtek entry hardware sets

Ironwork

Steel double entry approximately 93 1/2 by 143 1/4 inches
Two exterior wall lanterns and one coordinating pendant
Approximately 32 linear feet of hand-forged stair railing plus 9 feet of handrail
Coordinating cellar door and metal divider

Hand-forged modern stair railing with elongated rectangular pattern in a Preston Hollow residence — The hand-forged steel stair railing turns a simple elongated rectangle into a continuous rhythm along the stair and landing.

From the project drawings

Measured before it was made.

The drawing view isolates the coordinated geometry and useful dimensions behind the finished work.

Line drawing of the steel double-entry — The entry drawing coordinated the broad glazed leaves, metal jamb, threshold, weatherstripping, and paired hardware within the measured opening.

Coordinating an entry door, lighting, and railing across one custom home?

Entry package

A transparent center for a layered modern facade.

The double entry was estimated at roughly 93 1/2 inches wide and 143 1/4 inches high. Clear insulated tempered Low-E glass fills the broad lites, while the steel and coordinated hardware define the threshold without making it visually heavy.

The package extended inside with a cellar door and metal divider. Designing these elements together allowed the entry, lighting, and interior ironwork to share a consistent sense of scale and proportion.

Lighting package

Three lanterns, scaled as architecture.

Two Rama wall lanterns flank the entry and a matching pendant hangs beneath the gable. Each lantern is documented at approximately 9 inches wide by 14 inches deep by 26 inches high, with satin glass that diffuses the light against the limestone.

Stair railing

The same restraint, translated to a curve.

Approximately 32 linear feet of hand-forged railing and posts follow the stair, joined by about 9 feet of handrail. The elongated rectangular pattern is modern but not generic; its repeated loops create movement without closing the stair visually.

Buyer notes

What this project answers.

Coordinating multiple iron categories is less about matching ornament and more about aligning finish, scale, proportion, and the way each element meets the architecture.

Why coordinate lanterns with a custom entry?

The lights frame the opening and establish its nighttime scale. Selecting them with the door avoids undersized fixtures or finishes that divide the elevation into unrelated parts.

Can a modern railing still be hand-forged?

Yes. Hand-forged describes fabrication, not a required ornamental style. This railing uses a clean repeated rectangle shaped to follow the actual stair and landing.

One package, three ways of framing space

The entry defines arrival, the lanterns establish scale on the facade, and the railing carries the same visual restraint through the interior. Explore custom entry doors, steel windows and glass, and custom railings.

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