What is a Cathedral Door?

Cathedral doors are doors that are rounded with an arch at the top. The style may also be used for raised panels inside rectangular doors. Cathedral doors may be added to enhance entryways, or they may used for decorative touches on cabinet doors.

Cathedral doors originated in the medieval period when construction relied heavily on quarried stone. The weight of the stones had to be distributed across the openings for doors and windows, and arches were the perfect solution. Cathedral doors allowed doors and windows to open and close correctly despite the heavy stone of the building. With the invention of other building materials, cathedral doors became purely ornamental. They are now commonly used to add elegance to a home or business. Some cathedral doors still have a rounded top, but others are rectangular with an arched raised panel added to them. These are made using hand tools and routers, and many cabinetmakers include them in their inventory.