Door Stops

The value of a well designed door stop can keep a door wedged open or hold it closed against the flow of a windy breeze or cold draught – providing a versatile range of uses which are all practical – and yet can be achieved with all manner of differently designed door stops in line with your preference and home styling.

Traditionally, doorstops were crafted from wedges of wood, slotting the thin end underneath the door on the outside or the inside to limit its range of movement and to securely hold it open or closed. Nowadays however, doorstops have evolved hugely to encompass all manner of different styles and structures, ranging from enhanced wooden wedges to weighted fabric creations in all different shapes and sizes.

The best designs of door stop

Some of the best doorstops on the modern market are crafted to resemble creatures and playful designs – from beach hut shaped fabric stops to wooden wedges with small characters built onto the top end of the wedge to add an extra lift to the design. This not only serves to add visual interest to the design but also ensures that a user or visitor in the home is made aware of its presence – stopping them from trying to force a door closed which is wedged open, and preventing them from stubbing their toe or tripping over the doorstop.

If you’re dressing a rustic or vibrant home, you will likely be more enamoured with the doorstops which feature lots of colours – with many home crafters successfully creating their own designs from chunky knit fabrics to hand embroidered pieces and patchwork designs. In fact, creating your own doorstop has become such a popular activity for families that many craft and DIY retailers now sell complete kits which enable the user to have everything they need for a perfect doorstop all in one set.

A more modern home may call for a more modern doorstop solution, namely those which blend into their surroundings and do not attract the eye – though again, users and buyers should take care to ensure the doorstop is obvious enough to avoid it becoming a trip hazard. Some of the best modern designs of doorstop are simple in their design and encompass neutral colours and designs, for example resembling the colour of the door so as to blend in.

Considerations when looking for a doorstop

The most important consideration when buying a doorstop is making sure that the weight and construction of the doorstop is solid enough to withstand the pressure from a potentially heavy door. All too often we see members and buyers investing in really stylish doorstops, only to find that they aren’t strong enough to hold the weight of the doors in their home – a particular issue in modern homes where doors are made with much chunkier pieces of hardwood.

Another consideration is whether the door stop can easily be removed – after all, there is a fine balance between a doorstop which wedges a door open or closed securely, and one which is so effective that it cannot easily be moved out of the way to allow for ease of use. Buyers should, as far as possible, understand the size of the gap at the bottom of their door and decide on a doorstop which will sit underneath it comfortably without becoming stuck. When in doubt, opt for a doorstop which works by weight sitting against the door, rather than a wedge underneath it.

Our favourite collection of doorstops can be found in homeware accessory retailers and DIY stores, as well as crafting kits and homecraft retailers.