Doors for a New Look

Image from: www.traditionalhome.com
Photo: Jean Allsopp

When most of us think of doors in our home, we think of the standard single door used for closets and entries to rooms. The millwork (design on the wood) can be very clean for a contemporary look or more elaborate for Edwardian/Victorian styles or somewhere in between.     

We can be even more creative with interior doors as you see in this photograph (link) from Traditional Home.  This photo shows “rescued/upcycled” antique oak doors which may have previously been in a turn of the century home.   We know they are interior doors because the upper panel is glass…in this case it is frosted obscure glass for a more private feel to both spaces.

If you look closely at the architectural details of the room, they have very basic and traditional styling which means a wide range of creative interior door styles could be used.  The doors in this photograph separate a living space from a bedroom with the furnishings being casual/eclectic.

How about if both rooms took on more of a clean soft transitional/contemporary look with more color and clean/simple lines to the furnishings. You might choose:

  • French doors with full length clear, obscure, or etched glass
  • A pair of doors painted a color used for drama and dimension of the entry to the other room.
  • Add a paint color to the walls adding to the creativity of the doors.  

In your makeover, the walls and ceiling might be painted tones found in the fabrics of the furnishing you have chosen.  But don’t forget that colors in both rooms can be different. Perhaps instead of a bedroom on the other side of the doors, you might have an office, den/TV area/kid’s playroom or another idea appropriate to your family use.   

Remember accessories such as area rugs, lamps, pillows etc. also add color/texture and make a dramatic impact on the finished look of the space.

So what changes might we have made given the room as we see it in the photograph?  

  • The beauty of the wood and detail of the doors stand out very strongly with all other tones in the space being very pale.  
  • How about painting the walls a very soft vanilla beige reflecting the golden tone found in the oak doors.   How about the ceiling having a very soft celadon green color? Or visa-versa…walls the celadon and ceiling the soft vanilla beige.
  • Now the colors of the doors and room start to marry and work together providing a backdrop for fabric colors and patterns chosen for furnishings for both areas.
  • ather than a small fish as a wall hanging atop the doors, a piece of your chosen art on either side of each door will create warmth and anchor colors/tones together.  

Go ahead, be creative…remember love is in the details.  

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Open Up Your Kitchen!

Most home remodels today want the finished project to feel and look open.

Older homes usually have smaller rooms walled off which for today’s lifestyle feels confined. Families today like the feeling of openness with style and fresh air flowing throughout. What is the most popular room in the house when you are entertaining?  Of course, it is the kitchen/cooking area. Often guests either bring cooked dishes or help the cook with her menu. Small rooms or walled off areas tend to make space feel narrow and confined. Traditional Home shows a very unique way to create openness to the kitchen area.

This is a home with very tall ceilings but the concept could be duplicated in homes with standard eight or nine-foot ceilings. The windowed wall has glass doors, glass panels, and operable glass panel windows. Although a separate space is created for the kitchen, openness is enhanced by the use of glass and the open window panes. Guests can also be located in the next room and still feel a part of the kitchen preparations. Openness, inclusiveness, and warmth are the goal for a newly renovated kitchen space.

Granite stone colors are two different neutral tones…gray and beige.  Each area which is a separate room has a separate color scheme with the kitchen being in the gray tones and the neutral beige being in the seating/bar space. Cabinetry also is in two colors corresponding with the stone color. This creates a calm color shift and adds interest in the space.

This photograph creates true openness for you and your guests. Go ahead and open the walls in your home creating a warm and inviting space. I bet you will entertain with joy and more often. Go ahead, be creative and create inviting spaces in your home.

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