We bought our little ambiguous cottage, filled with hollow core doors, particle board builder's special baseboards, and cardboard cabinets... it was what we could afford, and it had good "bones".
A few months later, while looking for doors to replace our hollow core nasties, we stumbled upon these mahogany veneered doors at a local salvage yard. They looked so nice (though they needed a lot of work), and the price was just right ($25 each).
Here is one of the doors installed on our bathroom:
And here is the door with its new black jet doorknob:
Now here is the question/concern:
The door in question is CLEARLY a 1930's to 40's Tudor style door... in retrospect, it came right out of a set of university apartments that were VERY Tudor. It came with a cut glass knob and a very cool set of plates, too.
OUR house, on the other hand, may be ambiguous, but Tudor it is CLEARLY not. Our plans for the interior/exterior involve very simple woodwork along the lines of a very simplified Victorian merging a little into Craftsman (as might have been done in a 1911 folk house). These doors feel a little grand for such plans.
I felt that adding those black doorknobs helped the door fit our house quite a bit... but do they LOOK right? I'm not totally concerned about "period" style... but I want it to look good.
I suppose I could always strip down and refinish them and then sell for $150 each, giving me money to buy the 5 panel doors that would be perfect... but it's hard to find those unpainted. And these are a lot less work, since they just need a light sanding and a quick refinish.
Any thoughts?
11 comments:
Being only 3 months into owning my own house, I know very little about these things. With that disclaimer, I think the door looks good. It even strikes me as fitting with the whole kind-of-craftsman vibe. My new kitchen cabinets in the craftsman style have that same structure. So I say, yep, it's great :)
Ah, yes...5 panel doors. I love them. We've got a mix of 5, 2 and one panels. Obviously they've been added at different times, but I think we were so glad that they weren't hollow core that it never even occurred to us that they might not look right! I like those doors a lot-- and while they may be a different styling, I think they are simple enough in their profile that they can be pretty versatile. Craftsman style liked simplicity and good materials a lot, and I think these qualify.
In that way, I don't think they're out of place. You're definitely making the house nicer; and folk to craftsman is mixing it up. Now the house gets to be just a bit of a mixed bag but with great taste!
i personally like 1 panel doors. I also think it's hard ot quantify them in time with the exception of some like the craftsman 5 panel and such.
The darkness of it might be the only thing that gives it more of a Tudor style.
I like it, nice door-great shape.
Thanks all~ That helps. I usually don't care TOO much about matching... but yesterday the doors just popped out at me! They are definitely a good door... no question there!
I think the darkness is what is catching me... maybe I need to get some "real" trim up there to see!
The doors in your pictures are great. I really do not see Tudor, when I look at those doors. I see simple, clean line, classic doors, that could go with almost anything. When I think of a Tudor door, I see a door made of V-grove planks, with heavy iron hinges.
Most of our doors have two panels. We have one 5 panel door that I love and one newer door that goes from the foyer that needs replacing.
I love your blog and your doors.
The simple style of the door looks great. I think it works in your space.
Ok, been reading your blog for awhile and finally have a suggestion. When I look at the picture of the door when closed, my impression is of the handle, it being dark and all, getting swallowed up by the dark door. Might I suggest a door knob plate? Something with simple lines and such, and brass maybe. I just think the door knob needs to have a bigger presence.
But you are doing a great job on your house and I enjoy reading all about it.
MN
MN~ I think you are totally right! I just happen to have the door knobs and the mortise locks, but no plates... that's what happens when you salvage stuff, I suppose.
I'm on the lookout for some nice plates... but they might take a while. Since that is the only door that is up, no hurry. :)
I would probably have gone with brass knobs, but my husband is in love with the black knobs, and I have no real opinion on the matter!
I love the doors and think that they are simple and common enough that they look great with your house. Even though they came from a Tudor, they fit right in. I also like the knobs, but they kind of look lonely. A plate of some kind would help them to stand out. Keep an eye on ebay; I've seen quite a few lots of dor hardware go for dirt cheap.
I think the subject of Are these the right doors is subjective. Do You like the doors? If yes then they are right. If the answer is no then they are wrong.
Of course here at Casa De La pink Flamingo, just the fact there is a door is in itself an amazing item, hollow core or other!So in short if you like the doors then they are the right doors
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