Thursday, March 12, 2015

A Farmhouse Door......................( before and after )


When we first moved into this place this is how the doors upstairs looked...............
( vomit bag not provided - sorry )


Complete with flimsy plastic " stained glass " panel inserts. ( that made the worst plastic-y sound when you opened and closed the doors )


I know you're thinking " cheater - those are not the same doors at all "
But believe it or not I discovered that these doors had veneers covering the original panels ( you can read about my discovery HERE )

( We'll just call this privacy film a test run, ok?  It's not centered correctly - but still - even off centered, it such a difference already, right? )



Why anyone would mask them this way I have no idea - maybe an attempt to modernize the house back in the day?
I can't for the life of me understand the thought process on this one  - I just can't.

The conversation must have went something like this.
"Let's see now - how can we make these solid wood doors - filled with character - look more like hollow builder grade doors ?"
"Oh and I've found the perfect plastic panels we can use as inserts"

I mean a LOT of work had to have gone into creating the " look ", right?  Precise cutting - glueing etc..........on all 6 of them - both sides, so that's like 12 times -
Which created a lot of work to restore them, needless to say !

AND 6 dark doors in a very tiny upstairs landing ( 7 if you include another cupboard door )  made the entire landing extremely dreary looking - especially with the 70's upgrade railing and bannisters that are still there - painted but still there for now.

The veneers were removed and the doors were sanded down ( removing more glue than I've ever seen in my life ) and painted white.
I'm sure the square footage has increased with all of the shi crap we've scraped off  floors - walls - doors !

We then installed a plain panel of clear glass and added the privacy film which would allow light to come through. ( well actually we lived with a piece of plastic from a black garbage bag on the bedroom door for 10 months and even that was better than the plastic pane that was there before lol )
Originally there would have been a wood panel inserted in there - but I desperately need the light that glass brings into the landing.
I asked John at least once a day for those 10 months to PLEASE install a glass panel and finally last weekend he did it
10 months is pretty good considering there were a LOT of hockey games on in that period of time.
You need time to rejoice.................and to grieve.
I grabbed hold of him after one particularly great game and asked if he wanted to celebrate by installing the glass ( I could have got him to build new doors - he was that happy )

And the doors now look like this - well one of them at least - I'm in the process of finishing the others as I type - but playoffs are going to start soon - so I'm a little worried.
I've never had so much at stake for our team to win !



I spray painted backplates and found a vintage glass handle ( the screws aren't in the back plates yet because I tried all kinds of handles before settling on this one.
Maybe.




Although I can't make the teen tiny landing larger - I'm doing my best to make it brighter
I'd love to have a skylight installed but we're not sure if it's feasible -and there's still so much to do as you know ( I'm feeling discouraged the past few weeks - very very discouraged )

For now I'm enlisting the aid of white paint - and mirrors.
As many as I can squeeze in .....................



And now you know the story of my Farmhouse doors ( would you call them that?  Not sure what style they are actually ! )

All I know is that I like them a whole lot better ................


Here's a better view - which I was NOT going to show because the room's a mess - with a half painted mirror ( for months now - you learn to live like that when you're renovating - trust me ) and a mantel being used as a catch all - but I figured if I don't water mark it, I can always deny it's my room later on LOL


Country Doors - take me home........................

Huh?  Excuse me?  I've never seen this room in my life.

Have a wonderful rest of the day everyone
Much love,
Hugs too
Me


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84 comments:

  1. I can't for the life of me understand why you'd want to change those doors! They were modern! They were.... OK, you're right, vomit inducing does pretty much cover it.

    I'm sitting here, trying to wrap my head around it. All I can think is WHY!?!

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    1. I have no idea - like I said, I can't wrap my head around it lol
      But then again - this house is/was entirely filled with genius ideas like this - mind boggling to say the least.
      Don't get me started on fake orange/brown panelling either...............
      xox

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  2. I loved seeing the transformation of the doors again...could not believe anyone would cover them up with veneer (ugly veneer at that) when you first posted about them. They are so bright & cheerful now. Even the squirrel must be happy about them! I think he's smiling. :-)

    The sneak peak of the black & white dresser looks good. Love the contrast you're adding.

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    1. Thanks so much Nancy - I think they covered them to match the whole 70's ski lodge look they were going for in this house lol............
      Do you remember the squirrel story LMHO???
      The dresser was painted ages ago - it's the mirror I promptly stopped lol
      xox

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    2. I laugh out loud when I think about the scary squirrel. Much nicer in his updated color. :-) Have a fabulous weekend!

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    3. and he's going white next LOL

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  3. The refurbished door looks fabulous, even with the privacy film slightly off center. The style of door looks Craftsman to me and it perfectly complements the proportions of the house. I can't say I've ever seen glass on an interior bedroom door like that before -- I am guessing in the "old days" curtains would have been hung on the inside of the doors to provide privacy but also still let some light shine through to the hall/landing. As for changing styles, you know how it goes. When Queen Anne furniture was over-taken by Georgian style in England, priceless furniture was stashed in attics or relegated to servants' quarters and gradually just tossed away over the years. Georgian was replaced by Regency; Regency by King Edward, etc. etc. and that's only the English style! It happens everywhere, all the time, sadly - it happened in France, in Germany, in Spain, and in the US, etc. The old becomes not good enough at some point and we are brainwashed into believing that we want to modernize to - well, whatever. That's why you had and continue to have people tear out original hardwood floors that only need a good sanding and restaining to look great again or could be painted; and tearing out old kitchen cabinets that have twice the storage of the modern junk that replaces them; who tile over hexagonal black and white tiled floors in bathrooms and entry halls, tear out perfectly fine subway tiling and old soapstone sinks and tear out built-in china cabinets, custom-fit to the house at the time it was built. That's why people build McMansions and think they're the epitomy of elegance and good taste. That's why I'm living with honey oak cabinets that have the "cathedral" arch on the top doors that were great in 1990 but not so much now and newly laid vinyl plank flooring in a perfectly clashing "wood" look color and "grain" that was put down by my sellers of this house. I think even the orange 1970's vinyl that may be hidden underneath would be better for my peace of mind - the tones would match those in the cabinets :) Thank goodness for Nicole Curtis, who is teaching people that old doesn't have to be ugly but has integrity and can be made beautiful once again; rather like me (ahem).

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  4. Don't be so hard on fake orange brown panelling. In the houses I lived in when growing up putting up cheap fake panelling on the walls was a luxury to cover over crumbling and horridly cracked plaster. Later, when I got into "decorating" in my teen years, we wallpapered over the panelling, LOL!

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  5. Holy crap Suzan! They are soooo cool! Do you think if I take the veneer off of my nasty doors upstairs that I will find a country door underneath???? Maybe I'll start playing John Denver and the magic will happen.

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  6. Those doors Oh my. I love what you have done to it. Keep going. You have made such a huge difference with that house.

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  7. Nice job!!! I agree wholeheartedly about the paneling - UGLY and UGH too. I had not fake but real wood paneling on 3 single walls in 3 different rooms and they were all dark stains and gross smelling. Paint makes me so very happy!

    xoxoxox

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  8. It was a lot of work, but WOWZA! What a huge impact. I can't believe anyone ever covered them up, but then again, what goes around, comes around . . .

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  9. I totally agree with Jan, I think the doors are Craftsman. Which is AWESOME. You did wonderful CPR on those doors, they look fabulous. Some people have no imagination - that's why some of us can take old outdated furniture and breathe new life into it with a coat of paint and "those" people will pay handsomely for it! (evil laugh inserted here)!!

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    Replies
    1. LOL Sharon - the doors kind of remind me of the clothes and shoes and hairstyles of the 70's - it wasn't an era of " taste " that's for sure - I cringe when I remember some of the things I wore LOL
      Thanks so much
      XOXO

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  10. One can never understand the minds of DIYers from the past... I'm so glad you found those wonderful elegant doors underneath all that mess!

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  11. Oh, such a great improvement!

    http://jeanneselep.blogspot.com/2015/03/spring-paper-tag-project.html

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  12. We have a programme here called Homes under the Hammer (I told you I watch ANYTHING if houses are involved) where people buy properties at auction usually in dire need of a refurb. The number of times the presenter points at a door/doors in a similar state to yours and says 'if you strip off this veneer there is probably a lovely old door underneath', it was obviously all the rage back in the day :-0 Sadly a lot of the renovators don't go to the trouble and when we come back to see the finished house it's full of standard DIY store doors that are nearly as bad!!! So kudos to you for going the extra mile, it's so worth the effort :-))

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    Replies
    1. And here I thought I was a genius for discovering this Gerry LOL - but honestly I've never seen this before ( and I watch all those shows too ! )
      Thanks girlfriend
      xox

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  13. I love what you've done with the door, such an improvement! I have to say the old door decor looked like a throwback to the sixties, somebody was tripping when they covered those doors!

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  14. How did you do the bottom panel inserts..??
    The new look is amazing...just beautiful

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  15. OOO...I see...that part of the door was covered with another piece (veneer) ?? That's crazy but guess we all have different tastes...sure do like yours a lot better.

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  16. I feel so sad for you having to take on yet another challenge X 12. Thank goodness ours simply needed paint removed from tortoise glass handles (yes, they were painted over in black God only knows why). A neighbour heard we were in need of more doors and he gladly gave us 2. It was amazing when the old morticed glass handle sets slide in and fit them perfectly. I love what you have done with your doors and don't forget about your linen closet which I love too. You have done so very much, keep the faith and let's enjoy a glass of wine! xo Patty

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  17. Great transformation on the door. What were they thinking. These people did the most mind boggling things to the house.

    Cindy

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  18. The door looks wonderful and the landing seems pretty bright. If you want to bring more natural light to the landing add a Solatube. We have installed them in 2 homes and they make a huge difference. They are very small but offer enough natural light that guests are always looking for a light switch to "turn of the light"

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    Replies
    1. I knew someone who had installed one of them in a bathroom once - the light was amazing !
      Thanks so much Chris
      XOXO

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  19. I can NOT EVEN imagine what the idiots who covered the beautiful door were thinking!! You've done a great job restoring them... love the idea of the privacy panel to let the light in.
    Definitely Craftsman...

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  20. Holy crap, you must've been doing the happy dance ♫ ah,ha,ha,ha, stayin' alive, stayin' alive ♪ when you discovered what was hiding underneath. Saved you loads of $$$ not having to replace them. They look great!

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    Replies
    1. LMHO !!!
      I happened to do the Footloose song !
      Thanks so much Marie !
      xoxo

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  21. Wow, why? I can't imagine wanting to cover those up to look like hollow core doors. I love how they look now. Great idea with the glass. It should really help brighten the landing. Amazing. Still shaking my head over the before. Ugh.

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  22. wow, such a great improvement Suzan!

    Tania

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  23. Can you imagine someone covering up those doors with veneer? I suppose there was a solid panel in the glass portion when the doors were new. They sure are going ot be great when you get them all done...and good luck with that (and hockey games). xo Diana

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  24. Magical! Love it. What are people thinking when they do this. That the door isn't contemporary? Ugh.

    Love the light that comes in and the furnitureyou have. The knob and backplate (never knew it was called that ) are awesome! :)

    Jane xxx

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  25. Wow Suzan this door looks great. What a great find under that ugly door. Looks awesome.
    Kris

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  26. What a Big improvement. The door makeover looks Grrrrrrrreat.
    Hard to believe that they are the same door

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  27. Love the door Suzan, it looks fabulous (and like it was a lot of work to do).

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    Replies
    1. It WAS an incredible amount of work lol - but so worth it in the end.
      Thanks so much - happy weekend!
      xoxo

      Delete
  28. I actually had the same experience with one of the doors in this house. I stripped the panel off and then made a headboard with it....lol. The door was no longer needed as the wall was ripped down but if I would of realized that it was that beautiful underneath, I would have stripped it years before. Love what you did with your door Suzan. It is gorgeous!

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  29. The doors are beautiful! Aren't you glad you didn't leave them at the curb?! I'm painting doors today, too....but sadly, no pretties underneath...just "orange" slatted bi-folds, but white will be an improvement :D TAke care!

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  30. Your door is gorgeous!!! I so love and envy your vision and energy!!! Now that I am in recovery mode hopefully I can get my butt in gear and get some projects done here on the home front!!! I have wanted to add molding and paint my doorknobs and hinges to all my interiors doors for years!!!! You just may be my inspiration!!!! Have a blessed day!!!! XOXOXOX Karen

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    Replies
    1. Hey Karen - recovery from what??? I didn't know you were sick - take some time before you start attacking projects !
      Thanks so much - YOU have a wonderful weekend girlfriend !
      xoxoxo

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  31. Sure makes me wonder why anyone would cover up that beautiful door with veneer. What were they thinking back in the day? Your door is beautiful now.
    ~Cindy

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  32. Your door is gorgeous! You did a great job updating it!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks so much Jennifer - it makes such a difference in the landing, I can't tell you!
      xoxo

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  33. Wow..cannot believe that they covered those beautiful doors...glad you discovered what beauty was underneath!

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  34. Oh. My. God. Those doors are beautiful. It's a crime that they were covered up for so long.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks SO much Lisa - maybe it's a good thing - in reality they were being preserved LMHO !!!
      xoxo

      Delete
  35. I can't believe they would cover the doors... My bedroom door used to be beautiful, I guess, and then the previous owners changed the floor and rather than cutting the door carefully, they cut right through the different panels, which meant that with time, the door dislocated itself... I tried everything but couldn't save it!

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  36. Wow, Suzan! I love the door! There's just one problem, as I ripped through my door I did not find a gorgeous door like yours! Nor did I pull back the carpet and find beautiful hardwoods;(
    Some people have all the luck! LOL Gorgeous refresh!!!
    Hugs,
    Patti

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  37. I can't believe you made that beautiful door from that hot mess it was! Amazing job!
    I would love for you to stop by my blog and join our Something to Talk About link party Monday's-Thursday!
    Have a great weekend
    Karen

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    Replies
    1. Thanks so much Karen - ( and for the invite )
      See you Monday xoxo

      Delete
  38. Suzan ... We have ten of those flat veneer paneled doors in our house and if I thought there was a beautiful hardwood door underneath, I would rip that stuff off in a minute. Glad you found a beautiful door under the ugly veneer. Ours are just the typical 80's flat panel doors and we just have to live with them.
    Blessings,
    Audrey Z. @ Timeless Treasures

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  39. The door is spectacular! Your hard work really paid off! Love it!

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  40. Suzan, your door is amazing! I extend my sympathies for living with the original door even for one day. What a huge improvement!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks so much Kim !
      LOL - I could use your sympathies for more than the door - holy cow - whatever ever possessed me to buy this fixer upper !
      xoxo

      Delete
  41. Holy smokes! That is a huge transformation. Kudos to you for sticking to it. I may have given up!

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  42. Wow! What an amazingly beautiful transformation! Although those old 70's doors did fill my heart with a tiny bit of nostalgia ('Purple Haze' playing in my mind :). I would have never guessed what was beneath! Great job! - Karen

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    Replies
    1. LMHO with Purple Haze playing !
      Thanks so much Beatrice
      xoxo

      Delete
  43. What were they thinking covering those doors! I'm so glad you discovered what was underneath Susan. Such a lovely transformation. Don't be discouraged... your home is coming along nicely... renovations just take patience!!

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  44. I like your doors with their frostiness, black plates and crystal handles! So lovely! I wanted a skylight too...but it was not to be.

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  45. WOW, what a great improvement! Good Job
    BTW, I found you from the Scoop Link Party
    www.BundleMeBaby.etsy.com

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  46. LOVE the door....you did an awesome job!!!

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  47. Your door is gorgeous now, well done.

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  48. Oh shoot, everyone already took my thoughts re the door...so here goes: "I lol ab so lute ly" love that word VINTAGEOUS!

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  49. Oh WOW! This is hilarious, who on earth would do something like this. It's hard to imagine what was going through the mind of a DIYer back in the 60s, but I'm sure they're remembering what they did and are still gagging over it. Love the transformation. Thanks so much for sharing at Vintage Inspiration Party,

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  50. Wow! That definitely IS a fabulous door!!!

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  51. Love the doors Suzan! You really have transformed the entire area from dark and dreary to light and cheery! Thanks for sharing with SYC.
    hugs,
    Jann

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  52. So spectacular. Good thing you noticed! It was so much work!!! I know ours were and they didn't have glue. I almost wanted to get rid of them until I realized what's available today.

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  53. The door looks beautiful. What a transformation. I have featured it at my DIYbyDesign link party going on right now. Please stop by and pick up an I've Been Featured button. Thanks. http://diybydesign.blogspot.com

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  54. What a beautifully done project... I love the "new" doors... great job. :)

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  55. Love your new door and the hardware, such an improvement!
    Thanks so much for sharing at AMAZE ME MONDAY!
    Blessings,
    Cindy

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  56. Wow, hard to believe that is the same door - what a transformation! Featured you at our party this morning. Thanks so much for sharing!

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Due to a large amount of spam ( that I'm tired of going back to posts and deleting ) I'll be using comment moderation from now on !!!
Can I beat these spammers at their own game? Probably not - but I'm going
to try my damnedest !!!
xoxo