See How Salvaged Doors Add Character to a Home

Designers use distinctive old doors to make a statement in these spaces

Jennifer Christgau-Aquino June 14, 2016

Houzz Contributor. Craftsman bungalow fan turned Eichler enthusiast, vinyl record collector and die hard home renovator who loves to turn antiques modern (a piano yellow, an iron bed hot pink….)

Houzz Contributor. Craftsman bungalow fan turned Eichler enthusiast, vinyl record... More

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A door is just an entry to another space, right? Not in these projects, where the passage into another room is an experience in itself.

These homes have converted regular doors into art pieces. Take a peek inside to see how you might use a flea market find, a family heirloom or a souvenir from foreign lands.

gindesigns, llc

Beautiful Antiques

Art conservators collected these doors on their travels and wanted to create a streamlined, minimalist space in their newly built home to show them off.

This set of 11-foot-tall Moroccan camel doors lead into the kitchen. Originally these doors, which feature a passage within a door, were used to allow large animals to enter. They were in excellent condition, says Michael Landrum, the project’s architect, and needed no restoration.

To install them, the contractor drilled into the concrete and countersunk a sleeve to accommodate a pin that the doors already had, Landrum says.

gindesigns, llc

It’s not always that easy to install old doors, though. Many times they are not plumb and don’t come with their original door jambs, Landrum says. With interior doors this is more easily overcome since weather and security aren’t a factor.

These 18th-century Spanish colonial doors were installed in the homeowner’s master suite. Since the doors weren’t plumb, they did have to cut them, but there was enough wood to work with so that it didn’t detract from the door’s detail, Landrum says.

S2 Builders

Barn Doors

If you can’t retrofit the jamb or the door, then a barn door is a good option. This antique screen door, which leads to the dining room, was found at a local show by the homeowner.

She wanted to incorporate something old in the front entry to be used as a way to direct traffic flow into the living room when entertaining. She liked the patina it brought to the space.

Sicora Design/Build

These 90-year-old doors were reclaimed from a farmhouse in the client’s family, says Ron Sennek, president of Sicora Design/Built. The doors were thoroughly cleaned and sanded, instead of stripped, to preserve the character that can come only from wear.

The 36-by-80-inch doors were installed on traditional barn-style hardware.

“It’s a fun rustic piece that injected the owner’s personality and heritage right into the project,” Sennek says.

Reiko Feng Shui Design

Closet Entrance

Inserting these closet doors into the dining room of this New York City loft took a lot of work. Designer Reiko Gomez found the doors — 8 feet tall and 4 feet wide — in Paris. They are more than 130 years old and showed it. “The frames were splitting, and the overall stability was poor,” she says.

They were rebuilt by a carpenter so they could be hung securely and function properly without sacrificing the original detail, Gomez says. They also were sealed in a clear matte sealant to eliminate splinters, without taking away from the great patina.

“They are so full of character and charm, that the closet doors became the backdrop of our dining area,” she says.

Pantry Door

These doors were originally in an old Boston office building and still had tobacco stains on the glass.

They were more than 9 feet tall and had to be cut down a foot to act as the pantry doors in the kitchen.

Jay Sifford Garden Design

Garden Gate

Old doors in a garden are unexpected stunners, says landscape designer Jay Sifford. He bought these from an Asian antiques importer to give a peaceful vibe to the space. The 75-year-old doors cost around $1,200 and were removed from a condemned building. He then retrofitted them with new hardware.

He built the red threshold to fit the doors. There is no good way to lock the doors, so if you use old doors outside that don’t offer security, put them in a place where that’s not an issue, he says.

Sifford applies linseed oil twice a year to help protect them from the weather.

WERK | Building Modern

Old Wood, New Look

If you can’t find an antique door you like, you can always recycle wood to replicate the same aesthetic.

A carpenter was going to fabricate the doors for this bathroom, but the client found a vendor who reworks reclaimed barn wood into doors for about $250 to $300 per door. It gives a nice texture and warmth to the modern bathroom, says Christopher Short, a principal at Haus Architecture. They were installed with inexpensive barn hardware.

If there is old paint on the doors, people may want to consider sealing them with a satin finish to maintain their rustic quality, Short says.

“Using old doors is a great way to recycle while maintaining character of an original historic space, even if they were not originally part of that same structure,” he says.

Have a great old door? We want to see it! Please share a photo in the Comments and tell its tale.

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