A fun new series for spring and summer inspiration- all about flea market, second hand and tag sale treasures. And today the flea market find is is all about a vintage door & polishing it up and creating a dutch door.
Vintage Door Before
It is all about this vintage door and those vintage door details. From glass panes to chippy paint to potential- this door was one that I picked up for another project in the guest cottage- but we decided to go in a different direction for the time being and it was available for another spot.
Classic Details
Of course, I instantly loved the classic details on this door- the glass panes and diamond pattern is such a beautiful classic look. The door is also solid wood which was in great shape under all that old paint, cobwebs and dust.
Design Plan
I was planning to turn this door into a dutch door – which is one that has two separate opening pieces- a top and bottom. Since it already had the old knob hole- we would have to work with that placement but being solid wood- it was a perfect candidate for becoming dutch.
First up- we cleaned it up to get all the grunge off. A simple spray of the hose and wipe down will work for the spider webs and dust- but if you have a piece with loose paint you will need to do some scrubbing and sanding to get it ready to paint. I also have to get some paint remover for the glass- it seems someone had probably spray painted it at one point and it is not coming off easily.
Up next- we measured the area we were going to put the door and sliced it in half to create the dutch door. Once that was done we set the door and made sure it hung correctly and also opened and closed correctly. To be honest- that can take some tinkering to make happen- my husband always says that he and doors don’t get along. haha.
Paint & Trim
Up next was to get the door painted. I decided to go with the same color that is on our front door- Boothbay Gray that is custom mixed with a tad more white. Here is a quick snap showing the color while painting. You can see the light blue tone coming through.
On our front door- the color is much more gray- you can see how light the color looks below.
And I also painted the stucco chimney outdoors on the cottage with this same color and it looks like a very light gray.
Something I have learned about this color is that the lighting really plays a big part in the tone that comes through. So if using it- you may want to mix and test a small can of paint first to make sure that the color is the one you are looking for. You can read more about this custom dutch door we installed in the house HERE
Hardware
For the knob and details- I am a big fan of classic brass. I am using a small knob with backplate. As you can see- it hasn’t arrived yet- but I will update the post when it does. As well dutch doors have latches that are pretty and add a bit of character while keeping the two pieces together.
Shelf
We are also planning on adding a ‘shelf’ to the bottom half of the door- right now- it currently fits well as is- and the inside has a snug fit when it is closed. A simple shelf is a fun way to create a spot for placing a pot of flowers- and it also fixes any oops that might happen when cutting the door in half. I will share more about that process when it is wrapped up.
What to know
If you want to create a dutch door from a vintage door – there are a couple things to know.
Solid Wood Make sure the door is solid wood. Those hollow core doors or the ones that are a masonite type door that are so popular now won’t work.
Think about the placement when cutting Since there was already an existing hole for the knob- we worked with that and cut the door accordingly. But if you have a door that does not have an old hole in it- you can cut it to have a longer top or bottom and more of the look you would like.
Safety First Whenever you are working with glass and things like doors- safety safety safety first. Make sure you are qualified to cut and install a door- Or don’t do it and hire someone who qualified to do it for you. Especially with the door having glass- you need to be extra safe.
Order A Dutch Door that is Pre-Made Of course, you don’t have to create a dutch door with a vintage door- you can order one that is already a dutch door and ready to go.
I will be sharing just where this door ended up being installed very soon- and I am beyond excited to show you what we have been up to with this project. For more on that fruit and olive arrangement on our front door and how to get one of your own- you can find that HERE
Happy Friday all!
Aussie Jo says
So interesting
Renae says
I can’t wait to see it when it’s done. I love Dutch doors. Yjey add so much character.
Blessinga to you.
Tammy Moore says
That is beautiful! Gray is my favorite! Those Dutch doors add so much old world charm to home! Wish i could do that to my home. Your home is just amazing!