There is just something about a dutch door that has a whole lot of charm.
Dutch Doors
Dutch doors have long been something I have loved-
I think the love affair with them probably started with an illustrated storybook that was a favorite to look through when I was little.
And that love has continued along with my obsession with all things home.
We added this beautiful dutch door from Simpson Door to our house-
and I can’t tell you what a difference it has made in how our home feels.
Though we aren’t opening the top currently since it is a bit chilly to have the doors or windows open in winter- I did open the top when a Fed Ex delivery guy knocked recently and he just stood there and looked at the door and said ‘ a half door?!’
We laughed a bit about it and when I shared a photo of one of our dutch doors recently- a ton of questions about how to put one in. I remembered that I had planned to share the DIY and even had the post ready- but didn’t get it shared. So sharing here today.
Barn Dutch Door
Of course dutch doors have oodles of charm- but they are also practical.
For pets or young children for example- you can open the door for fresh air while having the security of the bottom closed so no wandering out unattended (or animals wandering in)
We have a small dutch door on the greenhouse as well
and when we built the barn
adding dutch barn doors to it was on the list. Barns traditionally do have those 2 part doors- so it was an instant on the to -do list when we built this.
(this is the Star Barn)
DIY Dutch Door
And taking this regular door and making into a dutch door was a quick and easy project.
It was so simple to do- and with just about $20 in hardware.
You need:
4 hinges – 2 per each door section
A latch to keep the door sections together when you want them together
(affiliate links for what we used at the end of the post)
Since this door was already attached when the section of the barn arrived-
we had to remove it to be able to customize.
This door is a barn door- so not built like a regular door- but it did have the framing board in the center that was perfect for splitting into two sections.
Creating a dutch door
After cutting the door in half where those center boards were-
my husband simply attached the 2 new hinges so that there was one at the top and one at the bottom of each door section.
Note:
He left the original large hinges at the top of the top door and bottom of the bottom door.
You can see where the old center hinge was and the new added hinges are.
Most doors have 3 hinges on them- top, center and bottom.
You can also use the original hinges of a door-
you just won’t have the center one being usable after splitting the door.
Putting the door back on the barn
He started with the bottom section of the door and attached the hinges to the barn door frame-
Then repeated with the top.
Inside the door- there is a latch that keeps them together-or opens each individually
when it is left open-
and there is also a silver bolt in place on the outside temporarily-
but that won’t be staying.
For an additional ‘seal’ you can add a strip of wood across the back inside of the door where the two doors come together – so that there is no ‘breeze’ coming through.
We also added a barn door to the potting shed when we built it. That door was a vintage door that we did pretty much this same process to and created the barn door. We are doing a couple updates on the potting shed so will share more about that soon.
Gina says
hi courtney,
that looks so great!
what tools did you use to get a perfect cut?
did you sand and repaint the door?
one of the old professional centers here in santa barbara has all dutch doors opening onto a courtyard. it’s inviting and charming.. also let’s fresh air in…
thank you for sharing.
Mary C says
My next ho e will DEFINITELY have one- im sick of trying to beat the dogs to the door when theres a delivery. Yours is lovely!
Nancy Brantley says
I have wondered how you keep rain or water from coming thru center opening…I love those doors because you can just open top for breezes.
Lyn says
The wreath is spectacular! where can I find one?
Linda Shukri says
Everything is always beautiful when you do your projects! Love the chandelier!
Renae says
There is just something so magical about
A dutch door. W love them.
Catherine Anderson says
We have a lot in commom Courtney, I’ve have always loved and wanted a Dutch door! They’re straight out of the best fairytales!
Diana says
That is a great hack Courtney. You always have the best plans for simple changes. Thank you for sharing.
Brenda says
Help? I moved into a new home nearly 3 years ago and I have lived with pretty bear walls and am finding it very hard in DETERMINing how much wall decor is overwhelming or too sparce. i love a slight of french styling. If possible I could send pics of the rooms i am most struggling with.
Thanks for any advice!
dana curtis says
Can u tell me where u got the CHANDELIER that is in the picture? I M looking for one.
Kym says
I love the dutch door in our mud room. It was great when the children were small. You could check out the kids with the top open while they removed muddy shoes before entering. Super with a dog as well. She puts her feet on the top of the half door to great mudroom guests. 🙂
Roger says
Hello,, I was recently offered a 8×10 space for my guitar shop and want to take the existing door and create a dutch door. The top half has 9 or 12 glass pains, not sure I’m not there now. But it will need to be securely locked top and bottom when I’m away , customers guitars will be inside.. So, please if you could all the advise you can send would be appreciated