Even a smaller house has a lot of doors (porte, singular porta). I count 17 in Casa Avventura.
(I visited a window supplier during my last trip, so these decisions are based on what I learned then.)
Exterior Doors
We have five exterior doors, plus the portone (front door): three sets of French doors, a kitchen door, and a door to the upstairs terrazza.
Question one was to decide if we wanted full-length glass or a wood panel of some size below. While we want light and the ability to appreciate the view, full-length seemed like too much. We opted a partial glass door, in proportions somewhere between 60/40 and 80/20.
Next, the glass panes. The original proposal was for the glass to be a single, undivided pane. After looking at some pictures, Anne decided that having divided light doors (and windows) would be nicer.
At first, Kevin and the architect were concerned that a standard horizontal and vertical grid would interfere with the view. So we settled on horizontal muntins only.
So we’re planning on French doors with bottom wood panels roughly like the picture. The other two exterior doors, the kitchen and terrazza, will be a single panel but will follow this design.
Interior Doors
These will be spruce, rather than the mahogany used on the exterior doors and windows. The design is simple: a two-panel rail and style door, with the top panel larger than the bottom. Hardware will be simple and have a bit of an old look. All interior doors will have locks and keys.
Special Doors
We have planned two doors to have a different look, just for fun. They will be made of old or distressed wood.
Upstairs linen closet
We saw online a sliding door, called a “barn door”, used in a location where you need the doors to swing out, like for a closet. It seemed like a nice touch.
Now I’m seeing photos of them everywhere and I wonder if it’s too trendy for my taste.
We received some cost estimates for this door. It seemed high to me, but Kevin pointed out it’s a lower cost than the “non-special” doors.
Here’s how the carpenter presented the estimate:
The Sliding Door for 1st Floor Closet:
- The slider mech would need to be handmade in polished iron, circa 280€ (needs to be made to run quietly).
- The door in the image is not old, but rather a new door made from old timber stock. I could easily copy this basic style for 270€
- Delivery and mounting, 140€
- Total estimated job: 690€.
Coat closet door
The concept here is to have a coat closet door that opens outward but doesn’t take too much hall space. We thought we might just have another special door.
(The picture here is only a very rough approximation of what we are looking for: different color and style, different hardware.)
Here’s the carpenter:
The Double Door For Hallway Closet:
- Will custom fabricate
- Timber to be aged and distressed as per house style
- Delivery and mounting, included
- Total estimated job: 480€
Update on Special Doors
We had to drop the linen closet sliding door, because when we redesigned the top floor bath, the door was moved and there is no longer enough space for the door to slide.
It will be a door like the one on the coat closet.
Door (and Window) Color
Nearly all the houses we’ve looked at have stained window frames, in a darker color. The question is how dark to go: look traditional, but fit the overall brightness of the house. We decided on a medium brown that should fit this balance.
Sources:
French door panel: | http://www.buywooddoors.com/shop/product/154
Barn door: | https://www.wayfair.com/August-Grove%C2%AE-Celeste-1-Panel-Interior-Barn-Door-ATGR2244.html
Closet door: | https://pixabay.com/en/wooden-door-old-wood-door-1189967/
Other images: Copyright © Our Big Italian Adventure
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