Doors

We are almost there with our house renovation (downstairs at least ;)  and one of the last things that needs to happen before we can move downstairs into our bedroom is adding doors.  They are set to arrive today (eeeeek!!)
 
 
I don't have anything as cool as the barn doors (above) going in but I loved the picture. 
 
I have a thing for black & white mixed with warm wood tones & then a little bit of color (in accents- especially green!! ;) ;) sprinkled about, so I've settled on doing black doors for our house.  We have mostly ivory walls & wood floors & seagrass throughout the house, so I thought doing the doors in black would give me that palette I love.  The doors are arriving unpainted & I need to decide on the paint finish today. 
 
I am leaning towards a low or no sheen look & so I loooove the flat look of the barn doors in the pic above..
 
Here are some really beautiful high-gloss blue doors that are so dark they look black (the reverse of Superman's hair ;):
 
 
{Nate Berkus}
 
I love the stark contrast of the black doors (below) against the white and of course in combination with the warm wood floors:
 
 



 

{The books add more of the warmth & age that I love & the purple & green from the lilac arrangement is just the right amount of color for me personally.}
 
The sheen on these doors below is really pretty:
 
 
It's probably a semi-gloss.
 
And again, it's the wood on that clock that does it for me.
 
The dutch doors (below) from one of Thomas O'Brien's homes are sooooooo amazing.. 


{I loooooove this kitchen!!!  So simple & spare & fresh!! I love the modern-vintage-farmhouseish feel.}
 
I've decided on 3 panel doors like this one:
 
 
I wanted something that feels both old & modern at the same time.  I was looking for some interest, but nothing with any frills or curves.
 
I think they'll look really similar to this door (below) except I think trim is a bit simpler on mine...
 
 
{House Beautiful}
 
The home above is perfection to me.  I've posted this photo multiple times on the blog & I just loooove the mood of this room.  It's got that neutral yet warm palette I love and that overall relaxed natural feeling.  This feels like the type of house I'd love coming home to...  All of those warm woods and the ivory walls with the hit of black...  The branch in the Ball jar make it for me!!  I hope our home feels something like this (although it's a contemporary house, so the style will be really different.) as far as mood goes.



If you'd like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact me about our design services.

28 comments:

Becky Cowen said...

i absolutely love your style and can not wait to see finish project pictures! i am also very jealous that your home renovation is going so smoothly and fast. my home reno - not so much ;)

Unknown said...

It must be so amazing to design your dream home! You have such great style can't wait to see the pics : )

Stacey {steward of design} said...

I absolutely love that last picture as well.
We just had all our interior doors sprayed white and now of course I wish I had done black. I can't wait to see yours!

Leanne and Jamie said...

I can't wait to see how they turn out!

Janna McCalley said...

We installed (most) of our doors a little while ago and used a similar style to the HB image-a contemporary look for our victorian era home. They're solid core(my hubby insisted) and we plan to paint them a dark blue-black similar to our kitchen cabinets. Like you, I love that classic warm look!

Sonja B. said...

Great article -- how timely! I have mostly neutral walls and was just noticing how I am drawn to painted black furniture. I'm considering painting our built-in china cabinet black (all other mill work is an ivory). Curious to see what you go with for the doors! Let us know.

ddu said...

Are you painting the doors with oil or latex? Our doors are done in a flat latex, and I have scrubbed them to death to remove little fingerprints (love the memory of those PBJ marks all over the house!). My painter told me that glossier finishes clean more easily. I'll certainly up the shine value when we re-do them -- maybe in time for grandchildren! Best wishes!

Anonymous said...

That last photo has always been one of my favorites too! I'm sure you already know this but if not it's the work of Barbara Westbook. I love browsing her portfolio for inspiration. Love seeing pictures of your reno.

pve design said...

Wonderful. I love how you find things that just reinforce perfection for you in your home and for clients too. No wonder you do what you love to do for your business. Love those dark doors.
pve

Amy @ Five Kinds of Happy said...

The reverse of Superman's hair! hahahaha. So true. Your house is going to be amazing... ee!

Anonymous said...

Hi, as a paint specialist, the first photo is NOT paint, it is a stain. I can tell you that by looking (though I have no affiliation with that particular project). Definitely the way to go, though, if you want that kind of rustic look. Flat paint on a door is not going to be a pretty sight after a little while when you have high traffic/young children!

Laurie said...

Can't wait to see them, Love dark painted doors.

Acquired Objects said...

I've been slowly painting all of our inside doors black and I have to say I love it! I love watching your home come alive and can't wait to see more.

XXX
Debra~

Amy@eatsleepdecorate said...

Absolutely love the three panel door! It will fit perfectly into your newly renovated home! Can't wait to see it all pulled together!

Unknown said...

We struggled with the same decisions when we painted our front door black. What type of finish, should I paint the interior and the exterior etc. Ultimately decided on a semi gloss on both interior and exterior and I absolutely love it. Especially when contrasted with the wonderful new wood floors, white trim and soft beige walls. Maybe I should post some pics on my blog...will add that to my list. So glad your reno went so fast...jealous!

Maria Killam said...

Love these images, and your kitchen doors. Can't wait to see it all finished!
x
Maria

EDYTA & CO. INTERIOR DESIGN said...

Yes! Love me some black doors :)

from Katie- said...

I am loving the progress and the black doors. Congratulations on the publication! Well deserved.

I have a question for you. How much of environmental upbringing plays on our design sensibilities? I grew up in Maryland and currently live in Miami ( lucky me, I know), and keep to some of the formality of the DC area but am becoming more drawn to the natural woods and even modern architecture. It makes sense here. Just thought it an interesting evolutionary question.

Loretta Fontaine (EcoHappy Blog) said...

Lauren- That last photograph from House Beautiful has such a lovely feel to it.

Can't wait to see your doors - such a nice (solid) finishing touch.

Loretta

Melissa said...

I am a new follower. I love your style and would love to know your source for your 3 panel doors. Just what I am looking for! Thanks. melissawize@aol.com

Unknown said...

Lauren, I love the barn door picture. I just painted the interior side of our 3 exterior doors the new daryl carter color (DC-22) from Benjamin Moore in semi-gloss. It's a soft bluish black. They look great and make me very happy. Love the 3 panel style and following the progress on your home. :) Lisa

Meg B said...

Hi Lauren,

I adore your designs and I am watching with such anticipation as your new home comes together! I have noticed that you say you use ivory paint in many of your spaces...do you have any go-to ivory paint colours? (We use Benjamin Moore paint)

Thanks!
Meagan
mb08kh@gmail.com

Unknown said...

I like this site..Its nice and it gave us lots of ideas.. Thanks for sharing great info. about home products.
drain cleaning, CO

Kaylene said...

I have doors painted in BM iron mountain and I love it! Not only is the contrast great with any wall color but with 4 kids it hides marks and scuffs so much better than white doors.

peter2022 said...

I really love this article
swimming pool cleaners Texas

Naomi@DesignManifest said...

Lauren, I so enjoying following along with your renovation! The closet looks great and I'm totally on board with the doors. I'm planning on black as well. At least for the first floor (or until I change my mind :)

A Lifestyle Thing said...

LOVING how your house is coming together! And so quickly! We are also having all our new doors painted black {we're doing high gloss}. Not only do I love the look of black against white walls, but I figured the black would hide the grimy dirt from lots of sticky kiddo hands. Haha!

jack smith said...

You can easily get this specialized job done by a professional such as a packers and movers' company at a budget-friendly price.Furniture removalists sydney