American Farmhouse Style – June 2019

124 • AMERICAN FARMHOUSE STYLE

Abode: Thoughtful Living

with Less by Serena Mitnik-

Miller and Mason St. Peter

with Melissa Goldstein,

published by Abrams,

©2019; abramsbooks.com.

There are many reasons to remove a door, whether you’re tearing down a

wall to create an open fl oor plan or installing a sliding barn door. Authors

Serena Mitnik-Miller and Mason St. Peter give simple instructions here.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

• Book, magazine or helper


• Hammer


• Flat-head screwdriver
  WHAT YOU’LL DO:

If you aren’t able to go to these lengths

in your own home, the authors give some

simpler options as well. For example, in a

historic home, exposing windows is a simple

task that’s easy and will instantly brighten a

room. Try to minimize curtains or any window

coverings to let natural light in.

Another easy upgrade is to change out

the light fi xtures. This one simple change

can completely transform the style of your

home. Mitnik-Miller and St. Peter suggest

frosted globe shades, which “[have] the

bonus eff ect of distilling the light in a soft,

ambient manner.”

RECONSTRUCTION

This is the part where your vision becomes

reality. It’s also when you have to make fi nal

decisions about everything from fl oors and

paint colors to furniture and appliances.

“There’s ample opportunity for function

and beauty to overlap, from area rugs to

doorknobs,” the authors write. “But there’s also

room for beauty for beauty’s sake—objects

that are a pleasure to behold, and plants

whose very presence bolsters your mood.”

HOW TO REMOVE A DOOR

1. Wedge a book or magazine
   underneath the door to keep it from
   toppling over while you unpin it, or
   recruit a helper to hold it steady.


2. Force the pin up from the bottom
   door hinge. Taking a hammer and
   your screwdriver, gently ram the
   pin upward, using the fat end of the

screwdriver against the pin and

tapping the handle upward with

the hammer until the pin lodges

upward and you can remove it.

3. Repeat this step with the
   top hinge.


4. Remove the door. If you
   are renting, keep the door
   someplace safe until the time
   you are set to move out; if not,
   consider using it to make a
   spare worktable in your garage
   or elsewhere.

Natural light opens up a space and makes it feel bigger.

Mitnik-Miller and St. Peter strive for the most natural

light possible by having many uncovered windows.