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DOORS WELCOME US INTO A
PARTICULAR PLACE AND TIME.
They hold stories of houses lived in and
people sheltered, enriching our own sense
of home. To bring an antique door into your
space—whether it was discovered at a flea
market, handed down from an older generation,
or rescued from another home—is to carry
on that connection while creating a beautiful
balance of past and present.
In centuries past, doors were typically made
of solid wood and moldings were hand-carved,
their pieces fitting together in a chain of unique
links. While most doors today are crafted from
practical engineered woods and veneers—or
fiberboard, steel, and aluminum, depending
on use—the scratched-and-worn patina of an
antique brings warmth and depth to a new build
or modern home in a way that contemporary
materials just can’t match. Heirlooms instantly
steep a space in character.
No matter where you choose to place an
antique door—as a distinct architectural
entrance, the unexpected focal point of a living
space, or a dramatic enhancement of a room—
you’ll be rewarded with a design feature that
reveals something new every time you look at
it. Doors imbued with age have the potential
to create both privacy and welcome—all while
maintaining a sense of story that becomes part
of your own.
PRESERVE AN AGED PATINA
In a home office or a hallway, a weathered
doorway creates a room-defining detail. Resist
refinishing an antique door—instead, leave the
layers of stain and paint applied over time for a
more personal, meaningful design detail.
ADD COLOR AND CHARACTER
Style is in the details, and often-overlooked
elements sometimes afford the most opportunity
to cultivate character. Painted doors can
transform a space by introducing rich color.
There’s no need for a perfect paint job.
The weathered red of an old exterior door
adds charm at the bottom of a stairwell. PHO
TO
GRAPH (TO
P) BY
LISA PETRO
LE^
PHO
TO
GRAPH (BO
TTO
M) BY
JEFF HERR
DESIGN BY
AM
Y JACO
BS / GATHER & BUILD
