Doors are the opening to a whole new world of possibilities

I have always been fascinated by doors.  Especially old doors.  I love their unique character, the solidness of the wood and the idea that they represent an opening into a space.  Symbolically they are wonderful....but quite frankly they are also just a fantastic resource for great solid wood. 

The house I grew up in was old.  The doors were old.  And when certain rooms were opened up and renovated, the doors came off and were stored in our garage (oh to have that double car, barn door garage as a workshop studio now!!).  I often looked up in the rafters and thought of what I could do with those old doors.   I am still kicking myself that I didn't take them when my parents sold the house...that and the original tin ceiling in our kitchen!!  Using doors to make things out of isn't new.  People have built all sorts of things out of them because the wood is perfect and solid and they have such amazing character. 

I had collected a few doors over the years and found some extras in the first house we bought, so I decided it was time to do something with them.

I started by making a headboard and footboard for our bed.

Then I started cutting the doors up and using the wood for the sides of bookcases and other furniture.

Soon I realized I could add windows too as "doors".

I  just love the character and uniqueness of these pieces.  Where possible I have kept the original hardward intact and even kept the original paint finishes if possible.

I have lots of other "resources" in my basement......

And what used to be our kids playhouse.......sorry boys!

If I don't start making more pieces soon I may just have a revolt around here!!  So I am off to build, create and restore.....stay tuned for more updates!

To blog or not to blog....

Over the years several people have been telling me that I need to start spreading the word about what I am doing.  To document and show people how I take the junk I find and transform it into something great.  I have resisted because, to be honest, I am so low tech that the idea of doing a blog seemed impossible.

I have come to the realization that it will not only be a fun way to watch the transformation of all the pieces I work on,  but it will also inspire me to keep at it.  Hopefully a little peer pressure will help me to finish all these projects I have in my workshop!! 

It started with finding things at the curb and picking them up to reuse.  I loved the idea of taking something old and reworking it into a usable and beautiful piece.  The idea of saving space in the landfill and also the story of the old piece are fascinating to me.

One of my first finds was when I was about 9 months pregnant and I found some old door moldings in someone's garbage.  A bit of sanding and paint, and voila!  Picture rails for our old family photos.

Over the years I have found tons of things that inspire me out of dumpsters, flea markets and thrift shops.  Giving them new life for either our home or someone else is exciting and rewarding.

So stick around, check in with me from time to time and see what I am up to next!