Saturday, March 29, 2014

The Lesson of Winter

I have been absent for a few weeks.
 Good to be back.




noun
noun: spring; plural noun: springs
1.
the season after winter and before summer, in which vegetation begins to appear, in the northern hemisphere from March to May and in the southern hemisphere from September to November.
"in spring the garden is a feast of blossom"

I posted this photo on Instagram recently so I could show you the reality of spring this year in my part of the world.
According to the definition this should not be happening.

One thing we learned after such a brutal winter and a delayed spring.... 
well, perhaps we were simply reminded.... 
was that we cannot wait any longer
to replace our "front door".

So, in our buried state of snow-dom we have been searching for ideas of what that might look like.

The doors at the front of our house...which open on to the front deck.... look like this.
Okay....only photo I could find (sans neige)  is below... panoramic feature on iPhone... I know...distorted.
And by the way that was fall.... my new favourite season after summer.
It used to be spring. 


 Those same style doors open on to the back balcony off the dining room.


So, I want to keep a similar feel.
I am leaning towards the 3/4 window look.
I still want to let light flood that side of the house given it faces south.
But not sure if I want double doors or a single door.


via Simplified bee

And, what about the rules?
Not that I get too hung up on them but it does become permanent... and curb appeal etc.
 
I have a 3-paned double door on the front and back of the house.
Do I have to stick with that on the side?
The side door is really our front.... door.... you know, place of entry. 


Last summer we had a roof built out over the back door and I was surprised at how inexpensive a job it was.
I am thinking about building a roof on the side deck as well which would allow us to hang a nice light and create a greater senseof an entrance area.

Abby Unrath

I will admit that I have a thing for doors.
I would really love a large wood door...stately... and big.
But, I also need light.
So, that is just not going to work in this house.

via Abby Unrath
 
This one above is definitely on my favourite list.... but perhaps with 3 panes instead of multi-panes.

http://madeinpersbo.blogspot.se
 

 And then again, what about single panes... like above.
Reality is that although our doors at the front and back are all wood, they have matching screen doors as well and that actually protects them somewhat in the harsher months.

So, this door(s) will have to be metal clad on the outside but I would like wood on the inside.




The double doors in this image above are probably a close match to our existing doors.
Much wider but their is a good possibility that I would put a roman blind on them ....
unless of course we build the roof on the side deck.

So, pretty pics aside....here is the reality....
hard to read the explanatory text so ..... chimney will be gone.... I painted in, rather poorly, a double door scenario for you to see.
On the left you can see the pallet-like stairs that we put in and they come right off the left hand side of the deck that you see below and wind down to the back yard.
 

 
Finally, if covered I think I could have a really nice entry way....so many possibilities...


Phew!! Did I actually start this off by complaining about the definition of spring??

So, what about your doors....and preferences?
Any pics above strike you?





12 comments:

  1. Well, I loved them all, Donna, but I'm door obsessed too. I especially like your inspirations with a window in the door. Covered would be good it might protect it from the ice and snow. I bet it is tricky keeping the cold out. I also like those little rooms some of the Swedish homes have. It's hardly a room, it's mostly windows just inside the door to keep the cold out. I think if I lived where it was cold it would be cute. xoxo

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  2. I love all the inspiration. I love the idea of decks and wooden doors. I don't think you have to stick to any rules. You have double doors into the lounge and dining room don't you ? I don't see why the side door can't be different. How about a single door, half glass and half wood, but with fixed glazed and wood panels on either side. So you'd get the light that you would from two doors, because it would be the same width, but you'd actually just have a single door.
    I'm off to pin a couple of things, sorry you have no Spring x

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  3. Ah, there you are. I love the style of doors you have now and there are a couple I like that you showed. I like the idea of a longer window for the light coming in and I also like the idea of a roof over the main side entry. It would give protection from the elements (snow!) and you'd definitely need to have a window in the door. I like the double doors too. They look very European. I guess the important thing is to get insulated doors or solid wood and have screen/storm doors that are the same design with the same shaped openings in them. It's a classic country/farmhouse look. Good luck. We are all so anxious to get out and do yard stuff but it will be a couple more weeks before that happens for sure. Pam

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  4. Wow!! Now what was this ....You want to change up your doors..... Love them all. But it's your choice in the end.
    Yes spring can't come soon enough........

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  5. Fantastic choices! Love them all!!

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  6. Oh boy, I guess our non-existent Spring is much better than yours! lol Actually, it has warmed up the past couple of days...thank goodness!

    All of the doors are so pretty! I'm glad you've decided to at least go with something with windows. You must have a lot of wonderful light coming through your existing doors now and that's definitely a keeper.

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  7. I love your inspiration! All I can say is take your time and listen to yourself! The door is one of the first thing I changed, I didn't trust myself then, I listened to the contractor and it was a mistake! Given how expensive it was, I won't change it again, of course and I'll live with it... But had I been more confident, the result would have been better. So, trust yourself!

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  8. Pretty entries! I like the single pane doors. I think they'd look pretty with your house! But all are nice choices.
    I can't get over the snow in the first photo! How many inches did y'all get this winter?

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  9. I think making the door different from the other two sets of doors lets it stand out as the main entry. I'd sure go for the roof over it if it's in the budget, too. Hang in there, spring is on it's way to you. After a light snowfall last night, it warmed up nicely here today.

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  11. Love the Design board you created, I am such a visual person, that;s what I have to do too!!! I sooo love your Dining room, I am sure everything you do will turn out beautiful! Love all the inspiration too!

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  12. Oh I love them all !
    Don't the wood ones remind you of Westmount?
    XOX

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