Unique Ways to Reuse Old Doors

Old homes have incredible woodwork which homeowners should reuse in their own home or find a new home through an architectural antique business like Nor'East Architectural Antiques. This concept of deconstruction is gaining momentum as part of the overall green movement

It can be challenging to find ways to reuse old structural features in your home but the results are worth it. This stained glass door project began when changing the layout of the front door and hallway. We didn't want to lose the archway over the door, so we designed a new glass wall and door around the carved archway, to create a small home office. The solution provides quiet space while letting the children see you are home.

There are many ways to reuse old doors and windows. This web site seemed the perfect forum to collect photos and provide inspiration to home owners everywhere, who are searching for ideas for their homes. This blog post will evolve over time with photos of innovative door projects. We invite you to share your photos and stories here by sending them to  storiesathometipsforwomen.com.

Share your door and window decorating ideas, photos and stories with us …

This photo inspired me to write more about deconstruction, a process for saving and reusing old home features when remodeling. Finding these 2 old doors used as a headboard was a wonderful surprise. Freshome.com had an article Design Style: Shabby Chic Inspired Interiors, where they focused on re-purposing old furniture … but the same is true for old house components like doors and windows.

Freshome explained that “… worn finishes look beautiful with chipped paint” and you feel like you're looking at history. They explained that it's relatively easy to recreate furniture with a distressed look by painting vintage furniture white or a light neutral color. After the paint dries, use a rough surface like chains, a hammer or sandpaper to remove pieces of paint and create beautiful furniture for any room in your house. This is a great idea for those love shopping at tag sales and flea markets, as now you can furnish your home “shabby chic” and recycle too.

Imagine my delight on discovering this wall of old doors, absolutely stunning. All the doors are painted white with some beautiful stained glass, and for those not particularly fond of drywall, what a perfect way to add an exciting decorating touch to a wide room.

Homeowners needing additional storage space now have another option besides adding a closet or finishing space in the attic or basement. Create inexpensive “door storage” with an unfinished bookcase or tag sale find, with your special door to the front. Doors and bookcases come in standard sizes so matching them won't be difficult and this unique storage can move with you to future homes.

Thanks to Eliana Tomas for sharing this wonderful photo at Notes on Design and Interiors.