Ena & Neil’s place in Kentucky.
This post was written by a pair of my ultra-motivated readers!
Well, it finally happened… After three years of having to slam the front door to get it to close in the summer (swelling), and having drafts in the winter (shrinking), we decided to ditch the old wooden front door on our 1930’s era craftsman home.
The old door might have been the original but had seen better days. Problem was, the beautiful new door we wanted was not a perfect fit for the opening (too short) and it did not come in a larger size. This turned out to be the perfect opportunity to add some substance and weight to the “face” of the house.
My wife and I have been following TJOM for some months and decided to take a stab at a front door surround, and not a simple one, but one which had a personality!
The front door surround before they worked their magic.
We did not work from a plan other than letting the house tell us what it “wanted.” We spent a great deal of time working out the height of the plinth blocks (taller than we initially thought they would be) and the cornice (also taller than expected) making sure that the weight of the entire thing did not seem just equal to the door but seemed heavier than the door, grounded and solid, less like decoration and more like something actually supporting the door. We think we succeeded.
Beautiful work by Ena and Neil!
Strangely enough, almost immediately after finishing the door’s surround, we were presented with the opportunity to purchase a nearby larger mid-century modern home with more land (we have four miniature poodles that like their space) and we left our beautiful little craftsman to the care of others… We will miss her… but, more projects to come (ask me about our new great room’s chair rail)…
Thanks for the great information… …you inspired us to complete the five-year transformation of a neglected house into an inviting home.
Ena & Neil Thompson
Pikeville, KY
From Ken
I’m so happy you guys found the inspiration you needed to tackle this project here on The Joy of Moldings. And thank you for sharing your project with us!
Best wishes to you as you discover all the joys of decorating a mid-century modern home; something I’ve come to appreciate the more I give it a chance.
