Your Dutch Door ....... why not !

The Dutch Door (a pair of half doors) was common in the Netherlands in the seventeenth century and appears in Dutch paintings of the period. They were also commonly found in the Dutch cultural areas of New York and New Jersey before the American Revolution.  The initial purpose of this door was to keep animals out of farmhouses, or keep children inside, while allowing light and air to filter through the open top. They were also an intregal part of trains, for the conductors and passengers safety

Woman at a Dutch Door, 1645,

 by Samuel van Hoogstraten

Woman at a Mendocino Dutch Door

CLICK ON ANY IMAGE TO ENLARGE

The Dutch Door offers a certain freedom to a room or home.  It lets the outside in and keeps the outside out.  Most Dutch Doors open inward and are almost a secure as a single door if they are connected together mechanicaly.  My clients love the beauty of wood and the beauty of their surroundings.  I believe they want to bring the environs into their home, kitchen, or studio, as much as possible.

Here is a view from the inside
what a nice view

Here is a close-up of the styles of hardware
 we used.  Both halves lock with keys.

The "excitement" at Mendocino Doors is that the client gets to design his or her Dutch Door.  Some folk wish to have multi-light panes or single lite arched-top.  It is your door and you get to help me design it.  You can design simple panels, art glass, or even a dentil shelf. The Dentil Shelf is attached to the Dentil Posts with stainless steel screws and covered with rosewood pins.  How would you want your Dutch Door?

The Dentil Shelf

The panels are Curly and
Burl Redwood

The "half-lap" joint has
weatherstripping

                      















Soooooo ..........if you might ever want a Dutch Door, just give me a call or drop me a note and we'll design your door together, and you can make your dreams come true.

Here is a Dutch Door we
just finished

You can go to MendocinoDoors.com and go to The Magnolia Hill Dutch Door to see some more pictures of the construction and completion of this beautiful door.

Thanks for taking your time to listen to me ramble !
                                              

One doormakers solution ........

Here is One doormakers solution to the everlasting question.......

"How do you hang a wreath
on a Craftsman Door with no nails?"

A client asked me this very question so I laid awake a few nights before 

I came up with this solution.

Take a thin ribbon of any width and cut it long enough to tie around your bow
 or fasten it to your bow


CLICK ON ANY IMAGE TO ENLARGE




My Dentil shelves are about 1/16" off of the door surface for water drainage,
 so slide both ends of the ribbon down behind the shelf



Here I am using a dowel to show you the principle, but......




you can use a much smaller item like a toothpick or the shaft of a Q-tip




mark the toothpick to the width of the ribbon





cut off the excess and pull the ribbon tight





Now just attach the wreath to your ribbon ....... and

Have a Very Merry Christmas !

and please visit Our Site again

Let's build a house .... with custom doors!

Back in early 2004, I received an inquiry, from a gentleman, in the Bay area.  He had recently purchased a piece of property on the Mendocino Coast and he was starting his long term project of build his “dream home”.  He was start by building his Garage and he wanted, of all doors, a Dutch Door on each side of his garage.  Soooo we discussed designs, an estimate was given, and a long friendship had begun.

I built two Dutch Doors for his garage, which is really “control central” for a roof full of solar panels, which will provide all of his future electricity for his garage and home.

                                                                                                 

              



The siding on the building was milled on this land and this is one of the more beautiful garages I’ve seen over the many years I’ve been building and making doors.  It turns out that the garage is also the “headquarters” for future building projects ....... and answering the phone when he’s on his 
property.

Then, moving on to July of 2007 he contacted me regarding another pair of doors to be placed on his Generator out-building he was about to start constructing.  It is a large building up on a knoll between the Garage and future home site. 

getting closer to today ............ Then in June of 2010 I received an email from my friend.  It read ...."We are just about finished with house design here and I would like to meet with you to discuss doors.  Can I come by one of these weekends on a Saturday to discuss?"

We started by going over rough openings, design ideas, drawings, and more drawings.  Some of the doors are now onto version 6 and I think we've got it, the final designs.

  I enjoy the process, but mostly, I strive for three experiences with each door client. 

One, and foremost ..... that the client receives the design and door which makes them happy and fulfilled that they have received the "door of their dream".  

Two, that the client becomes and remains my friend.  It is not pleasurable when working with unhappy folks who do not appreciate the effort and craftsmanship that we put into each door we create.

Three,  I always sleep better when I am remunerated for my efforts.  I'm reminded by a thought, I once read,...."No one can ever pay you for what you love to do, but they can pay for for your time."

More to come soon ........ please visit my Website.