Selecting the right door is a critical decision when building or remodeling a home. While the home’s front door makes that important initial impression, interior doors are literally present in every room of the house. Sorting out all the decision points when searching for the perfect doors can be daunting! Read more
Doors can open and close in a variety of ways, and one unique function growing in popularity is the “pivot” door—generally used on entry doors. These doors operate on a special pivot hinge, with pins that attach at the top and bottom of the door, installed several inches from the door edge. Read more
Wormy Maple (sometimes called “Ambrosia Maple”) is a grade of Soft Maple, specifically selected and sorted to show mineral streaks and color variations caused by the Ambrosia beetle. The beetle infests the live Maple tree, depositing larvae that bore small “worm holes” and discolor the wood. No two boards are alike. Read more
Sun Mountain recently produced this magnificent double door to grace the main entry of a luxury residence in the Bay Area near San Jose, California. The door features 10-each “Vecchio” glass lites presented in a vertical orientation, divided in a unique pattern by small horizontal rails. Read more
Mahogany has long been prized as an exclusive and upscale wood for furnishings, doors, and even cars (you can add Mahogany to your Porsche Cayman for about $2,000). Read more
Inspiration can come from many places.
This interesting door design includes an unusual layout of seven panels, square “sticking,” and flat panels makes a graphic, modern statement. But this design has roots in perhaps an unexpected place… Read more
Poplar is a hardwood with a relatively straight grain and a fine, even texture. Color varies significantly from creamy-white to green, to brown, to purple. Poplar is soft and light with low ratings for strength and shock resistance. Its Janka hardness rating is 430. Read more
White Oak is a dense hardwood with a white to cream to light brown color. White Oak is very durable, exhibits high shock resistance and finishes well. The hardness of the wood is rated at 1360 (per the Janka hardness test). The grains of White Oak tend to be longer than Red Oak, which makes the species prized for construction of “Mission” style furniture and woodwork. The species stains well, although contact with metal will result in a dark blemish in the wood. White Oak trees are naturally knotty, but the wood can be sorted to obtain “Select” grade wood, which is mostly clear of knots. Read more
Re-sawn distress is achieved with a saw blade striking lightly across the face of the flooring boards, at a 90-degree angle to the grain of the wood. Natural variations in the surface elevation of the wood cause “hits and misses” with the saw blade, creating a rough-hewn, worn look reminiscent of wood flooring from the Old West. Read more
This contemporary rustic home in western North Carolina is a great example of combining different styles and applying thoughtful design to create something extraordinary.
The home’s entry door incorporates a single side lite that mirrors the four lites (glass windows) in the door. While individually the separate components may seem asymmetrical, the thoughtful design allows the eye to perceive perfect symmetry when the door and side lite are placed together. An arched one-lite transom spans the two components below it, emphasizing the unit’s verticality of over 11 feet. Read more
