modern.charleston

There don't seem to be too many modern-style doors that are readily available. In fact, the basic home-improvement store like Lowe's or Home Depot doesn't have any.

Since the front of the house is the first thing people see, we really didn't want to put in a more traditional-style door. In fact, we really liked the style of our current door and would be fine with putting up one that looked just like it.

We did some searching online, and everything pointed to Crestview Doors, which is based in Austin, Texas. Crestview Doors "designs and builds custom, solid-wood core entry doors inspired by vintage 1950’s and 1960’s designs." They have "front doors and exterior entry systems for mid-century modern houses, 1950’s ranch homes, retro ramblers, post-war bungalows, and new construction."

We even found a solid wood door that we really liked:

However, the high price made us keeping looking. Besides there had to be some place in Charleston that at least had salvaged doors.

A friend recommended we check out Carolina Building Materials and Salvage:

They have a huge supply of everything from doors and windows to reglazed clawfoot bathtubs. It was really fun just to walk around and check out all they carry.

We even found the exact style of our door:

So we loaded up the Protege (we do have plans buy a Honda Element later this year, which should really help out in transporting all of the supplies for our many home improvement projects):

It's going to take a little time to get the holes drilled, the door hung, the locks in, and the door stained, but it's definitely going to be worth it. So stay tuned for the results.

Labels: door, retro

Since Daniel and I had the unexpected pleasure of finding a giant hole in the bathroom wall when we removed the mirror, we decided to commence with our mini-renovation plans. While small, the bathroom itself isn’t bad. The tile is still in good shape (with a few minor cracks on the floor), it has insanely good storage space in the closet, the color—while probably not my first choice—isn’t appalling. When we first were looking at the house, we considered redoing the entire bathroom (way on into the future) but ultimately decided we really liked it. All in all it’s a charming, retro bathroom. However, there are a couple of areas that could use improvement:

1) The sink area - Part of a renovation from the mid '90s if I recall, the cabinet is white laminate particle board with two plastic handles. While it functions, it doesn't add to the room's charm, and it just blends in with the rest of the room (which, right now, is a good thing since I also think it's on the ugly side). The faucet is also standard (stainless with two plastic "crystal" handles), so we're hoping to add a bit more personality with this as well.

2) The closet door - It's waaaaay too big for the space. While it's nice that we have so much storage in sucha small bathroom, I practically take Daniel out with the door when I'm trying to get something from the closet while he's standing at the sink. Folding/accordian doors are an option, although I think we both would prefer something a bit more sleek, so we're still searching on this one.

3) All hardware - The main problem with the hardware is just that it's rusted, so it should be a relatively easy fix to switch out hinges and door knobs.

4) Tile-mounted soap and toothbrush holders - While these were definite staples of the time period, they don't (and can't) hold pump soap or Sonicare toothbrushes. Basically, they're in the way and make centering a new sink and mirror a bit of a challenge, but we're hoping they can removed with relative ease. I will definitely be doing more research on this one though.

Currently, Daniel and I have plans to install a new sink, faucet, cabinet, and mirror from Ikea. We have family visiting this weekend, and they'll be passing through Atlanta. All the more reason to get a jump start on the bathroom renovation. While I wish Ikea were closer, Daniel made a good point: since Ikea isn't commonplace here in Charleston, it is still able to look unique.

We ultimately decided the STENSKAR series would look the best (with the HOLLVIKEN sink and the ENSEN faucet). It's made of beech, and I like that it will provide a nice "pop" of color against the tile. Also, since it's raised off the floor, it should help open the space. One important aspect of the sink is that it still provides ample room for the soap pump, toothbrushes, and cotton ball and Q-tip jars.