Notable Things: Historic Cape Cod Doors, The Modern Farmhouse Disease, A Gathered Fabric Hack, & More
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It’s one thing to copy a designers work…it’s another to copy history. When looking for a new front door for The Maine Cape, I was particularly stubborn about not reinventing the wheel. I looked at historic Cape Cod and Colonial homes in our neighborhood and online and I discovered that the “correct” door was one of two types that was used repeatedly through the centuries:
- Option 1: A painted wood 6 panel door. Like this one.
- Option 2: A wood plank storm door (historically used in front of a 6 panel door) with iron strap hinges. Like this one and this one.
Given that we’re aiming for a fairly primitive, unfancy design, I opted for a plank door. I found a wood plank door with V grooves online and it mimics the historic storm doors wonderfully. (Sorry, our door is no longer available so I can’t link it for you.)
As for the handle and hardware, I had the same mindset for selection – using history to make the decision for me. That led me to hand-forged iron bean strap hinges and an iron bean thumb latch handle. Quite frankly, the hardware was the most important element to me and it is everything (and more) that I hoped for!
Notable Things
- How to add gathered fabric behind glass doors (the inexpensive way). Absolutely doing this somewhere!
- This coffee table book about historic farmhouses and manors is such a good read if you’re drawn to historic homes. I’ve been jotting down ideas from each home to replicate in our house.
- This is the cutest Vrbo I’ve ever seen…hands down…no competition. Just need to make a quick trip to the UK for it.
- I bought my first pair of Le Bon Shoppe socks at a local boutique. I got my 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th pair shortly after. I don’t know what it is about these socks that make them so comfortable, but the colors, the stripes, and the height of the crew is perfect!
- The hard truth about modern farmhouses. I discovered Brent Hull, an incredibly talented builder, through another designer. If you appreciate blunt dialogue about architecture, listen to his take on modern farmhouse builds – an era of architecture he has coined as “lifeless” and a “disease”.
- How to make a full size antique bed fit a queen mattress. This hack is going viral! You’ll need these brackets and a queen bed frame.
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