Replacing the front entry door of our historic home

Replacing the front entry door with a design sensitive salvaged door

We have lived in our Victorian Italianate home for over a decade. Projects creep up over the years, but one we knew we were going to have to tackle sooner versus later was replacing the front entry door of our historic home. The door style was not consistent with Italianate architecture, the veneer was beginning to buckle, the lock didn’t work properly and the door was not sealed. With the door facing west, we were constantly battling cold drafts. Not very energy efficient and certainly not cozy during cold winter months.

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Looking for a door, we uncovered some very expensive options and none were just right. We continued to postpone this project. We found inspiration when neighbors were renovating their home from a similar period, 1890’s, and another neighbor let me know there was a beautiful old front entry door in the dumpster.

The door was so heavy. Luckily, she was able to recruit several high school football players hanging out in the neighborhood to help us get it out of the dumpster. The door was beautiful, but a little too narrow for a quick installation. This project was going to require the help of a skilled carpenter. So, the door stood in our garage for a few years and Pat worked on stripping off many layers of paint.

A distinguishing feature of Italianate architecture is long, narrow windows. The oval inset on the existing door was not complimentary to our home.

It took time to find a great carpenter who could make this narrow door work. We hired someone based on a recommendation from a neighbor who also lives in an historic home and had some work done on her doors and porch.

Installation of the ‘new’ door

The carpenter came to take measurements and took the door back to his shop for modifications and painting. About three weeks later, he returned for the installation. He removed the old door and then installed the new door knob fixture on-site before installing the ‘new’ door.

This historic door has beautiful beveled glass. The shape of the glass inset is consistent with Italianate, long narrow windows. We were able to find an oil-rubbed bronze door knob that is functional and simple in design so it doesn’t overpower the simple, clean lines of the door.

The new door still left a gap, but a week later the carpenter returned to install weather stripping. Stay tuned for an updated picture. We are so happy with the end result of the ‘new’ front entry door of our historic home. We were able to save and repurpose a beautiful old door that might have ended up in a landfill. The ‘new’ door has also eliminated drafts and our home is much warmer and more energy efficient.