Wood Barn

The making of 13 doors for our home took many months and hours of planning. I went from a crazy idea that I could even make a door, to making the whole lot and putting them up in our new house. A year ago, if anyone had even suggested I could do it, I’d have laughed at them. However, through taking it one step at a time, taking my time making them and trialing new techniques, I’d completed the job. Anyone more skilled would have made them in a quarter of the time it took me but I didn’t care about that. I wasn’t in a race. I took great care not to waste timber and it paid off.

I thoroughly enjoyed the process and am, still, very proud of myself for having made them. Are they everyone’s cup of tea? Of course not but is anything? I think they blend in perfectly with the overall style of our home and combine beautifully with the external look of the barn we live in.

Are they perfect? Nope. There are a couple that have warped slightly and if you look hard, have gaps at the top that don’t exist at the bottom. If I’m honest, in the first winter, the two en-suite bathroom doors swelled and wouldn’t close for a few weeks which was upsetting. But…since that first time, it’s never happened again and they close perfectly now throughout the year, whatever the weather, so I’m not sure how or why it hasn’t occurred again.

I wasn’t particularly trying to save money, I wanted to have doors that suited our home. However, the overall cost, including all the oak, glass, handles and fitting by a professional, worked out at £314 per door. I don’t think that’s too high considering we have unique, solid oak doors. The difference they make to our living space is enormous and can’t be understated. They set a solid consistent foundation across the whole house. They’ve been up for 4 years now and only get better with age. The planed rears have darkened and the faces just gain more character with each passing year. We haven’t had one splinter or snagged item of clothing over that time either!