Door Buzz

Thank you house bloggers for all the buzz and links to Crestview Doors. Many people are posting photos of their doors. It’s really cool to see the regional differences in these doors.
Meanwhile Back at the Ranch has a “Madison”. I highly recommend this placement of a devil tiki mask when installing a “Madison”.
Ranch Redo has sent an amazing amount of traffic to the web site. Thanks for the leads!
The Reluctant Remodeler has a very cool version of the “Grover”. It has smaller windows, flush trim, 5 v-grooves, and check out the cool extended door knob.
Wedgewood Ranch has been jonesing for a “Woodrow”. In fact, he posted a photo of the Jones’s “Woodrow”.
I also found a catalog that has the “Grover” in it. Aladdin called it the “No. 17“. I can’t remember how I got there. But it was one of you guys.

10 comments to Door Buzz

  • Cooooooool! I’m so glad you’re getting good press. How exciting to see my “Grover” as a “No. 17″!
    Did you check out the “Eugene” on my blog from a couple of days ago? :D rr

  • So, are you going to do the screendoors too? Also, (here’s a quiz) what would a 50’s french door set look like? Was there such an animal?

  • Yes, screen doors too. I have the saloon door version and the blank for curlies, but not the aluminum insets.
    When I was doing research, I flipped through nearly every issue of Better Homes and Gardens from 1951 to 1957. The only french doors I saw was a disasterous DIY tricks to hide them. Like filling all the windows with cork. I got the impression people didn’t like them very much.

  • rr,
    Yes, that’s an awesome door. What I like is that it combines two vernaculars. The inset windows and the raised trim. Taking a flush door and nailing raised trim on it in a design is common in the late 50s and early 60s. The design slopes down toward the hinges instead of the doorknob. I’ve been wondering what is more common for the Grover. I’ve seen them go both ways, but mainly down toward the doorknob. To me that feels more natural, like the line from your eyes to you hand as you open the door.
    That’s the first one I’ve seen with parallelogram windows. Keep’em coming!

  • Yeah, I’ve noticed the amount of hits from google to our website using search terms like, “1950’s doors” has jumped tremendously, so I was hoping they were finding their way to your site!
    So, again, I’ve been trying to find modern midcentury doors around here and I’ve found 4! Can you believe it?? We live in a town that is probably 1/2 ranch houses built after 1950 and I can’t find any midcentury modern doors? Anyway, something I did glimpse, but was partially hidden behind a screendoor, was a REALLY COOL medal design behind a doorknob. It was basically the shape of — well, a starburst with less points…like 4 points. VERY 1950’s. I thought that was a cool placement of it…gold metal plate behind a gold doornknob. I was thinking it’s something you could add to your lineup. I bet it would sell well, ’cause it would be an inexpensive way to add something 1950’s to a boring slab door.

  • I wonder if they were not yet in fashion in that part of the country, or if the wet weather wrecked them all. The mild/dry weather in Austin may be ther reason we have so many. Also, this has been a working class neighborhood for a long time, and the extra expence of upgrading an out-of-date door just wouldn’t have occured to many people unless it was actually falling off the hinges.
    That star was probably something like this. I’ve only see one in our neighborhood. The odd thing is you have to set the doorknob at a non-standard distance from the edge of the door. That requires an extension for the mechanism to reach the edge of the door.

  • Yes. That’s similar, except the one I saw was flat and wide.

  • Your site has inspired me to start my own blog. I posted our door on the flickr site. The one from Canton, MI. I am also looking for a good screen door to compliment the wood door.

  • Dan

    I am very excited to have discovered this site and Crestview Doors. About 4 years ago, my wife & I purchased a 1953 ranch style house. It came with a green french regancy entry door that was totally at odds with my otherwise beautiful mid-century house. At any rate, when I bought the house my first project was tracking down a 1950’s style entry door. I had no idea how rare these doors are. In four years of searching I’ve found only one company in Detroit, MI - Weather King Doors - that still manufactures the “Grover” style door. (www.weatherkingdoors.com)Unfortuntaely,unless you live within its very limited distribution area (Mich, Ohio, Ind.) you’re out of luck. They absolutely will not sell the door to an individual or a distributor that is outside this 3 state area. Consequently, I am so excited about Crestview Doors and will be placing my order soon.

  • Great Dan. And that’s the first time I have seen anyone offering that design online. It looks like they don’t quite get it. It’s a fiberglass door and the proportions are less than harmonious.
    I’ve spent many hours measuring and photographing different “Grover” designs. The ratios and placement is different on almost every one. My “Grover” is a mathmatical ideal that I designed by dividing the door carefully with golden sections.