It’s been an exciting week for Crestview Doors. First we were blogged by houseblogs.net. They have kindly lent us their support and helped with a call for photos of unique mid-century doors. We’ve already got several new designs in the flickr pool. I had not seen the sunshine design before.
Then Modern Austin gave us a shout-out.
And the biggest news is our first customer. We’re making an over-sized 40 inch door (based on this door) with a sidelight. It’s going to look awesome on it’s mid-century California home.
In working with this customer I realized I can offer design services along with the doors. The customer wasn’t sure which door she wanted, or how the side lights should be arranged. So I told her to email me a photo of her current front door. Below is the mockup I sent.

Put your mouse over the image to see the current door. My mockup was assuming the least amount of additional work, so it used the colors of the house. In reality, they are putting flagstone on that wall and will be staining the door a dark walnut. In about 4 to 6 weeks I hope to have a beautiful after photo to share.
And I created some very geeky swag for the company.

Is that funny? Does that make sense? Or is it just me?
And one last thing. Since two people last week told me that Archie Bunker’s house had a “Grover” on it, I had to look it up.

The design of the “Grover” is so powerful as an icon for working class America that people remember it being in “All in the Family” when it wasn’t.
I was kinda hoping there would be a unique design there. I was going to call it the “Bunker”.

A year ago, I was busily cataloging information about landscaping and green building. I was hoping we would have the opportunity to do a bit more green building than we did. I can count an incredible increase in energy efficiency among our successes, but we’re still in the process of making room for basics like solar panels and a rainwater/greywater storage tank.
Still, the driveway is in, as is the new sidewalk, and the rain has started to rejuvenate our lawn. I can’t help but look at our plot as a blank slate which daily begs, “Now what?!”

I’ve been playing around in Photoshop, trying to figure out what should go where. Today was the first day for breakthroughs in landscaping discussion. Never you mind that we have no time whatsoever to actually get on our knees and plant anything, especially with the Violet Crown Festival in the works and practically around the corner (we’re chairing this year!) and a new business to babysit.
I’m loving on Laurie’s landscaping and the pics over at Stone and Cobble. A trip to Gardens may be in order…

Lincoln Properties and Walmart hosted an open house last night. It was creepy. Even 7yo picked up on the creepy vibe and clung to me the whole time we were there.
The first thing that struck me was all the high-res renderings, maps and aerial photos of the design. I had to drive to a conference center on a Monday night between soccer practice and dinner to see these? Seriously. Post it online. Why in the world would I trust an organization that holds its cards so close to its chest?
Second, this open house was at least one year too late. How can you say you’re accepting input when construction has already started? Gross.
It’s a big box. It belongs on a highway. Ten years ago. A little limestone on the facade won’t fix that.

I spent some time over the weekend photographing, and measuring some of the more unusual vintage 50s entrance doors in my neighborhood. I’ll be adding these to the list of reproductions available at Crestview Doors when the site is updated.
The vintage of the doors below are:
1957, 1952, 1950
1952, 1954, 1957


Check out the 1950 house with two “Grovers”. This is the most iconic of all the doors I’m reproducing. There is quite a bit of variation in the vernacular of this design. This house has two different designs side-by-side. Neither are the most common proportions. The one on the left has the less common low light on the hinge side and narrow, tall lites. The one on the right has wide, short lites, but the more common high lite on the hinge side.
I’ve also been cataloging doors in movies and TV shows. Adam Sandler is keeping it “high on the hinge side” with his “Newman” in Click. Jimmy Neutron’s neighbor has a “Grover” and Napoleon Dynamite has a classic “Grover” with oddball “high on the knob side” arrangement of lites. Gahh! What do you think?!?!?