I have so much to say, I don’t know where to start. In no particular order.
1. We’ve sold all 12 doors and we’re pausing production until July.
2. Having built and shipped 5 doors, I know my costs much better. I updated the price range on the web site to $1500 - $2500. Most doors will be about $1700 including shipping. Local doors in Austin, TX will be less.
2. I’m sending cutouts from the doors to new buyers as soon as they order a door. These can be used to test stain and to show off to friends. They have a nice feel, like a thick book.

3. I’ve been learning about crating and freight. It all cost more, weighs more, and is a lot more work than I thought it would be. Luckily, the 300 pound crate just fits into Winona (our minivan). And I can get 3 crates in her before her fenders touch her tires. Though, she looked a little scared as the forklift pulled up to her backside.


4. I tried to fire the glass shop, but the other ones are much worse, use the same suppliers, cost more, are farther from my house, and their materials suck. Look at these two reeded glass samples. The shop I’m using has the luscious stuff on the left. Everybody else uses the stuff on the right. Ick.


5. The illustrious John Park of Park Haus ordered a door. I had told Christiane, just the day before “We gotta get someone with a cool blog to order one of our doors.” John, seriously, who told you about our production company?
6. We made a “Grover”. I spent days and days designing and redesigning and second and third guessing all the proportions. At one point I found myself with a polynomial defining the height and width of the windows and I had to look up the quadratic equation to solve it. There is such a variety in that design at the vernacular level that it is difficult to define the whole style with just one design. The “Grover” is our signature door. I think this one came out perfect.
7. I wrote a Crestview Doors values statement. First draft is below the fold. Most statements like these boil down to “More good, less bad.” I’m making ours real, specific, and blah-blah-blah-free.

Crestview Doors Values
Design Values
1. If it is perceivable with human sense, it is part of the design.
• Vision. The way light reflects, refracts, and distorts on or through the door. We consider this when choosing wood and glass. Light that looks different in each eye gives the doors a more vivid, stereo effect.
• Feel. This is why we make heavy, solid wood doors, they feel better.
• Sound. The sound the door makes when closing. The sound it makes when you knock on it. And the way it dampens sound from outside as you close it. Solid wood has a beutiful knock and insulated glass seals out outside noise.
• Smell. We use materials that minimize off-gassing. When you unpack one of our doors, you should smell wood, not glue.
• Taste. Ok, we don’t recommend eating our doors. (But don’t be surprised if you feel like kissing it.)
2. Geometry. Our doors are designed with mathematically harmonious proportions and pure geometry. We use squares, golden sections, and proportions from hexagons and pentagons to design our doors.
3. Research. You gotta know the rules before you break them. That’s why I’ve measures and cataloged the designs of over two dozen vintage doors and will continue to do so.
4. Modern vintage modern. We make modern versions of vintage modern designs. The old doors we’re copying were cheap, hollow and flimsy. Ours are solid, heavy, and efficient. Your guests will think it’s original, but you’ll know it’s better.
5. Holistic. Every element that affects the way the door looks and feels is considered. This means the placement of screen doors, door knobs, locks, hinges, mail slots, door bells, porch lights, mail boxes.
6. Entry doors are primarily exterior design and secondarily interior design. We approach all our design decisions from the outside first.
Business Values
1. Responsibility. I put my name and face on marketing material because I want you to know that I personally stand behind the quality of these doors.
2. Sustainability. We strive to use the most responsibly harvested wood and materials.
3. Re-use. We hate to see material wasted. We send cutouts from our doors for you to test stain on, rather than throw them in the trash. We include plans for a doghouse using the crate your door arrives in.
4. Health. We use the least toxic materials available. We strive to ensure that all labor on our doors is done in a safe and healthy environment.
5. Fair. We pay a fair livable wage to anyone we directly employ, and strive to use suppliers that share our values.
6. Quality. When faced with a tough decision, we will always choose quality over time and money.
Customer Values
1. Freedom. Our doors are designed for homes from the 40s, 50s and 60s, but this is America, and you can put whatever door you want on whatever kinda house you have. You can paint, stain, or carve your initials into your door.
2. Design Advice. We offer design advice when asked, but otherwise do our best to refrain from giving unsolicited advice.
3. We. I always say “we”, even when it’s just me.
4. Transparency. If your door is late, I tell you as soon as I know and I’ll tell you why.
5. Budgeting. The final price of your door should not be a surprise. I include shipping in estimates, quotes, and orders. I’ll give you ballpark estimates for painting, staining, and installation.