Going Dutch (doors)

THIS POST IS FROM ROOM REMIX - THE BLOG .

I really like the idea of a dutch door. In the case of the door in the image below, they state that it's both charming (which it is!) and practical because it lets in the fresh beach breezes and provides flexible access to and from the courtyard.

Hmmm... No beach breezes happening here, but I still like the idea. I think for now, though, I'll just have to compromise with my phantom screens to get that feeling of having the outside closer when I'm indoors.

What about an interior dutch door, though?  Karla, from It's The Little Things That Make a House a Home, transformed an old door (that she found at the side of the road for FREE) into a dutch door - and took the entrance to her laundry room from this...

to this.  Didn't they do a great job? For the full scoop, check out this post.

What do you think? Would you ever go dutch (interior or exterior)?

Phantom Screens

Image from: Harbor Bay Glass and Mirror

This a little off of the decorating path, but it does have to do with improving your home.

When we were in the process of building our home, we visited our new neighbors and immediately noticed (and loved) the Phantom retractable screen that they had on their front door. I don't know if this means that we don't get out much, but we had never seen a screen quite like it!

We contacted the Minnesota dealer and had one installed on both our front and sunroom doors. I can't say enough about how great these are! They mount to your existing door frame and are held in place by strong magnets when the screen is drawn across and, when not in use, the screen just retracts back out of sight. I love that even when the screen is across the opening, I have a full, unrestricted view of the outdoors. It honestly feels like there's nothing there (thus the term Phantom, I assume!). I also really like that it's hidden when not in use. They don't fall in the "to die for cheap" category, but they were worth every penny.

If I were to offer a word of caution it would be that I'm not sure how user-friendly these would be with small children who like to run in and out. My opinion is that they take more strength and need more guidance to open and close than a small child has.

What does the photo below have to do with Phantom Screens? Absolutely nothing... :-)

Have a great day!

Source: House to Home

Color Splash

Source: Coastal Living Deborah Whitlaw Liewellyn; styling by Brian Carter

Source: Coastal Living

Jean Allsopp

Source: Coastal Living

Jeff McNamara

Have a great day!