Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Love Is A... Glass Door

The Dining Nook Transformation - episode 12 out of ???

The Door


Who remembers Cottage censored  a picture in my last post? It was this picture...

Qui se souvient que Cottage avait censuré une photo dans mon dernier post ? La voici...


Hey, would can see me taking the picture? I'm hidden somewhere in the door reflection... Speaking of, did you notice what has changed in the dining nook?

Tiens, si vous êtes attentif, vous pouvez même me voir prendre la photo... Mon reflet est dans la porte. Justement, c'est de ça dont je veux vous parler.

Let's rewind a little... When I bought Cottage, this was the door in the dining nook.

Revenons un peu en arrière. Quand j'ai rencontré Cottage, cette porte ressemblait à ça.


No wonder the owners were selling... This was their bedroom and I guess they got regular nightmares when that door was the last thing they saw before falling asleep.

Sans rire, c'était la chambre des propriétaires... Ils devaient faire des cauchemars si cette porte était la dernière chose qu'ils voyaient en s'endormant.

So of course, when I remodeled the downstair rooms, I decided to change the door as I wanted a glass door. 

En repensant le rez-de-chaussée, j'ai décidé de changer la porte car je rêvais d'une porte vitrée.


You know how you often tell me I make such great choices for Cottage and then I begin blushing and all and I'm this close to quit my job and try be a professional interior designer??? Well this door is there to put me back in my place. Because this was NOT a good choice.

Vous êtes nombreux à me dire que je fais des choix judicieux, je rougis en lisant vos commentaires, je me prends à rêver de quitter mon boulot pour devenir décoratrice pro... et là, bam, ma porte me remet les pieds sur terre. Car ce n'était pas un bon choix !


In most stores around here, the only doors that are on display are the very modern ones, so I couldn't find the look I was looking for. I decided to order this one after only seeing it on a catalogue, where it was looking all storybook-cottage-like.

Dans la plupart des magasins de bricolage des alentours, seules les portes dites de style "DIZAÏGNE" sont exposées et je ne trouvais donc pas mon bonheur. J'ai commandé cette porte en l'ayant seulement vue sur catalogue, mais elle était tellement parfaite dans le dit catalogue!


When it arrived, it was not so perfect. First it wasn't straight. Now, don't get me wrong, this is not something that bothers me in people, but I like my doors to be straight so they can actually close. We had to lay it down and to put for several days all the dictionaries I have on it so it'd get straight again. Fortunately, I own a lot of dictionaries: French ones, English ones, even a Latin one! 

Dès son arrivée, elle n'était pas parfaite. D'abord, elle n'était pas droite. Impossible de la faire fermer... Or l'utilité d'une porte qu'on ne peut fermer ? On l'a allongée par terre en la lestant de tous les dictionnaires que je possède... Heureusement, j'en ai beaucoup. (Note privée : Maman, c'est pour ça que je ne veux pas me séparer de mon Gaffiot pendant les travaux du haut, ça peut servir!) 


Then, I noticed that in lots of places, some wood was missing and they had filled it with grey (?!?) wood filler... Not the prettiest thing.

Ensuite, j'ai remarqué qu'en beaucoup d'endroits, du bois manquait et avait été remplacé par de la pâte à bois... grise... Non, mais, ils avaient bu ou quoi?


Finally, after Cottage got flooded, the bottom of the door was full of stains. 

Enfin, après l'inondation dont a été victime Cottage, le bas de la porte était plein de traces d'eau.


Sure I could have sanded and coloured the wood filler. But we were a few years after I bought the door and somehow my taste has "whitened" since I began living in this old Cottage with small windows.

Bien sûr, j'aurais pu poncer et colorer la pâte à bois. Mais entre temps, quelques années s'étaient écoulées et j'avais constaté que le blanc rendait drôlement bien dans un Cottage aux petites fenêtres.


So I recently thought it would be faster to paint the door... Only the wood was of such bad quality, that the primer coat was a nightmare... It took me three hours!


Je me suis donc dit que le plus rapide serait de peindre la porte... Rapide, mon œil ! Le bois était de tellement mauvaise qualité qu'il m'a fallu trois heures pour passer la sous-couche !

But now it's done, I'm very happy with the way it looks. It brightens both the dining nook and the living room.


Mais maintenant que c'est fait, je suis très contente du rendu. Cela éclaire tant le coin repas que le salon.


Now, you remember how I told you I would use the same insulation and the same baseboards upstairs? Well, one thing is sure, I will not use the same doors, even if I love harmony in decor.

J'avoue, cependant, que si la peinture cache la misère, cette porte n'est pas une grande réussite. Je réutiliserai le même isolant et les mêmes plinthes à l'étage, mais les portes seront achetées ailleurs, même si en théorie, je préfère l'harmonie dans un Cottage.


So do you think I'm done with the dining nook? Or what's my next move?

Bon alors, pensez-vous que j'en ai fini avec le coin salle-à-manger ? Quel pourrait être le prochain projet ?


See you soon,

A bientôt,






PS1:  I have begun to pack everything in the house for next summer isolation project, so the shop is closed until this is over... Thanks to those who send me an email wondering why there was nothing in the shop anymore!

PS1 : J'ai commencé à faire des cartons pour vider l'étage pour les travaux de cet été. La boutique est donc fermée jusqu'à ce que ce soit fini.

PS2: I've realised it's the seventh year in a row (with the exception of last year) I put my house in boxes for the summer. I think I'm ready for this ritual to stop!

PS2 : J'ai calculé que cela fait sept ans que je mets ma maison dans des cartons presque chaque été pour différentes raisons. Je crois qu'il est temps que cela s'arrête, même pour moi!

PS3: I'm partying at some of my favourite blogs.

http://theenchantingrose.blogspot.fr/2015/05/roses-of-inspiration-linkup-20.html          Ivy and Elephants            Elizabeth and Co.              

http://www.mysalvagedtreasures.com/2015/05/vintage-inspiration-party-190_19.html          http://diybydesign.blogspot.fr/2015/05/swing-into-spring-its-party-220.html               The Dedicated House

http://www.frenchcountrycottage.net/2015/05/feathered-nest-friday_21.html         Shabbilicious Friday - logo 300                       

          

66 comments:

  1. I adore the door! And I love it in white! xxox Su

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  2. Glass doors give so much light. You did the right thing in painting it, I think.

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  3. The door looks so beautiful now.I have little windows also and I know what you mean.Have a great week.
    Caroline

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  4. Wonder. Magic. Peace. OH MAGALI, this is perfect and worthy of its own little book: The Talking Cottage!

    FABULOUS! Anita

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  5. Or, "If Cottages Could Speak." teehehe...see? I'm always finding to write a book....

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  6. Love it Magali! Your house has been beautiful always of course! But you are working hard and making it better!


    Marina from http://marinainblue.blogspot.com.es/

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  7. It looks wonderful after all of your hard work ! :)

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  8. What a difference!! That original door is definitely the stuff that nightmares are made of. Your new door, and your paint job, are perfect for your space. Everything looks great.

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  9. What difference a door makes -- is that a song? Kidding. Seriously, it looks perfect and you might really want to repeat it upstairs even though it was a pain. Jo @ Let's Face the Music

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  10. Que de travaux depuis l'achat de cette maison!
    Bon courage pour la suite,
    Emmanuelle

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  11. Ta porte est superbe et je suis admirative de ton travail. Comme toi, j'espère que tes prochaines vacances seront plus "cool" et que tu pourras enfin te reposer ou quitter un peu ton cher Cottage pour prendre l'air ailleurs... Bises

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  12. I like the door. I can feel for you as I have a kitchen door eith thousands of problems. Now I don't understand all that about putting your house in boxes for the summer can you explain?AriadnefromGreece!

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    1. ha! I, too, came here to ask the same question about putting the house in boxes for summer.

      The new door is great, even if it was such trouble to get it that way.

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    2. I, too, picked up on that and wondered why you are packing up the house for summer. Great job on picking out the door and finishing it in a beautiful way.

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    3. My little Cottage has the bedrooms and the bathroom under the roof... There's no insulation under the roof, so I need to empty these rooms to put some insulation, so hopefully next winter, I won't shiver in my bath!

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  13. Definitely worth all your efforts! It looks stunning and is the perfect addition to your gorgeous home! Beautiful choice Magali!!

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  14. Hi.....the door turned out Great..7 yrs of packing up..holy cow..i bet you are ready to end that..hope it doesn't take all summer to finish cottage..and that question..next move..is that with the nook.? other then some art it's looking pretty prefect to me..oh and the fact that you were outside to get that photo..says a lot about the size of the nook..i've been there done that too..it sure is a pretty view straight through to the kitchen window..looking forward to summer an what's coming next...

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  15. It's so disappointing when you buy something without seeing it in real life and then it doesn't meet your expectations when it arrives. Although in the end, your glass door looks great in white :-) And it's a million times nicer than the original door!

    We're in the process of packing up our house for our move. It's bad enough doing it once, but once a year for seven years... wow, you're brave! :-)

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  16. Magali, your perseverance of fixing the door paid off, very cottagey. Perhaps adding some seaglass colors to make it more seaside cottagey. I love the style of your wood furniture and dishes. Just a thought, are you going to put a indoor/outdoor rug under the table? As always, looking forward to the episodes of your cottage renovation, Kathleen in Az

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    1. I'm planning on adding some seaglass colours... Though it's not for now as I'm planning the upstairs insulation right now. The rug is not planned... I love being able to mop easily under the table. See you soon for the next chapter!

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  17. Your door may have started out less than perfect...but it sure is now! Couldn't you have removed the top panels of the old door and had glass put in, I've done that like they do for cabinets? Your hard work really paid off and light will enter the room and makes it look more open. Good job!

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  18. Magali I really like the door painted white, I love the glass. If you are like me your home is never done. Can't wait to see what your up to next! Jo

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  19. I think painting that door was a great idea Magali, although I know you like wood tone accents at times, but in this case, painting the door was the perfect solution. And who knows, now that you adequately primed it, you might change the color from white to something else in the future!

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  20. The door looks great in white, and look how bright the room is now!! Please explain about putting everything in boxes for the summer, are you moving elsewhere for the summer???

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    1. I need to empty the rooms upstairs for the insulation project and electrical rewiring project. It's amazing what I can store in two small bedrooms! And yes, I'll be sleeping somewhere else at the beginning of the remodel.

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  21. Love the door you chose but sorry to hear of the extra work it caused you! It looks perfect for cottage. I have to decide on doors for when we start the rebuild of the 1920's falling apart addition. We too will spend the summer in a mess with lots of things being moved to the barn so they are out of the way. Living with things packed and stashed here and then leaves you feeling unsettled, never sure where things are. It will be like Christmas when we do finish the reno and unpack, somethings I have not seen in almost 2 yrs. I imagine you are very tired of all this work too. I'd like to have a normal summer for once of visits to the beach rather than a building centre! Good luck Magali! xo Patty

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  22. The door might not be what you envisioned, but, with all your hard work it fits cottage quite nicely!!! Have a lovely week~~~Mickie.

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  23. En voyant la première photo, je me suis demandée comment tu avais fait pour trouver une belle porte comme celle-ci.
    On a l'impression qu'elle est là depuis longtemps, elle parfaitement intégrée à Cottage.
    Bravo à nouveau !
    Bonne soirée.
    Nathalie

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  24. Ce qui est accompli est parfait. L'étage a besoin de tes lumières non?
    Tu fais tout avec tellement de réflexion que si tu te trompes, ce sera du minimum.
    Quoi que tu entreprennes maintenant je suis sûre que tu seras plus sereine car dans un mois et demi il va y avoir les grandes vacances qui te laisseront un petit peu de temps à moins que tu partes en voyage.
    Caresses aux moustachus. Bises. Babette

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  25. quel chemin parcouru entre la deuxième et la dernière photo : la chambre halloween est devenue une charmante salle-à-manger !!
    les portes vitrées isolent des bruits et des parfums de cuisine tout en préservant la convivialité, c'est le bon choix pour Cottage ; d'autant plus qu'il s'agit d'une porte en vrai bois (et pas alvéolaire) avec un joli bouton olive en porcelaine !
    mais alors là pas sympa le fournisseur : il aurait pu contrôler sa marchandise avant de la livrer
    à bientôt - monique59

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  26. Magali - I think your DR looks fantastic. Love the door but really like it white. Great idea!

    Judy

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  27. tu veux nous parler de tes poutres ? de ton jardin peut être ? du devant de cottage ? de la belle marquise au dessus de la porte ?
    allez, dit nous tout ;-) hein, tu veux bien ?

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    1. Bon, contre toute attente, je crois que la prochaine fois, je vous parle un peu de l'étage car plein de nouvelles lectrices ne comprennent pas pourquoi je vide les chambres pour les travaux de cet été !

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  28. Beautiful! Stopping by from The Dedicated House. Your little Cottage dining room is gorgeous!

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  29. I think it is just perfect, but knowing you, there are probably more tricks up your sleeves!
    Things are looking lovely!
    Hugs,
    Patti

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  30. Magali,
    You re loved this door to perfection. I love it white and it does let in so much light. Very pretty. Great job. I cannot wait to see what you are up to next.
    Kris

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  31. The door might have been a total terror to deal with, but now it is the perfect storybook cottage door. You tamed it. I cannot imagine what you have planned next.

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  32. That's too bad you had so much trouble with this door. It looks so cute and cottagey painted white though, I love it. I'm a little lost...'summer isolation project'???

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  33. Thank goodness for heavy dictionaries! The door is perfection and was meant to be white. Magali, you now have the perfect fairytale cottage, for real! I think you should be wearing a crown for your beautiful accomplishments! I think you are finished with the big projects and now just enjoy playing with accessories. I'm so happy for you.............

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  34. It looks so...cottagy. I'm so happy to see that you were finally able to get the look you wanted. Love the glass. Thanks for sharing at Vintage Inspiration Party.

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  35. Perfect choice Magali! I love it!Hopefully this will be the last summer you have to pack up the house. Have a great Thursday,

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  36. I can't believe all you went through with that door. But, it was well worth it because it looks terrific and I am sure Cottage loves it. It is perfect and lets so much light in. I don't understand why you have to pack up the house, where will you go and no more projects?
    Mary

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  37. This door has had quite the journey to becoming the joy that it now is! I really like it, and think it adds a lot of character to your cottage. Packing up for the summer sounds like a lot of work - I don't envy you at all! Have a wonderful day :)

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  38. Love the open display area above the walkway to kitchen.

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  39. Heureusement que tu es passée par là pour redonner un coup de frais à ce cottage ! J'espère qu'il t'en est reconnaissant ! ;-) les propriétaires d'avant avaient un goût particulier en terme de déco... ça n'allait pas bien dans leur tête non ? ... ;-) Bises. Mathilde

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  40. The door looks beautiful now - you would never know it was the same door! The dining nook is so bright and happy! I can't believe it is the same room as when you started. It really is lovely. xo Karen

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    1. The room has changed so much, I can hardly remember how it looked like before... Glad I took some pictures!

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  41. oh...what a sweet ending to this story :) So happy that it worked out ~ the door is quite charming and really opens up the rooms ~ PERFECT!!
    Karla & Karrie

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  42. I would put half-glazed doors downstairs as well, if I didn't love my two old shabby doors. I think you've made the perfect choice once again, all your choices enhance Cottage and why on earth can't you be an interior designer, you'd just have to show clients all your changes to Cottage.

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  43. You gave that door new life, and it looks right at home in cottage. And, if I have to guess, I'd say you've got something else planned for the dining nook, but I can't figure out what it is! Floors, walls, ceiling, window, door -- done, so what could it be?

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  44. Ah glass doors. I am glad that yours had a happy ending. When we moved into Storybook Cottage we had a glass door that led....to our bedroom. Alas I told Mr. Decor that we were not selling tickets and it would have to be changed. Now, if the replacement door could just get painted....
    Have a wonderful weekend!

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  45. White is so much better in your little cottage. I'm guessing you will be beefing up the trim on the outside of the door?

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  46. The door looks absolutely Perfect! You did a great job on saving it. Now, I did see a white chest and a charming looking staircase on the other side of the door! Or is that a secret? :)

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  47. The door looks absolutely Perfect! You did a great job on saving it. Now, I did see a white chest and a charming looking staircase on the other side of the door! Or is that a secret? :)

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  48. Normally I vote not to paint wood,but I think it was a good choice for your door. It looks nice. The picture of the original door is going to give ME nightmares. How did they live with that in their bedroom?!?!

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  49. The door turned out perfect after all! (At least, to me.) I'm glad you had the patience for all that priming and painting!

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  50. It was a journey but the door looks lovely in white and very Storybrooke.
    Amalia
    xo

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  51. Magali, the door looks gorgeous, and a perfect choice for the space since it allows light to flow through it, and makes the place feel airy and bright as it isn't solid wood from top to bottom. You have so carefully thought everything out well where Cottage's 'health' is concerned!

    Poppy

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  52. Bonsoir Magali,

    Je suis charmée de découvrir ton blog grâce à ta petite visite chez moi...et bien, quelle histoire de fou cette porte !

    Caroline de bleu nordique

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  53. The door is oh so lovely, my friend! Thank you so much for sharing with Roses of Inspiration. I love having you at the party. Hugs!

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  54. I agree...doors, unlike people, MUST be straight ;).

    I love the door. It couldn't be more perfect. It lets in light and adds a sense of airiness to the space.

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  55. Et maintenant cette porte qui cache bien ses malfaçons a tout l'air de fermer!

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