Yesterday we wrote about deciding when to DIY versus hiring professionals, using our decrepit sliding doors as the example. They were stuck, had a torn screen, wouldn’t lock, and the frame was rotting (you can read more about that in the original post).
We finally decided to replace them with a pair of matching French doors—the same style as the door in our laundry room—so the house would feel more cohesive instead of mismatched. Here’s a progress shot from the swap.
This post focuses on the photos and the finished look—especially now that one side of the doors is painted. After installation we only needed to paint the trim and both sides of the doors; they arrived primed but unpainted. Below is a shot of the doors right after installation.
We taped off the trim and hardware, then used a small foam roller and a brush to get into the grooves. We used Benjamin Moore Advance in Decorator’s White, the same leftover paint from a previous project. In one afternoon we completed the inside face with three thin, even coats; the exterior side still needs painting, which we hope to finish soon.
Excited? Us too. Holla!
Isn’t she pretty? Ignore the curtain hardware above the door—that’s leftover from when we used curtains to hide the damaged parts of the old slider. We tried the curtains back on, but the door looked cleaner without them. The photo below shows why we’re happy: when the doors are open they don’t block the hallway, which was a key concern before installation. We assumed we’d often use just the right-hand door, but it’s great to know both can open without obstructing traffic.
And the new oil-rubbed bronze hardware is a small detail that made us very happy.
Most days we’ll just use the right door to come and go…
…but there’s something wonderfully freeing about opening both doors. The openness is a huge upgrade from the old slider. Since the slider’s screen was broken, we haven’t missed having a screen in the nearly two years we’ve lived here, but the new doors have an optional add-on screen available later if we decide we want one.
Farewell, old slider—you served your purpose, but I won’t miss your view.
Or the back side.
The new doors are much better. We’ve nicknamed them Frenchie.
That wraps up the French door photo tour. Funny how a quick door upgrade can alter the whole feel of a space faster than some big projects. Once we stain and seal the deck, hide the unsightly electric meter, and string large bulb lights overhead, this alley is going to look completely transformed.
Have you made a small upgrade that elevated the whole room? Sometimes fixing one element makes the rest of the space shine by comparison. For us, new doors have that exact effect—suddenly even our scratched parquet looks better next to Frenchie.
Psst—Clara + goats = love. More here.