For years, we've 'ummed and ahed' about whether or not to take the plunge and change our internal doors! For ages, we've loved the look of oak doors whenever we saw them online or in newer homes. And one thing that we've definitely come to realize over the years is that it can be the little details in a home such as the doors and even the skirting that can make such a difference to the feel of a home overall.
Adam finally convinced me on the doors a few months ago and so I went about finding and contacting a local carpenter. I found TJI Carpentry on Facebook and decided to contact Tom after reading really good reviews and seeing some great 'before' and 'after' photos. I'm really glad that we went with him as he was so knowledgable and really professional throughout the whole process and we're both really pleased with the finished result!
We opted for Mexicano Oak doors which are LPD doors, sourced via Magnet through TJI Carpentry. We initially was going to go with the finished, ready-oiled oak doors, but I'm really glad that we had a change of mind and decided to buy them unfinished. They were cheaper this way, but the main reason was that I didn't want them to be too orangey. Adam and I both prefer the paler look of the oak doors and would have kept them completely unfinished if we could have, but all oak doors need to be oiled and so we decided to oil them ourselves in the most transparent oil that we could find. We bought the oil from Amazon from a brand called Osmo. It was really easy to do, we just used a sponge and a small paint brush for the cracks.
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Whilst we had our doors changed, we also had a number of door frames that had previously been wonky replaced too. This was probably the most annoying part of the process, as it meant that we had a lot of decorating and fixing of holes in the wall to do once the carpenter had finished. We did all the decorating ourselves and Adam fixed all of the holes and damage to the plaster and I think he did an amazing job!
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I think the oak doors have made the whole house feel more modern and a lot more cosier than the previous white doors and I'm so happy with them! I also really like the bespoke cupboard doors that our carpenter made for us. He made one for the under-stairs cupboard downstairs and then two for up in our loft conversion for the two cupboards that we have up there and I'm really happy that we decided to go for them too. They were pricier because they are bespoke, but they were definitely worth it. Tom did a really good job with them and they've come out absolutely perfect! BEFORE:
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The other door that we had changed was our internal door that leads from our porch into our kitchen. We spent AGES searching for the right door for this as a glass oak door just didn't feel right for that area. In the end, we decided on a black glass Soho door (again from LPD doors, via Magnet) and we are SO pleased with our decision! It's such a modern door and it lets so much light in! We have a white kitchen and so it's a great contrast with all the white in there. It also goes well with our front door and just overall gives off a lovely contemporary feel.
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I feel like the doors have transformed the house and were worth every penny! We're very pleased with them!
Thank you for reading. Alex xo