Antique doors

The classic interior becomes so thanks to the details, of which the door is a rather important one. You can buy old furniture ready-made in the salon, restore the old one or age the existing one. Truly old things are worth a fortune, but old ones can lose their functionality. There remains the option of artificial aging.

You can make your own door that looks antique, or you can purchase an antique stylized product.

Features of such products:

• This stylistic solution has no analogues, while modern styles are more typical.
• They create a special atmosphere. Antiques are associated with respectability. That is why pseudo-antique things are so popular.
• The individuality of the material. If natural wood is used, the uniqueness of its texture is emphasized.
• Illusion - create an effect that actually does not exist.
• Symmetry and proportionality are the main features of the classics.
• The high cost does not become an obstacle for connoisseurs of taste. In addition, any model can be made cheaper by choosing a different material or abandoning decorative inserts, columns, pilasters.
• Accessories should not only fulfill their function, but also be an element of decor.

All semi-antique doors can be conditionally divided into:

• Input (they perform the function of protection from thieves and external influences; they have increased requirements for heat and sound insulation, strength).
• Interroom (the main function is to create privacy and separate zones that are different in their purpose). They should be aesthetic and fit into the overall design of an apartment or a separate room.

By the type of opening and closing, the doors can be:

• sliding;
• folding;
• swinging.

Sliding systems are less appropriate in a classic interior. But if there is a need to install them (there is furniture next to the opening or the entrance to another room is blocked), you should choose metal profiles in the color of bronze, brass, silver or gold.

Folding are also practical in terms of space saving. The narrow canvases that make up such a door can be a great addition to the classic style.

The most acceptable in the classics will look swing doors. They can be left, right or pendulum. If the room is large and the doorways are wide, a double door can be installed. Since symmetry is important in a classic interior, the sashes should be the same in width.

By type of construction there can be models:

• frame;
• with inserts (panels);
• deaf;
• glazed;
• arched.

As inserts can be: glass, mirrors, stained glass, specially treated wood with metal, plastic and leather overlays. Glass can be: standard, frosted, tinted, with drawings. Patterns or picturesque images are used as a drawing.

Depending on how the door surface is finished, there are:

• canvases covered with plastic, film, enamel or paint;
• with a transparent coating (varnishes);
• finished with laminate, natural or artificial veneer;
• covered with textiles, leather and leatherette.

The main ways of door processing for aging are:

• chemical (with the help of alkaline compounds that affect the soft tissues of the tree);
• mechanical (consists in the formation of chips, cracks using special tools);
• thermal (by means of a torch or blowtorch).

The insert (panel) can be:

• flat - that is, smooth, without protrusions;
• volumetric - with milling around the perimeter;
• typesetting - from several docked lamellas.

It is more practical to use MDF as a panel, since a panel made of wood can dry out and damage the frame.

The aging effect on plastic is unattractive, since the material can warp and change color. Metal and MDF have a homogeneous structure. Mechanical methods of material processing cannot be applied to them. But you can use a finish made of film, plastic or veneer.

Wood is the most suitable material option for all of the above processing methods. This is a material with a pronounced structure. Moreover, the structure is emphasized not only by convexity, but also by color (annual rings look especially bright against a light background).

Historically, at first, craftsmen were involved in production. Subsequently, handicraft production was supplanted by mass machine production. Doors from massive and monolithic turned into light and multi-piece.

Today, for pseudo-antique doors, the most practical material is MDF, covered with veneer or foil. Used veneer of dark and light oak, mahogany, walnut, wenge, maple, rosewood. The film imitates the texture and pattern of wood, and it can also be colored.

Aged doors are classic and, judging by the trends, will always be in demand.

There are several reasons why this happens:

• Classic doors are synonymous with wealth. Wealthy people will always strive to emphasize their status. And people who do not have the opportunity to purchase such expensive things and who are the majority will use stylized doors. In addition, there are a lot of such options on the market, different in colors, shape, decor and material. Moreover, the door is a visiting card of an apartment or room, by which one can judge its owner.
• Antique doors create a special mood. Office premises, shopping centers, and almost all the premises in which a person spends most of his time, are decorated in the style of modern, high-tech and the like. Therefore, having crossed the threshold of his home, a person wants to relax and feel comfortable.

• There are directions that use light pastel shades, and they have a calming effect on the psyche and the human nervous system.
• Despite their intricate appearance, they are very practical. Hardwood doors are durable, and treated with special impregnations, they can be used in bathrooms and rooms with temperature extremes. A wide range of materials will ensure your enjoyment for years to come.
• Special processing techniques are available to people without special skills. This is a great opportunity for creativity, manifestation of your individuality. A hand-made thing is especially expensive.

When deciding to buy a particular door, read the reviews on the Internet and among your friends. Each modern manufacturing organization has a website with a product catalog, having studied which, you will have an idea of ​​the products offered.

In terms of cost, domestic manufacturers outperform European ones, and the quality is in no way inferior.If companies, when advertising their products, use the expressions “Italian quality” or “English reliability”, and the cost of products is not higher than that of competitors, keep in mind that, most likely, we are talking about Italian woodworking machines and English accessories. And the production itself is carried out directly in Russia.

Long terms of production also do not say anything - perhaps the factory is located in another city. Raw materials (some types of wood) can indeed be delivered from England, Italy, Asian countries.

The most popular (according to reviews and searches on the Internet) manufacturers of doors in classic style from solid wood and MDF are:

• Sofia;
• Volkhovets;
• "Alexandria Doors";
• "Ocean";
• Europan;

• Dariano;
• Matadoor;
• Alvero;
• RuLes;
• Dera.

There are several ways to make a new or used door look aged:

• Brushing - Removal of soft tissue from wood. To do this, use a special iron brush to evenly run along the fibers. Then the surface is sanded and varnished. This is the most plausible method.
• Patination. First, a dark layer of paint is applied, it should be even. Then light paint is applied and, having dried a little, certain areas are wiped with a rag. Grind with sandpaper and varnish.
• Craquelure. The purpose of this method is to create cracks. First, a craquelure varnish is applied to the wooden surface, then a bitumen-based composition, and then a contrasting acrylic paint. Cracks can also be highlighted with paint, only this must be done very carefully.
• With the help of wood stain. It is applied with a brush or sponge, lifts the fibers and makes them more prominent. It is applied in several layers, after drying it is rubbed with wax.
• With paraffin wax - initially, dark paint is applied, then the necessary areas are rubbed with paraffin and the entire surface is painted with light paint. The paraffin is peeled off, the resulting drawing must be sanded and covered with a stain.

The door leaf must be prepared in advance. To do this, you need to remove the hinges and handles, remove the glass. Remove paint and sand the surface with a hot air gun. Chips are rubbed with putty. The surface is degreased.

Such work does not require special skills. All it takes is the desire to create a unique door.

In their narrow sense, antique doors can denote doors made in one of the directions of the classical style:

• Gothick style. A door in this style should only be in natural shades, with a large number of glass inserts or iron plates, with forging. This is where the original pointed top comes in. The product should give the impression of being robust and solid. Due to their massiveness, such models are more suitable for external doors.
• Baroque - characterized by an abundance of silver, copper, bronze and, of course, gilding. Decorated with ornate volumetric carving imitating molding. Slopes can be columns or additional side panels. Cornices and porticos are installed above the door. The main feature of this style is the creation of the illusion of wealth and luxury. It is oriented towards large "palace" dimensions, therefore, doors are installed in a large size.

• Rococo Is, in fact, a more spectacular and sophisticated Baroque style. Designed for both spacious and small spaces. Characterized by pastel and pearl shades. The carving is thinner, mirrors and glass are used, images that imitate hand-painted, floral patterns.
• Classicism - a more laconic style, it was strongly influenced by antiquity, which was reflected in the carvings and patterns, they became more strict, geometric.And the door itself must be of the correct rectangular shape. The color range is light: blue, pink, green, beige in combination with wood flowers.
• Empire style (or the period of late classicism) - all the same "palace" style. Doors in this style are designed for rooms with high ceilings. Arches appear. Bright colors (like green or red) are combined with pastel shades and gilding.

In a broad sense, "antiquity" is conventionally understood as things that existed 100 years ago. Thus, a semi-antique door can also be made in a vintage style. This style, if we talk about the time interval, belongs to the first third of the twentieth century and is characterized by attempts to combine classical styles and emerging modern ones. Vintage doors can be painted in the same color or made of planks. With carved or painted floral patterns.

The retro style belongs to modern trends and differs from the vintage by the predominance of artificial materials and bright colors, the absence of patterns and small details, and the severity of geometric shapes.

Among modern styles there is a direction that deliberately uses artificially aged things - this is shabby chic. It is also replete with decorative small details and floral patterns. In this case, the general background is preferable white. The door leaves are painted in dim light colors and are artificially aged.

For information on how to decorate an antique door with your own hands, see the next video.