The Hidden Entry Doors With Wainscoting Are Finished!

Hi Everyone,

Oh my. Well, I’ve posted on Instagram and promised to share more of the process for the hidden entry doors. AKA: the jib doors.

A recent post already goes over how the pivot doors were installed, including the hinge we used.

 

I admire folks who do those elaborate Youtube tutorials.

 

I can’t say I have the patience to stand there with my cell phone videoing every conversation and then carefully editing to reveal the gems. Plus, as you’ll soon see, my video skills still kind of suck. However, that might add to the enjoyment as Laurel videos the floor, the ceiling, etc. while on her way to see what’s going on.

In addition, you’ll hear me say “wow” a lot. I truly am wowed.

 

However, it always seems that the best bits aren’t caught on video.

 

Little moments like when Brendan and Eugene asked me:

“When’s the painter coming back?”

Me: He’s not.

B&E: He’s not?

Me: No, he’s not. I fired him!

B&E: With a look that was mostly bemusement tinged with a drop of fear, one of them said, you fired him?

Me: Yes, he is SOOOOOO FIRED! GONE. HISTORY. Just look at the f-word mess he made of your beautiful work.

B&E: chuckles

Brendan: With a mock nervous smile, said, “Are you going to fire me?”

Me: Ohhhh, Brendan, I wouldn’t dreeeeeam of firing you. Kill you, yes, but fire, no way!

However, this week, there were no evil thoughts, and I’m just kidding; there rarely are.

 

Brendan and Eugene have been hard at work all week.

 

So, let’s take some brief looks to see how they did at the application of the wainscoting over the new jib doors.

 

 

Below, B & E adjusted the wainscoting panel on the new wall separating the entry from the kitchen. We needed to get this one right to ensure the jib doors had the correct placement.

 

 

Below, is a little demo of the wainscoting being built over the doors.

 

(and my gleeful reaction) You have to strain your eyes to see where the mouldings break to open. That’s just how good these guys are.

 

 

Below is when I go to inspect the finished doors.

 

Every time I came to check things out, there was something new to see, which is why I repeated the all-important question, “Do they open?”

 

 

Some small adjustments needed to be made

 

The next day, I noticed one fine point I hadn’t noticed before. However, I zoomed in for a closeup.

 

What brilliant engineering. By the way, there will be a doorstop inside the door to prevent someone from forcing the door into the mouldings and breaking them.

Below are the entry hidden doors, closed. Well, duh. Please remember that because I didn’t do the virtual spackling this time, the outside larger gap is where the door jam is attached to the wall. That area will be spackled and invisible.

 

 

Now, let’s look at a close up of the center and right side door.

 

 

Most of the joints are barely noticeable. The most noticeable is at the floorline because there must be at least 1/4″ so the door will open smoothly.

Next, let’s look at the door partially open. This is my favorite shot.

 

The trick, of course, is making the cuts at a 45-degree angle AND at the precise point necessary.

Again, I have a detail shot below, to make it easier to see.

 

The squiggly line is where they would put the panel, which was too high. But, we worked it out.

Now, let’s look at the hidden entry door open as far as it will open.

 

 

This is plenty open to access everything I need to get. If you watched the video I shared with the master carpenter who did a hidden door for a little girl’s room, he had the same problem. If opening out, it is very difficult to create the necessary space so the mouldings don’t hit each other.

 

But, this is why you often see the moulding cut on the outside on a 45 degree.

 

While it’s not terrible, it’s the “tell” that this is a regular ol’ door, not a hidden door with wainscoting on a wall.

 

 

This door, designed by Ann Wagoner, is quite beautiful. Now that I’m an expert lol, I can see that they did not use pivot hinges. In fact, not only is the moulding cut on an exterior 45-degree angle but so are the door and the door jam. By doing so, it makes the panel look a little lopsided. Again, this is only noticed because it’s under close inspection.

 

The point, however, is that this exterior 45-degree cut is not necessary if one uses a center-hung pivot hinge, which we looked at in detail in the jib door post.

 

Yesterday, for fun, I made a little rendering after the moulding went on.

 

 

This took me a couple of hours. I used the image of the doors closed (above), and I had to hide the jam openings. Then, I could layer on the paint color and mural art. And yes, I decided to keep it unframed. I don’t think the guys would’ve minded. In fact, I think they rather enjoyed this project and the challenge it presented. After they got the hang of it, it went a lot faster. But, it took one entire workday to get it all on there perfectly.

Incidentally, we do not have to open the doors by yanking at the chair rail. I have some small round pulls that sit almost perfectly flush and will blend in beautifully with the wallpaper.

 

Some of you may notice that the finished wainscoting doesn’t look like ANY of the designs I created over the last couple of years.

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s why: I wasn’t positive about what was possible, and I wanted to avoid the guys having to make zillions of carefully placed diagonal cuts. However, the doors are built about two inches closer together than my plan called for.  Somewhere along the line, they changed from 29″ doors to 30″ doors, and that’s why we lost the two inches.

If the doors had been closer together, that also would’ve worked.

Still, these panel mouldings are in keeping with the rest of the mostly horizontal patterns in the living room and entry.

 

Today, the guys and I spent a good thirty minutes cleaning the living room.

 

One reason is that my darling son Cale is FINALLY coming to visit on Saturday evening. It was his birthday on the 18th, and of course, I made him our favorite chocolate cake. It is marinating in its yummy chocolate icing in my new Blomberg refrigerator which is fantastic! The door actually closes and stays closed! Plus, it doesn’t make weird whining noises.

Brendan isn’t allowed to eat chocolate cake. (Please go here for the recipe for the world’s best chocolate cake.) Poor guy. But, I gave Eugene a piece of the last chocolate cake I baked, and said he loved it. So, while making Cale’s cake, I adjusted the amounts slightly and made Eugene the sweetest baby cake.

 

 

Awww… What’s hilarious is that TODAY of all days is the day they cleaned out the craptastic Bertazonni fridge and transferred everything to the new fridge while I was on a business call.

 

Of course, they saw the cakes. You should’ve seen Eugene’s eyes light up when he found out one was for him. Brendan deserves a cake, too, but his wife won’t let him have any. It’s none of my business but…

 

I have much more to share, but it must wait until Sunday.

 

However, I want to add one more image today.

 

I also posted this image below of the hidden entry doors on Instagram earlier.

 

 

Yes! The toe kicks are installed! More about that soon. The new floor guy said we didn’t have to wait. But, talk about a dust maker. All cabinetry beautifully created by Crown Point Cabinetry.

But, something else big is happening tomorrow.

xo,

 

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