The Doors
I own a pair of antique chinese double doors that are iron bound hardwood and weigh at least 70 lbs each. The iron has long since oxygenated turning a lovely rusty brown while the oak (at least I believe its oak) is a rich glossy brown. It has two full knockers with large rings hanging from stylized dog heads. They're impractical, unwieldy, and absolutely gorgeous. .
They were apparently doors in a chinese temple and I bought them about 5 years ago when my real estate business was going well. I remember walking home everyday from the office when I lived on Walnut Ave and seeing them in the window of an antique shop on Queen St. I loved them and wanted them very much but they were well beyond what I could justify spending for a decorative antique. Then one day the shop announced a closing sale and lo and behold - the object of my decorative lust were half off! I've had them propped here and there in the various apartments I've lived in since buying them, but I've always felt they were stylistically underutilized
Being actually quite short for doors (approximately 5') when I would sit them on the floor they just seemed small and didn't really dominate a space as I always felt they should. I jury rigged an old table that was giong to be thrown out into a stand which raised them a foot and a half which was better, but the previous apartments I lived in had concrete walls. I didn't want to permanently mar the concrete of either Walnut Ave or my apartment on Wellestley east so I just propped them up (albeit a little dangerously) leaving them on a bit of a funny angle which reduced the overall effect. They also had two nubs which made them lean together on a funny angle. The second problem was colour. They are such a rich rust and brown they really needed to sit against a prominent and warm backdrop colour.
Well with Boon Avenue I decided to do it up right. I had placed them in the dining room and just wasn't happy with them. They were sitting against a cream wall and still propped on slightly awkward angles - again, reducing the effect. ilyanna and I agreed we'd move them to the living room and place them behind the couch. This presented a bit of a safety problem as 70 lb doors crashing down on people sitting on a couch would likely squish them good. So I got out the old hacksaw, took of the nibs on the bottom, re-kerjiggered the already kerjiggered table further, dropped anchors in the drywall and firmly istalled it to the drywall.
So now they rise dramatically over the couch dominating the primary wall of the living room. We painted the wall a rich red just moving a touch towards burgundy which really brings out the colours. I think sometime in the next year I might mount a lamp with a 40w bulb into the cieling to shine down on them which will really complete the effect. It really does look good.
At the moment we've dragged the mattress into the living room so we can sleep in the A/C. I wake up in the morning and look up at our dramatic, warm, temple doors moutned impressively (and snugly) to the wall and I am happy.
(Yet another post brought to you by Ms. Melnychuk of Softchoice Corporation who was kind enough to go on vacation after telling her accounts she'll be out of town leaving me little to do!)
They were apparently doors in a chinese temple and I bought them about 5 years ago when my real estate business was going well. I remember walking home everyday from the office when I lived on Walnut Ave and seeing them in the window of an antique shop on Queen St. I loved them and wanted them very much but they were well beyond what I could justify spending for a decorative antique. Then one day the shop announced a closing sale and lo and behold - the object of my decorative lust were half off! I've had them propped here and there in the various apartments I've lived in since buying them, but I've always felt they were stylistically underutilized
Being actually quite short for doors (approximately 5') when I would sit them on the floor they just seemed small and didn't really dominate a space as I always felt they should. I jury rigged an old table that was giong to be thrown out into a stand which raised them a foot and a half which was better, but the previous apartments I lived in had concrete walls. I didn't want to permanently mar the concrete of either Walnut Ave or my apartment on Wellestley east so I just propped them up (albeit a little dangerously) leaving them on a bit of a funny angle which reduced the overall effect. They also had two nubs which made them lean together on a funny angle. The second problem was colour. They are such a rich rust and brown they really needed to sit against a prominent and warm backdrop colour.
Well with Boon Avenue I decided to do it up right. I had placed them in the dining room and just wasn't happy with them. They were sitting against a cream wall and still propped on slightly awkward angles - again, reducing the effect. ilyanna and I agreed we'd move them to the living room and place them behind the couch. This presented a bit of a safety problem as 70 lb doors crashing down on people sitting on a couch would likely squish them good. So I got out the old hacksaw, took of the nibs on the bottom, re-kerjiggered the already kerjiggered table further, dropped anchors in the drywall and firmly istalled it to the drywall.
So now they rise dramatically over the couch dominating the primary wall of the living room. We painted the wall a rich red just moving a touch towards burgundy which really brings out the colours. I think sometime in the next year I might mount a lamp with a 40w bulb into the cieling to shine down on them which will really complete the effect. It really does look good.
At the moment we've dragged the mattress into the living room so we can sleep in the A/C. I wake up in the morning and look up at our dramatic, warm, temple doors moutned impressively (and snugly) to the wall and I am happy.
(Yet another post brought to you by Ms. Melnychuk of Softchoice Corporation who was kind enough to go on vacation after telling her accounts she'll be out of town leaving me little to do!)