Restoring Life to an Interior Door in Hyde Park
By Re-awakening the Nymph!
We Also Restore Interior Doors
If ever there were a door one could imagine housing a wood nymph, this is it! While the Greeks favored oak trees to house their wood nymphs, I can’t imagine those elusive creatures would turn up their noses if offered such a dramatic landscape as is offered by this curly birch door!
There is another reason, besides its beauty and mystery, for drawing attention to this door. Many historic Chicago homes have similarly dramatic wood…but it remains imprisoned beneath layers of paint or oppressively dark stain and varnish!
Here’s the deal. Around the turn of the century and on up into the mid-40’s, the most widely available hardwood in the Chicago area was birch and, very often, this same dramatic curly birch. Sadly, though, the rich grain of this wood remained hidden even back then. That’s because the most popular way to finish it was to apply a dark, reddish brown (Or some would say “dirty”) stain that covered it up. The purpose of this choice was to make the doors look like dark mahogany. One can find this deep reddish brown stain in historic homes and apartments throughout the Chicagoland area.
While this dark stain cannot be reversed entirely, enough of it can be removed to liberate the dramatic grain structure of curly birch. Then, re-saturated with a mid-tone reddish brown stain, the doors take on a tone more consistent with contemporary tastes while still retaining sufficient architectural integrity to pass preservationist muster.
Restore the Architectural Appeal of Your Doors
We use the highest quality materials on the market that are appropriate to the age of your building and doors. We integrate both the functional and aesthetic aspects of the door restoration process so that your doors are both welcoming and secure while simultaneously contributing to the architectural integrity of your historic building. And we offer enhancements that can turn drab doorways into grand entranceways!