Okay, so I am moving into a new apartment Thursday. One bedroom has two doors, one of which is located in the “living room” sort of area. My roommate doesn’t especially like the idea of a door being there, and the door is also sort of cutesy looking against the furnishings we have (sleek minimalistic sort of aesthetic).
I have been pondering ways to make the door not exist, and my best idea thus far is getting some of those thick bamboo poles and arranging something. I have had no luck finding a decent source for these, though (lots of thin bamboo, but none of the thick stuff) and I have a feeling it might not be cost effective for us anyway.
Any suggestions for making the door not exist that would not clash with our overall aesthetic would be much appreciated (unusual ideas are not shunned).
Do you guys like the looks of tapestry? That might clash just as much with minimilistic decor as the door though. Maybe a matchstick-type shade, cut to size and hung over the door–then you could wire in some hooks to hold photos or something so it looks like an intentional wall treatment.
Oriental-style room screens can be pretty too, and they are often sold in pretty basic colors.
We really dislike tapestries. The Oriental stuff always struck me as affected when coming from people like me, although it does look nice in some other peoples’ spaces.
I agree–the shoji screens used and built on decorating shows look relatively simple and sleek. You can build one out of wood strips and rice paper. Or you can get a room divider screen with pockets for photos.
Are you allowed to paint your place? Trompe l’oeil comes to mind. Are you allowed to build in there at all? Narrow shelves could fit in the doorframe, assuming it’s not a fire exit.
Along the tapestry line, you can take almost anything and make it into a wall-hanging to disguise the door. Bamboo placemats, table runners, chains, etc. What is your current aesthesic in terms of colors, materials, textures? (Finally, all those years of watching home dec shows paying off…drool)
Our place is very stark. Lots of white and black. Think “art gallery,” except without anything on the walls. For the most part, we’re keeping things angular. We’re not looking to create a pleasant or homey environment, strange as that may sound. We’re looking to create a space that is conducive to creativity and interaction.
We have a very low-profile swiveling coffee table, a black faux leather sofa that is vaguely similar to Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona furniture, and a few smll chairs we don’t like. We also have a TV stand which is small and black and as “not there” as possible, with a medium-sized tube television atop it (the television has been painted entirely white – no logos, etc.).
We are looking to use sandblasted plexiglass and backlighting to make one of the walls of the place “pop,” so to speak.
Basically, we’re…kind of weird for 20 year old dudes getting their first place.
So why not the wall with the door? For creativity and interaction, how about a huge whiteboard or blackboard (make your own with chalkboard paint) over the door. Or some sort of light show, since they sell all kinds of strings of lights.
You’re not likely to believe this, but that’s more or less what I was thinking. Only not the whole wall, just a panel running from floor to ceiling in front of the door. Some sort of frosted acrylic, frosted glass, or similar… backlit. The backlighting possibilities are endless: full-spectrum rare-earth incandescent(s), low-wattage compact fluorescents, black light fluorescent (that could be really neat, actually), one of those newfangled LCD diode things which can be programmed to cycle from magenta to cyan to green to lavender; or the upscale British diode kinetic light sculpture thingy…
Have fun decorating the castle!
That’s an obligatory “Princess Bride” reference. Welcome to the Dope Boards!
I’m assuming this door has an architrave that stands proud of the wall a little?
If so, you could make a timber frame to fit over it and stretch canvas or hessian over the frame (exactly the same way as an artist’s canvas is mounted); you could paint/silkscreen this with whatever pattern takes your fancy, or leave it blank, or iron on geometric shapes of contrasting material etc.
If there’s no architrave, you could still do the same, but you could make the frame exactly the right size to push-fit in the doorway, to be completely flush with the wall.
My first thought was a bookshelf, too. But since you’re doing the plexiglass & backlighting thing anyway, do it in front of the door, if possible, to hide it. You can remove the knob so the panel can fit as flush as possible. If this won’t work for some reason, then definately get a bookshelf. Measure the door and get one just a bit wider and taller – you can use a cheap formica bookshelf, since black or white would work. Again, take the door knob off, so it will sit flush to the wall. Make sure to put the discarded door knob in a safe place so you can replace it when you move out.
