The Entrance into the Basement Made Cool with the Barn Door

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There is this awkward two-way entrance, one to go down stairs and the other to go upstairs, to make it interesting and functional, our client decided to have the barn door slide back and forth between the two entrances. As you can see here, there is wall that divides the two entrances, one to go up, the other to go down.

The T-slide together with this Z door gives aesthetic purpose to the entrances. We were also asked to intall the door. Because there was no header to mount the track on, we had to build a header down out of wood.

That's the door opening to the other side to cover the basement entrance.

Looking from the outside entering the house from the side door.

If you would like an awkward spot turn into something like this, contact us!

The Black Barn Door Completes this Chic Bathroom.

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When our client sent in these pictures, I was in awe at how beautifully the bathroom was created with a black and white theme. The bold part was for them to paint the barn door we custom made in black! I love how the black fixtures go so well with the black barn door. It is simply stunning!

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Before the door was painted.

If you want to steal this look (I hope our client don't mind), talk to us!

 

This Condo in Barrie gets a Sleek Barn Door

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Wanting a Scandinavian look, our client asked us to build a beech slab barn door with stainless steel hardware for their laundry room...fancy! Yes, behind this door is a laundry room. It is beside the kitchen and across from the dinning/living room.

A closer look, and the blue accent wall is so beautiful with the colour of the natural beech door.

 

 

This is the finished door in our workshop waiting to go get installed in Barrie.

If you want to add some sleek and function to your condo space like this, talk to us!

All the Way from Newfoundland!

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Our clients flew in from Newfoundland for a business trip and picked up the Heavy Metal barn door hardware to take back on the plane back with him! Talking about efficiency. Once back, it was only a few days before we received an email with the installed doors! Nevertheless, his wife was very pleased.

V for Victory!

This looks like a coat closet! Wow, so much room. And it can all be covered up in style with a slide of these lovely doors our client made himself.

Contact us if you want your coat closet to look like this.

 

We are Featured in Designlines For Hire!!

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We were really excited to have Designlines magazine feature 1925Workbench in their 2014 fall issue "For Hire"!! Designlines is Toronto's ultimate design guide! We were even more excited to have Shannon Anderson, an art writer and curator, write the article. We love the title...Let it Slide. The photo shoot with Naomi Finlay was so much fun at one of our client house, yes, the one who transformed her house with three barn door systems! Take a look for yourself ! http://designlinesmagazine.com/who/1925-workbench/

Or get a copy in print at any design venues (funiture store, condo sales centre, art galleries are some examples)...it's FREE!

We have never been in a photo shoot together before, and I have to say it was so much fun to have our photograph taken beside the infamous yellow X door!

 

A Couple of Barn Doors in Sophisticated Lawrence Mannor's Home

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Wanting a barn door to lead into a bathroom from a hallway, Designer Alyce Drenth from Creative Avenues asked for a tall panel door with custom staining to match the vanity and the tub box.  This creates an unexpected element to the reserved surrounding. This door seems to be towering the other more traditional doors in the house creates an interesting scale comparison for the eyes. That's my brother in law showing off the door after he helped Rock install it.

 

The door is made of beech wood and sliding on the Heavy Metal.

 

That's what it looks like closed. You just have to open it to reveal a bathroom beyond`

Downstairs, there is a double X door that slides between the kitchen and the front lobby giving the house a stunning conversational piece as the guests walk in. You'll never be caught in an awkward silent again for any of your house parties.

This double X door is sliding on the top mount stainless steel hardware. My brother in law again is showing off his sliding skills :)

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This is the front lobby side when the doors are closed. Pretty!

If you would like to make statement pieces with the barn door for your house, please contact us!

A House's MAKEOVER with BARN DOORS!

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Tucked somewhere near Mount Pleasant is a little house that's got gorgeously big style! The owner wanted to replace her closet doors that don't work well, her powder room door that gets in the way of another entrance, and to add a door to the basement to create a private oasis. One by one, we installed the barn doors to these openings and the result...a wow reaction from anyone walking into the house. I'll take you through each install and see for yourself if you wouldn't love to have your house transformed like this! When you open the front door, you are greeted with these walnut framed mirror sliding doors on the bypass system. Just look how beautifully the walnut blends with everything in the place. That is the beauty of walnut.

It does help that the owner has got big style herself! I was enthralled with the unexpected ways she's designed her space, like painting the fireplace wall a neon orange. The art on the walls were intriguing to say the least.

I have to say photography as art is the most interesting to me, and there are many to be interested about, including an Edward Burtynsky in the back wall there.

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And then your eyes are led to the maple slab door for the powder room just straight ahead.

As you can see, entering the front entrance, your eyes first catches the walnut mirror closet and then to the maple slab door.

The powder room hinged door posed a problem, when it opens, it blocks the entrance to the basement, making it awkward and annoying. But with the sliding door, all of that is resolved.

Because the floor is maple, we decided to made the door maple and the planks be vertical to lead the eyes from the floor up to the door. It also goes nicely with the maple stairs. Notice the other two owners looking down at me!

This is the before, where a hinged door was in place. You can see it, but when the door is open, it blocks the stairs to the basement and side door.

 

The door open to reveal the powder room.

From where the powder room is, we move down to the basement where a big yellow X door awaits us.

As you can see the door here covers the entrance we just entered.

 

We horseshoe hardware goes nicely with the X pattern door. The owner loves horses and she also rides them, so having a stunner like this door on the horseshoe is nice gesture to that.

Did anyone wonder how we got such a big door down the basement? The door was made and competed in the workshop, it was then literally cut in half before the installation. Once brought down stairs, the halves were assembled back together and finished to look like one door again!

This is what it looked like before. Notice there is no overhead where sliding hardware track can be mounted. Rock had to install a beam across the opening to make this work.

As you can see, the door closes off so that the whole basement becomes like a hotel for the guests. There is a Murphy bed behind the cabinets in the back. Now who wouldn't want to the guest here?

Completely closed off.

If you would like a makeover that will change the way you (and everyone else) look at your house, contact us!

 

The Spoke Wheels have Spoken...the Mudroom/Living Room Ultimate Treatment!

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I wish I had this mudroom, it is such an elegant, yet cozy, and I can imagine that home-sweet-home feeling walking in to this. The best part though, is the barn door that acts as an entrance to the living room from there. Wouldn't you love to have this whole set up? Just like the magazine isn't it?

 

The stainless steel hardware is so lovely with the blue on the wall, and the white on the door!

 

Rock just doing his usual testing. The Spoke wheels here is what makes the whole thing so gorgeous and sweet.

 

Ahhhh...so nice to be in this space. What is Rock doing there?

You can watch this barn door in motion here

If you would like Rock (and maybe me) to be in your space installing your dream barn door...email me! I can make it happen!

Space Saving for Small Mudroom

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For a small house without a hallway closet, this little built-in was the best solution for storage, and a coat station. The space is in the back room where where coats, shoes, bags, etc. were dumped,  it was always a mess... ...until now.  A space of 44" w x 96 h x 18" d was salvaged for a built-in entirely of solid white oak to act as a pantry, coat closet, shoe rack, purse rack, and everything in between.

This little room in the back of the house use to be the kitchen! Can you believe it? I'm a believer in small space living and even though I'm not a cook, this kitchen was a little too little.

View of our kitchen.

 

The cabinet oors are painted a blue that would contrast gently with the white oak and yellow door.

Close up of the walnut handle, it's a clean and crisp line and it goes with all our walnut pieces such as the dinning table, console, and vanity in the powder room.

If you would like a build-in storage unit with thoughtful space saving considerations...consider talking to us!

Turn Your Den into a Second Bedroom with the Barn Door

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This is the second time we encounter a situation where the den in the condo is turned into a second/guest bedroom.  The first time is here. Because the opening for these dens are usually large, and there isn't enough wall space for one large door to slide over, the solution comes from our telescopic bypassing barn door system. Isn't that just gorgeous! Now this condo can be listed as having a second bedroom...and the hipness of the place shoots up. This can be very attractive for potential buyers from this trendy and beautiful neighbourhood...High Park.

My first time being back on the scene after the birth of our second baby is refreshing, I love photographing the spaces where the barn doors have made their mark.  It is truly a transformation.

THE BEFORE.

Rock passing by.

Rock and his father making adjustments.

View from the main bedroom. Wouldn't you be envious if you had to look at this view every time you step out of your bedroom?

If you would like to turn your den into a second bedroom with style: talk to us!

The Union Jack Flag is UP Again!

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Remodeling their master bed to make room for a walk-in closet, our client chose to have barn doors for the entrance to give their room a cool element.  Well, their goal is accomplished!  You may have remember we did a union jack flag door for our client in Whitby awhile back, that was one door on the horseshoe hardware, now there are two doors coming together to make the flag.  This time, the doors are sliding on the Heavy Metal bi-parting barn door hardware. These are not just any barn doors, they become the Union Jack Flag when closed, and that's what makes them so cool

The door is also hand distress to give a more rustic look. Now I'm envious of the walk-in closet, wow, so neat, and spacious...something rare for any closets.

If you like to raise the Union Jack Flag via barn doors, talk to us!

Red Barn Doors inside 66 Lansdowne, Toronto

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www.dept356.com is a building company that got the Heavy Metal barn door hardware for their awesome renovation of a house on Lansdowne. Great choice of colour for the doors, it makes the place hip and fun and gallery like.  Yes, this house (a duplex) is up for sale, check it out in Toronto Life! I just love the red doors, it's a killer red! I think I must have commented on the colour every 20 minutes when I first saw pictures of the place, and it was starting to drive Rock a little nut.  But I must live out the typical blabbing wife role, it's the best thing next to shoes! It is verbal therapy.

Don't you want that red barn door in your kitchen? For a pantry, it would be perrrfect!

This red barn door in the hallway is for the bathroom. It echo nicely with all the art in this living room!

Contact us for more info on the barn door hardware, and enjoy reading through this Lansdowne project by Dept356.

 

 

A Basement Reno in Sudbury that Fancies Barn Doors

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Here is a testimonial from our client in Sudbury, Ontario: "Dealing with 1925 Workbench has been a real pleasure. As we all know renovations can be a huge stress especially when thinking outside the box and trying something different like barn doors vs traditional doors.

You were both highly efficient and were very welcoming when we first met at your shop. Ordering was quick with the final product being better than expected. Hanging the doors was surprisingly simple and the end result made the room pop in a non traditional yet exciting way.

Thanks so much and all the best!!"

Michael Cullen

Sudbury, Ontario

Michael from Sudbury made the doors himself using knotty pine, and hang them on the biparting barn door hardware for a wow factor in his basement. Great job Michael.

heavy_metal_sudbury_2If you would like the biparting barn door for your space, contact us!