We had about 6 inches of snow last night (Sunday) and lost power until early Monday afternoon. Glad to have it back. Before the snow we had some lovely sunny warm days, and wanted to be outside so we did some sprucing up around the property. One of the items on my list was to clean the front door. It has really taken a beating over the last couple of summers with record heat, and the winters of the last few years have been tough as well, so although it didn’t need a complete redo, it needed some TLC. I really like my door. It is 8 feet high, solid mahogany, with leaded and beveled glass, custom made by a gentleman and his wife who had a small door company in Tennessee. I used them on several design projects for clients and they were not only wonderful to work with, but made beautiful doors. Unfortunately after many years in business, when the economy collapsed, so did the housing market, and they closed their doors for good.
Many times it looks as though a door needs to be completely stripped, sanded down and re-stained when all it may need is reconditioning. This door had been stained and sealed with polyurethane 9 years ago when I designed and built the house, so it has held up fairly well with this simple cleaning a couple of times a year. Pretty soon it will need a good sanding and reapplication of polyurethane.
As you can see in the first few photos, the finish looks dry, quite faded, and dirty, so this is how to brighten it up and check to see if it needs more extensive finishing.
Looking dull and as worn out from winter as I am!
Close up you can see how the pollen, dirt and dust gets into the grain……..
I started by cleaning it with good old Murphy’s Oil soap. And then rinse, rinse, rinse. Let it dry completely. I then applied three coats of Old English dark wood furniture oil, one right after the other. I use the one for dark woods.
After cleaning it, I use a clean cloth, my favorites are old cotton tee shirts, pouring some oil on the cloth, wiping it into the wood, then buffing until the surface is dry and shiny. Don’t be afraid of working it in. What you are doing is nourishing the wood, and providing an extra barrier over the polyurethane against the elements. Any scratches will be covered up as well. Some people think that wood doors are too much work. If taken care of they provide beauty, warmth, and performance year after year. The amount of time it take is minimal as you can see here….took about 35-40 minutes total.
Amazing what a good cleaning and application of cleaning oil can do.
Here the door is, ready to greet visitors……..
The glass was made from a drawing I gave to the door maker, a combination of two patterns I like, and he executed it beautifully……..
The beveled glass allows in lots of light that leaves beautiful patterns that dance on the walls inside the entry ……..
Allows for privacy, but lets in the light…….
What I woke up to this morning…..beautiful snow and no power! You can barely see the snow covered park bench to the left. It is spring, right? Thank you for visiting. cheers, charisse
KBJ just walked in the door from working in NC and brought me these. He said he didn’t run into snow until about half and hour south of us. The flowers sure made me feel like spring is coming……….
Flowers on a winter day………
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Love these tips on caring for mahogany doors. My front door is similar to yours except we also have side lights and a transom. It does need refreshing and I am certainly going to use your ideas. In reference to the person who asked about cleaning the windows, we have glass on each side (inside and outside) of the beveled glass which makes it simple to clean. Also, at Christmas I have a tree in my foyer and from the outside it looks as if I have a million lights on it!!!
Hi Debbie, I also have glass on either side of the beveled glass. I bet that yours with a transom and side lights is gorgeous. My door is 8 feet tall so unfortunately I had no room for a transom, nor enough space for sidelights either. Even after all my years in this home, I still notice and appreciate my front door every time I come home. To see a Christmas tree and the lights through the extra glass you have I am sure is breathtaking. Thanks for the comment. Sorry for the delay in responding. charisse
Beautiful!! I’m looking for tips on how to clean the beveled leaded glass on our front doors. Any tips on how you keep your glass sparkling?
Hi Sara, Thank you! I do love this door. With an Afghan Hound, a Newfie and a shaggy dog, I get nose prints and sometimes slobber at 3 different levels. To clean my door, years ago I accidentally came across Spic and Span CINCH. I buy it online. I really like it a lot. I also use it on all my full view glass doors throughout the house. When all the glass just needs a quick clean I use a 50/50 mix of alcohol and water in a spray bottle. I do all of this with lintless paper towels. I hope this helps. charisse
Thank you for sharing. Lovely site and your door is just as beautiful. I will share this with everyone i know 🙂 <3
What a difference a little TLC makes! Your door is stunning! I pinned it on Pinterest too!
Thank You. When I come home, especially when the porch lights are on, the beveled glass looks so pretty and I am happy to walk through the door. When the sun comes through, it creates beautiful patterns on the wall as well. My favorite door I have ever had.
This door is absolutely beautiful, as is the hardware! It looks as though it fits the home perfectly.
Thank you. I do like my door!