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Barry Bonds isn't the only one...Here's steroids for your artwork!

By
Real Estate Agent with Dove Realty Inc.

Who woulda thunk it?

A hollow-core door is transformed into an architectural back drop for photographic art. This is a project we did for our last listing. It was a large contemporary home in Redmond with very little detail. We knew artwork was going to be important and the problem was we didn't have enough big artwork for the space. So we took two hollow-core doors, painted them the same color as the kitchen. That helped to warm up the living and dining rooms and unified the entire space. We hung the doors on the wall, and hung our artwork on the doors. The effect was dazzling to say the least! The beauty of this idea: it's inexpensive, you can change the look simply by changing the color on the door, and you can also change out your artwork and it cost almost nothing. This is a perfect fix for those big, cold, contemporary houses, short of investing in very expensive, contemporary art.

 

door blog 3


door blog 4 

 

Lisa Sherman
Interior Aura - Salem, OR
Home Stager, Interior, Redesign & Decorating - Salem Oregon

Fantastic idea... such a nice way to add both substance and artwork without the expense.  I've bookmarked and look forward to the de-staging photos.  Thanks for sharing!

Lisa Sherman ~ Interior Aura

Nov 23, 2007 02:25 PM
Anya Gertenaar - Kelowna Home Staging
DECOROLOGY Home Staging and Redesign - Kelowna, BC

Susan, I love it..love it....LOVE IT........LOVE IT!

What a great idea! Thanks for sharing it!

 

Nov 24, 2007 03:21 AM
Susan Peters
Dove Realty Inc. - Seattle, WA
The Better it Looks the Better it Sells

Kathleen: Thanks and I agree, whenever possible the 1st thing I do is pull the sofa away from the wall.

Phyllis: I like that it can solve 2 problems at once.

Joanne: Thanks so much for the comment. 

Nov 25, 2007 12:33 PM
Susan Peters
Dove Realty Inc. - Seattle, WA
The Better it Looks the Better it Sells

Cindy: You're right. Innocent until proven guilty.

Ginger: I'll have to think about the knob hole doors.

Tara: Thanks for stopping by. 

Nov 26, 2007 03:16 PM
Wendy Casey
A-List Home Staging & Decor - Surrey, BC

Susan...what a way to make artwork and the room POP! Thanks for sharing your beautiful work, and idea.

Wendy Casey - Vancouver, BC

Nov 27, 2007 08:21 AM
Ginger Foust
Certified Staging Professional - Oakhurst, CA
Home Stager Oakhurst CA, Dream Interior Redesign & Staging

Susan, what do you think of covering the "holed" versions with canvas (or a painter's drop cloth) stapled on the back and painting them.  Don't think you'd see the hole then?  Also thought about cutting them in 1/2 at the door hole, but then I'd have to cover them to hide the hollow core end and the size would be too diminished. 

Gonna give it a try because I want to replace all of the doors in my house and that will bring me 8 more to work with.

 Thanks again for stirring up the thought process! 

Nov 27, 2007 11:12 AM
Jennie Norris
Sensational Home Staging - Littleton, CO
Denver Regions Premier Home Staging Resource,

Susan - great idea - and probably a lot more inexpensive than buying or renting some artsy-fartsy piece.  And you can reuse it too - right?  Still waiting for the tip on how to hang this.  How much did it weigh? We have the hooks that hold up to 150 pounds.  Was it wired or ??  Inquiring minds want to know. - Jennie

Nov 27, 2007 04:23 PM
Susan Peters
Dove Realty Inc. - Seattle, WA
The Better it Looks the Better it Sells
Jennie: They are not that heavy you can screw in 2 eye hooks and run some picture hanging wire through them and then hang it on a couple of 50lbs. hooks.They are actually lighter than most good sized mirrors.
Nov 27, 2007 04:28 PM
Susan Peters
Dove Realty Inc. - Seattle, WA
The Better it Looks the Better it Sells

Karen: We're de-staging next so I'll post some close up photos.

Dane: Thanks for the 5! 

Lisa: I love great cheap tricks. 

Dec 01, 2007 04:42 PM
Susan Peters
Dove Realty Inc. - Seattle, WA
The Better it Looks the Better it Sells
Anya: Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!
Dec 02, 2007 05:03 PM
Susan Peters
Dove Realty Inc. - Seattle, WA
The Better it Looks the Better it Sells
Ginger: I just had a good idea (actually 2) on what to do with hollow core doors that have the door handle  holes in them and I'll blog on it next week. I need to find some pictures first.
Dec 02, 2007 05:05 PM
Susan Peters
Dove Realty Inc. - Seattle, WA
The Better it Looks the Better it Sells
Penny: I missed responding to your comment. Thanks and thanks for the 5!
Dec 05, 2007 10:08 AM
Jo Potvin
Design To Market LLC - Cincinnati, OH
Home Staging Cincinnati - Design To Market

WOW!  Great idea.  We are facing a similar project and large artwork has been on my list. 

What kind of paint did you use (flat,semi-gloss, etc?) and how did you anchor the door to the wall and the artwork to the door?

Dec 16, 2007 11:10 PM
Mary Lou Teague
HOME STYLE AND STAGING LLC - Knoxville, TN
Home Style and Staging Knoxville. TN
Susan, OMG that is wonderful...WOW !!! To say the least. Love the idea for large walls..
Dec 17, 2007 12:35 AM
Susan Peters
Dove Realty Inc. - Seattle, WA
The Better it Looks the Better it Sells

Jo: We used the same paint that was used in the kitchen. I think that it was a satin. but if I had to go out and buy paint I'd match the texture to the existing paint in the room. We put a hanger on the back of the door and 2 screws into to tha wall to support it. We also used screws on the door to hang the pictures on.

Mary Lou: I'm glad you like it!

Dec 17, 2007 05:32 PM
Tanya Venable
Orlando, FL
SEO, Mobile SEO, and Internet Marketing Consultant

Very resourceful and elegant as usual. Susan, I love to see your work.

Dec 17, 2007 07:47 PM
Susan Peters
Dove Realty Inc. - Seattle, WA
The Better it Looks the Better it Sells
Tanya: Thanks so much and best wishes for the holidays!
Dec 18, 2007 05:25 PM
Pam Faulkner
Faulkner House Interior Redesign - Herndon, VA
Room Transformations Fairfax & Loudoun Counties VA

Susan,  I just came across your post and have to give you more than the coveted raffia soap for inventiveness.  Great idea to add dimension and interest to the room this way.

Have you ever used Attach-its?  They attach to the object you are hanging then "hook" directly into the wall.  They leave little slits in the wall instead of holes.

Apr 30, 2008 10:07 AM
Nancy Robertson
Signature Style Staging - Dallas, TX
RESA
Great idea!  Thank you for sharing.  The artwork pops with the architectural detail behind it. 
Apr 30, 2008 01:09 PM
Susan Peters
Dove Realty Inc. - Seattle, WA
The Better it Looks the Better it Sells

Pam: Thanks for your comment and the tip for Attach-its.

Nancy: That artwork would have looked pretty wimpy with out it.

Apr 30, 2008 02:23 PM