I received a call from someone who had been to our antique mall booth and saw a hand-built pantry door. She was interested in an authentic antique door but was unable to find one. So, she asked if I could build her one. The catch was that she lived over 2 hours away from us and wanted to try to figure out a way to get this project done.

We worked it out for her to meet us at a car club meeting that was closer to her home to give us her original door so we could match it.

I figured out the sizes, style etc. and began to build the door. She wanted it painted a blue that would go with her interior colors so we found the right blue and painted the door. I found some really cool antique hinges to enhance the appearance. I also added some trim to the front of the door to help the vintage appearance.

I cut the hinge insets and door handle holes in preparation for hanging the door. We agreed that it was best for us to install the door. So, we finished it and drove to her home to do the job.

When we got inside, it became very clear that while we had matched her original door perfectly, the communication was missing one point — the original door swung into the closet instead of outside it. I took a deep breath, paused, and opened the discussion. I through surely we would have to do some major work on the door to make it fit the space.

Thankfully, after talking about it, she agreed that for her uses, it was best for the door to open into the room rather into the pantry. Phew….. The door fit perfectly, and we were all satisfied that the project was a success.