What are the best internal doors in a Victorian house?

last year

I am living in a four storey Victorian town house and currently we have white internal doors. All the doors need to be replaced because they are so old and half of them don't even close! We would like to know what you all think of White v Brown wooden internal doors. Please can you all vote in this poll. Thanks.

White doors

Brown wooden doors

Featured Answer

Sonia

last year

I was thinking just that Jonathan! A carpenter could adapt the current doors to fit better and if they are a bit tatty then you could paint them in a colour to suit the various rooms. I love original features so I would keep them if at all possible.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (10)

minnie101
last year
If the doors are a softwood like pine they’d have been painted, only expensive hard woods were left natural on show. I prefer painted (although doesn’t have to be white) for a townhouse.

I think wood works well in a workers cottage as the architectural features aren’t as grand

I’d also stick with the 4 panel design either reclaimed or repro if they’re beyond repair
Sue S
last year
Are you in UK?

I understand that if the house is being renovated, houses above 2 storeys have to have fire retardant doors fitted.
Related Discussions
Narrow House (15.4ft / 4.7m) - what are my layout options?
Q
Comments (9)
HI -- gross635 -- Your right to some degree but you can't move the main floor bath to the other side because then that interfers with the floor plan on the second floor. Would not work . I would have loved to turn the whole plan around but it won't work in this case. Added note to what I posted before is to get rid of anywalls you don't need and also not every room has to have a door. Like the one on the lounge and the one at the end of the hall. I would open the lounge up by not having the walls on the entrance hall . As for a closet , there is space in front of the set back powder room for some coat hooks etc. I also question the fact of , if the lounge is really needed. Everything could have been shifted to the front and the kitchen set back , then that would have made a larger dining/familyroom area . But that would have ruined the resale value . So I think moving the bathrooms was the lest and best for this plan. One question I have , is this an English plan ?, because the English love putting doors on every room ?And usually the doors swing the wrong way.
...See More
Our new home
Q
Comments (20)
Please, please, please, don't paint any of the wood. You have a beautiful setting for mid century modern décor. I can agree with removing the carpet from the stairs, however I would just want to add a jute floor covering for the stairs after. The light fixtures should probably both be changed. You even have a lovely roomy space in your foyer. I always recommend starting with the foundation of the room, which is the floor covering. Kilim, ikat, Persian or Oriental would be my choice. I would think minimalist would be very fitting in this space.
...See More
need help with flow of old house
Q
Comments (0)
Hello Would anyone have experience with a similar property to ours and share their solution/knowledge? Issue We have a small Victorian cottage gable-onto-driveway with L-shaped garden. The hall door, porch is three-quarters of the way down the property. Our modest accommodation 3 bedrooms (at gable) (the double b/room currently doubles up as a playroom), sitting room, (internal/no windows) bathroom and then scullery kitchen and off that a side return ('internal' courtyard which we have nice storage outbuilding and in is also where we also grow vegetables, fruit etc. Our idea We would like to bring the porch to the 'front' of the cottage. We want build a hall cottage entrance replicated but flush with corridor-hall. The bedrooms would then have new entrance doors through old gable wall into new hall. The hall door will be centre of the new hall, build a bathroom to one side (external window, proper ventilation). This new hallway would wrap around to the left of the property into a 30sqm room with french doors facing front and french doors at other end of that room (onto leftover section of garden) and this room would have a small en suite. This room would connect by french doors (subsume the current windows into the sitting room). The internal bathroom can be (happily!) demolished and space used to double the size of kitchen and connect by barn door/sliding solid door to playroom/dining room. We think this build would provide adequate living space for our small family and a flow to the house with spaces that can join up and close off, such flow which it currently lacks. Any advice / issues with hallway (integral porch, hall door) at gable with wraparound to garden room?
...See More
Help me decide on house extension plans. Would be so grateful :)
Q
Comments (5)
The "L' shape which extends further on the right will give you marginally more light into it - but this depends on the design of the roof and glazing - which is vitally important to the end result. I would consider putting pocket doors from the lounge into the kitchen (keeping the size as is) to allow the afternoon sun to be seen from the kitchen. This space might be a better option for the playroom - depending on the age of your children etc. I would put kitchen on the right hand side. Could you put a door from hall into the bike store so you don't have to go through the kitchen? Consolation prize for this orientation is that the back right hand side of your rear garden will hold the Summer evening sun the longest - so thats where to put the BBQ!
...See More
minnie101
last year
Good point. It may be worth clarfying with the LPA. I don’t think you need to adhere to regs for an old house unless you’re creating extra floor space etc but maybe replacement doors are classed as a controlled fitting, as below.
Daisy England
last year
last modified: last year
For me white painted doors just look cheap. Timber doors look much more expensive and if lacquered from purchase will require hardly any maintenance. There are so many to choose from with some lovely designs.

Take a look at LPD Doors and J B Kind Doors. Both are trade only but the company will provide you with local retailers.
Siwan Harrison
Original Author
last year
Thanks for voting and your comments. The house is our family home so I will have to look into regarding fire doors. We are currently having a new shower room and separate toilet room installed on the first floor and the fitter was adamant for us to have fire doors on them. I am still unsure about white v brown wooden internal doors but I will continue to think about it.
Linda Lencovic
last year
I think the fire retardant doors are only needed to block kitchen from living areas. The rest can be normal. But I may be wrong!
Jonathan
last year
Victorians used what they considered to be cheap wood for internal doors and then pained them. So if you are after an authentic look you should get a four paneled door with a rim lock and have it painted
Jonathan
last year
Ps a good joiner may be able to make a lot of your existing doors fit better- don’t forget in old buildings it’s not always the door that is wonky and it might be the house - you may still find one or two
doors that are warped beyond repair but replacing a couple rather than all would be easier. There are lots of places that sell reclaimed doors so you will have lots of choice
PRO
Caldicot Kitchen & Bathroom Centre
last year
Unless your budget can stretch to top end solid wood doors, I’d probably opt for white.

That said, the quality of original wooden doors is often high and while they might need a little reshaping by a competent carpenter and some TLC, if I could renovate the existing, vintage doors and get them back to fine fettle, that would be my choice - and a better use of scarce resources.

The general quality of timber from that era was much better - slower growing, tighter grain. The majority of timber used these days is fast growing, forced forest and is rarely of such good quality or longevity.

Will be interested to hear what you opt for!

What are the best internal doors in a Victorian house?

Sonia

Comments (10)

minnie101

Sue S

Related Discussions

minnie101

Daisy England

Siwan Harrison
Original Author

Linda Lencovic

Jonathan

Jonathan

Caldicot Kitchen & Bathroom Centre

COMPANY

EXPLORE HOUZZ

CONNECT WITH US

What are the best internal doors in a Victorian house?

Comments (10)

Related Discussions

Siwan HarrisonOriginal Author

COMPANY

EXPLORE HOUZZ

CONNECT WITH US

Siwan Harrison
Original Author