Making a Georgian-style print room

[LadyArowana]

I just read through the quotation from my joiner to make a door for that stone stairwell - £460, without ironmongery. 4 panels, and beading in those panels to match the other doors, and that includes hanging it too and fitting the ironmongery we supply. Is that reasonable do you think? I have no idea how long such a piece of work would take.

I think it depends how he is going to make it. We had a front door made for the apartment ( original door long gone and replaced with something inappropriate with glass ) and we wanted to match the originals that the neighbours still have. The carpenter got a blank and we chose beading that was similar and he made it on site in a day. I think it was a similar price to yours, maybe a little less. If there wasn't a door there before maybe your job is more difficult that a straight replacement though.

Door we removed

View attachment 1

Door that was made ( it has the same panels inside too ).

 

[JoceAndChris]

Your second door is sooo much nicer than the first, what a good idea! Much more in keeping with the property.

Yes, I think it probably is a reasonable quotation - and if it's a little high, well, he's an extremely nice person to have around, sits and has lunch with me and compliments me on my cooking, and talks about his dad, who was a Collyweston slate roofer, and bespoke kitchens, and all sorts of other interesting things.

 

[Penners]

a door for that stone stairwell - £460, without ironmongery. 4 panels, and beading in those panels to match the other doors, and that includes hanging it too and fitting the ironmongery we supply. Is that reasonable do you think?

If he's making a proper four-panel door, with raised and fielded panels*, to match your existing doors, then that's a complex job. I certainly don't think £460 is unreasonable - I assume this includes materials (except the furniture)?

I'm so glad that you've decided to put a door across that stairwell to the undercroft. It's lovely, but it's also an accident waiting to happen.

But you know that, if you want someone to come and eat your lunch and compliment your cooking, there are those who would do that completely free of charge. :wink:



*By this I mean not just faux panels, created by planting rectangles of moulding on a flat surface, but proper raised and fielded panels set into a frame of rails and stiles.

 

[Nigel Watts]

If I were a betting man I would say this was a flat door with applied moulding. Look very carefully at the edge of the door, above the lock where the flash refection is. I think there is a sign of a wood strip applied to the edge. This is what you would get in a flat door construction but not in a bespoke framed and panelled door.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Hmm. He gives no hint as to how he'll make it. On previous occasions he's charged around £100 for a day's labour (a short day) - very reasonable. This implies the door will take over 4 days to make and fit. Is that enough time to make the proper panels? He is fast.

 

[JoceAndChris]

I'm so glad that you've decided to put a door across that stairwell to the undercroft. It's lovely, but it's also an accident waiting to happen.

But you know that, if you want someone to come and eat your lunch and compliment your cooking, there are those who would do that completely free of charge. :wink:

You're awfully kind - but it's not lovely! It looks terrifying, it is terrifying! If you fell down there you could break your neck. Also, it's wrong to reveal a plain staircase that the Georgians wished to conceal. It's on my list of things to do to make the stone steps and passageway more attractive - not sure how yet - 4k quote to make new stone treads and risers - joiner said he could make oak thingummies to go over the edges much much cheaper. But even with it being freshly painted and the steps repaired it must be concealed.

The only slight problem is that when I'm carrying trays of food or drinks upstairs I must remember to leave it open, as opening a door and carrying a heavy tray on a narrow spiral staircase is also an accident waiting to happen!

 

[Nigel Watts]

Cover it in green baize and have it on sprung hinges perhaps?

 

[JoceAndChris]

Nice idea! (though I can't introduce green onto the hallway facing side!) But it really is that dividing line, in this house
- and I'll always keep the undercroft furnished very simply, in contrast to the ground floor where I'm just being as silly as possible.

"The 'Green Baize Door' was the dividing line between the two domains, and trespassing beyond meant going into foreign territory. The 'Green Baize Door' was a feature of almost every substantial house. It was generally an ordinary framed door onto which was tacked a green baize cloth, usually with brass tacks. It was the universal signal of the dividing line between the two halves of the house.The Bull children would not be tolerated by the servants in the domestic part of the house unless they were working under supervision. This was like walking into somebody else's house. The servants would normally use a different route to get to the various parts of the house, and would aim to be seen as little as possible. This was not because they were considered beneath notice: on the contrary, it was so that they could do their work uninterrupted by the requirement to exchange civilities. Houses evolved so that domestic staff could go about their task without interruption, not to ensure the privacy of the residents. They had none. "

http://www.foxearth.org.uk/BorleyRectory/BorleyRectoryandtheGreenBaizeDoor.htm

 

[HeatherJ]

JoceAndChris

This room is truly beautiful! I love the colour (and the whole effect, of course) - Do you remember what colour it is? I have already re-painted our yellow hall twice, but I just can't find a hue that I like.

Thanks Heather- that's sweet of you to say so. The third picture down most accurately reflects the mustardy yellow of the room, on my PC anyhow. It's Print Room yellow by Farrow and Ball. Yellow is difficult, potentially, but I love living with this slightly moody version of a sunny colour.[/quote]

I should have guessed that the print room would be Print Room Yellow - too long since I gazed at the F&B paint chart thingy (I too like the info on the back). I guess that I should look to see if they have a "65% completed hall" yellow, which would be perfect for us. :wink:

Heather