5 Tips on Selecting a Door for a Table

One of our favorite places to go hunting for old doors and windows is Cherokee Street. Known as Antique Row, it offers store after store filled with antiques, architectural pieces, vintage clothing and jewelry...and much more.

One of our first stops is at Riverside Architectural Antiques. This is a typical scene of what we dig through.

The Painted Cow is also a great place to find one-of-a-kind items...

Over time, we've learned what to look for when selecting doors that will ultimately become tables. A couple things we consider:

1. What do you want the finished table to look like? Our tables range from those with a more finished look (complete with table skirt and glass to even it out), to simply a table on legs. Whatever look you are going for, think about how you will put it all together and will the door work with your plan?
2. Symmetry: Depending on the look you are going for and the tools available, take a close look to see if the door is symmetrical. Alot of the time, the bottom rail is wider than the top. If this is something you are concerned about, you'll need the proper tools to even it out.
3. If you plan on going with a stained top, does the door need to be stripped? This process can take up alot of your time. You can find doors that have already been stripped (or, the store might offer it for a fee), but you usually will pay more for these doors. If you love the chippy paint on the door, then this isn't an issue!
   
4. Sturdiness: Think about how you want the finished product to look. Will you have a large piece of glass on the top, like this table? Or, if there are smaller panels, will it be more like this table? If you don't care for an even surface, knock on the panels to make sure they are sturdy. We opted to not put glass on this table. The panels are thick and can stand to have vases, books, etc. placed on them.
5. For me, the older and chippier a door, the better. However, as we have been leveling the symmetry on older doors or removing rusty nails, doors have cracked and chipped apart. Pay attention to the quirky details you love in the door...will they end up causing you more problems as you are putting your piece together?

There's one other thing Cherokee Street is known for...its Mexican food. As we all know, antiqing is hard work!