This is a sponsored post. Impact-Site-Verification: 1204231794 Anyone who lives in a neuro diverse home knows without a shadow of a doubt that doors get some tough love! And mine are no exception. With cracked panels, chipped paint, broken handles and wonky hinges there isn’t a door in my home that doesn’t require some sort of attention. And so over the next few months I’m going to be giving them all a refurb. I’m stripping them of over a hundred years of paint. Taking them back to bare wood, repairing them and making them beautiful once more. And there’s no better place to start than my hallway renovation with Corston Architectural Detail.
Now apart from the hallway doors looking down right tatty I made the mistake previously of going down a trend route when it came to door furniture too! And whilst the doors need repair work (like one won’t even close) they also need new furniture. Why didn’t I just go with a classic design last time? When it comes to hardware (switches, sockets, hinges etc) always go with classic designs. They don’t date and as the jewellery of a room it’s much better to go for a diamond pendant or a string of pearls than costume jewellery isn’t it?
And so operation revive the hallway commenced. Hours and hours of stripping wood work, sanding and filling. Let’s not forget those wonky hinges too and the door that didn’t fit! All three doors were removed and treated to new Antique Brass Curtis door hinges. With four bearings per hinge they’re beautifully weighted and my doors now open and close like a dream with not a squeak or creak to be heard ever again!
But then the decorating domino effect came into play! Why does one DIY task always lead to another?? A tiny bit of emulsion came away with the door architrave paint. I could have left it! I could have ignored the urge to pick at it! But of course I didn’t 🙂 And before you could say Raspberry Flavoured Windows the emulsion was coming off in great big sheets, literally falling off the walls! Turns out that the walls had been painted in Distemper!
Now Distemper if you haven’t heard of it was water based paint created in Egyptian times and used right up until the 1970’s! It’s great paint but and it’s a big but! Nothing sticks to it! Like whatever you paint over it will at some point peel back off again. And the only way to solve the issue is either to prime it before painting (though this can cause issues with breathability) or remove it back to bare plaster.
And so more hours than I care to think about went into removing the paint, and then inevitably filling the holes I imaged to create at the same time. But in the long run it was worth it to strip the room back to it’s bones to let it shine again. And with all that prep done it was time to paint before getting to the fun bit! The styling and faffing 🙂
And this is where Corston Architectural Detail really come into play. Hallways and Landings on the whole can be bereft of detail. And so the best way to add some is with your door furniture. But you don’t want any old handles, you want something beautiful and classic. Something that feels weighty in your hand and solid. You want quality and affordability and this sums up Corston. Made from solid brass and designed and engineered in the UK, I went with their Poplar mortice door knobs. Aren’t they stunning. The antique brass finish look sooooo good against the dark woodwork. And because my doors originally had a pair on each I also added Harper Push Plates too. They really add to the luxurious vibe as well as being extremely practical.
And last but not least I couldn’t forget the key holes. You wouldn’t believe the draft that wafts through them! So I knew I needed to cover them up but again whilst practicality was important I also desired beautiful and the Warwick covered key escutcheons are just perfection. They match the door knobs beautifully too.
And there we have it, refreshed hallway complete. It’s lovely to know all the prep work is done down here! Only another 6 doors to go on the landing and all will be good in the RFW world. Can’t wait to share that journey with you too. Plans are afoot for a few changes. The stairs need a bit of a spruce up too and I have a hidden surprise wall to share with you too!
So what do you think of the mini makeover? And most importantly my functioning doors? Honestly if you’re starting a renovation or like me revisiting an old one and starting again. Please do give early consideration to your fixtures and fittings! They truly can make or break a space.
NB. Sponsored Content: My Hallway Renovation With Corston Architectural Detail is a collaboration. As usual, all thoughts and opinions are my own, plus I would never have anything in my own home that I did not consider both beautiful and practical whilst also being superb quality.
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