Front Door:

Good Morning All,

I've rough painted the front door. I have decided to use this door even though I will have to block out the side lites so that they will not be noticed when the surround is attached.

The photos show you my process in deciding what hardware to use on the door. I had always thought I would use the lion's head knocker but in my supplies I have findings that change the character of the door. Once I decided that the brass knob would be in the centre I needed something to help strengthen the appearance of the knob to counterbalance the knocker. The photos show you few of the jewellery findings that I have considered. Yes, I will verdigris them when I decide.

The surround of the door began as a resin photo frame. Bruce sawed off portion of the bottom of the frame. He then painted it - no, that did not look good. Finally sprayed it with a sand-like grit and painted it to match the corner coynes. We will settle for this at the moment. On the house it looks good.

The photos of the exterior of the house always look much brighter and more contrasted than it does in situ. Considering giving it a whitewash to tone it down.

Now, you wonder, what are these bits and pieces you are showing. In my search for something appropriate for a balcony balustrade - I found a gate from a Christmas village, a wire pet cage, a plastic doily and a Christmas bell (not shown) and portion of a stand that cake decorators use. What do these have in common... yes, filigree.

I did love the gate. I could saw off the star and gold support and take off the side uprights that have the balls on top..... no!!! I only had one and I needed two.... great rushing around to anywhere that might have those Town House, I think they are called, Christmas villages..... no luck in any case that gate may have been discontinued someone said.

Back to the drawing board. Yes, perhaps I could take apart the pet cage. It has two sides and I could fiddle and make it fit. Rather delicate and I could paint rust etc on it. Actually it looked too delicate in the window. Next! mm mm, plastic doily. I had used the centre of it to make an impression in the paint in the living room ceiling of my mini house - surely this could be used somehow. No, the pattern cannot be reversed to match on each side because it is flat on the underneath and rounded on the top.

So back to the plastic cake decorating support. It was round originally and I thought it would make a nice fire guard so I had cut it up and painted it. It was a bit too big for the fireplace I wanted to use it on. I did accidentally break it in two as it is quite brittle plastic and just did not want to bend as far as I would like it to. My husband is quite surprised I cannot bend everything to my will. I also cut off some little feet it was standing on. I looked in Michael's (a local craft store) but could not find any more of them.

Mini friends, never throw anything away! I know you all know that already!

I think it looks good. I have settled for it and it will soon appear glued in the window.

Photos:

Final Choice....perhaps?

Filigree possibilities for window balustrade.

Variations of possibilities for hardware.

Surround and hardware on door.