They were known in early New England as a double-hung door.The initial purpose of this door design was to keep animals out of farmhouses or to keep children inside while allowing light and air to filter through the open top; essentially combining a door with a fairly large window. When the top half was open they also allowed a breeze, but stopped the wind from blowing dirt into the house. This type of door was common in the Netherlands in the seventeenth century and appears in Dutch paintings of the period. They were also commonly found in the Dutch cultural areas of New York and New Jersey before the American Revolution. {https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_door}
One of the things I love about our new house are the Dutch doors! Mrs. Nell was obviously a fan! Although I never met her, I learned that we are both Colonial Williamsburg enthusiasts. The only caveat is that Mrs. Nell put Dutch doors EVERYWHERE in the house! I think there are 6. I've included some images of the current Dutch doors below.
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| This is the future son's room/bunk room. The Dutch door is definitely not staying here (it leads to a treacherous balcony that I'm not trusting my 6-year-old to access!) |
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| This Dutch door leads from the dining room to the kitchen. Probably going. A peek-a-boo dinner party, anyone? |
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| This area will eventually lead from the kitchen into the laundry/mudroom addition. I plan to move the Dutch door to the exterior of the addition. |
Our plan is to keep at least one Dutch door (probably as the mudroom entry). I love the idea of doing laundry with a spring breeze at my back and feeling connected to the outdoors through the opening! Some of the existing Dutch doors might be going. (Not sure if I think a Dutch door leading to the basement is quirky and interesting or maybe just scary?!) We are still in the dreaming and scheming phase for the house as a whole. Here are some Dutch Door images that I'm using for inspiration! (We've got lots of work to do! )😉
Photo and/or design credits for these gorgeous images are found on my Pinterest page! https://www.pinterest.com/julymarch/
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