Those provocative swinging doors on the front of the “Old West saloons” as seen in movies had a mystery to them. They created an enticing sense of the forbidden with their easy swing and partial view. Doors in general have a way of instantly establishing a mood and mystery about what await behind them but saloon or cafe doors have the greatest potential.
“It’s like a little peek-a-boo,” said Caity Lovett, a Bel Air interior designer.
At home, cafe doors were familiar at the entrances to the kitchen. They were a design-challenged block of wood serving the utilitarian purpose of allowing the cook to prepare meals unobserved.
But cafe doors can be more these days. They work especially well in areas with limited space where some openness is needed. “I like the fact that you’re not totally blocking things out,” Lovett said.
A great way to transform a small bathroom right at the doorway is with cafe doors. “They give a little privacy while still allowing light to come in,” Lovett noted.
A large bathroom also could benefit by creating separation and mood particularly when the doors have been stylized with nail heads or its look softened by painting or with artificial aging. Customize the doors and pair them with a matching, arched transom and achieve another unique feel.
“That’s so transformative,” said Alycia Taylor, a New York hair stylist living in a small apartment with an open bathroom. “We use those doors in the salon to hide the products. I never thought about trying them at home. That would be really nice. That could work for me.”
Cafe doors can be found ready-made at specialty stores or they can be custom-made at any millwork store. Recovering old solid doors and having them redesigned and cut down also would work.
