Without further adew…

I couldn’t be happier with this thrifty find! It has a true farmhouse look and feel, without the price tag to match! I did splurge on a fancy doorknob, but I chose the least expensive one on the shelf! I chose a simple screen door because we love having the front door open but need to keep the bugs out! I chose a simple drawer pull with a matching shape instead of a traditional handle and latch.

Overall project cost: $380 WOW! I can’t believe it myself! Here’s a breakdown!

Door-$156

Knob set-$92

Mortiser tool-$25

Lock installation kit-$13

Hinges-$10

Stain-$5

Stain pads-$4

Thompson’s Water Seal-$16

Screen door-$53

Screen door hinges-$3

Screen door handle-$3

Reflecting on the project in its entirety, here are my takeaways. You can have a beautiful home with a beautiful price tag to match, you just might have to DIY a little! Remember this door totaled out at 70% less than its plan b counterpart, and 85% less than plan a (the dream door). But really, this was a pretty simple weekend project! I would say inspect your door closely when choosing which way it’s going to open. Before the stain is applied, it’s hard to see the wood grain and character (this was a light fir wood after all). I really didn’t pay much attention and let Husband get to work on the installation part. After stained and hung, I actually like the interior side of my door better than the exterior! Lesson learned. The factory plastic on the glass was a lifesaver during the staining process, but oh my how I thought I would go crazy trying to get it off! It took two days with a razor blade and a lot more patience than I possess! I was so ready to get this project done that I failed to notice the shape of the surrounding door frame! You’ll notice in the final pics, you can see all the screw holes from the old storm door that was mounted to the front. So allow time once you’ve removed your door(s) for putty, sanding and paint. Most importantly, take pictures. Lots of pictures. Receipts, supplies, ahem “before” pictures! I didn’t take any before pictures! The only good news about that is that I have three more doors exactly like it! Now get thrifty and get to work!