The Sumiko Door

The design concept for this custom entry door, all mahogany wood, descends from the shapes of musical instruments, an open piano with its strings, soundboard. In profile, the double handlebar reinforces that resemblance to a fiddle’s sensual curves which bridges over the otherwise all straight, taut lines.

The organic grab bar interior profile is dedicated to my son, as it mimics the contour of a baby’s face. The door name refers to a great musician who influenced my thoughts on music.

The front “pickets” imitate fencing construction, so to have a sense of transparency, of layering, in a door that has no glass; there will be a large sidelight next to it. We followed every step of its construction, made possible by an excellent local artisan, Troy Doolittle, who perfected every detail with care and love for the natural material, helping me understand its behavior, choosing bolts, and stains, oils, and spacing; we preferred expansion tolerances, gaps over trims.

The mahogany will darken with time and exposure. We decided to have also the custom handlebar made of wood instead of purchasing a standard metal one as if the whole door was carved out of a monolithic block. Troy normally builds special wooden tables, and I thought he was the right person for this project: why not lifting up a “table” and making it a door?

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