apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I think it's a great spot to hang a framed series of prints/photos. Little nooks and odd details like that always seem like the best place to showcase something special.

That picture looks just like my old brooklyn apartment. I found a terrific bookshlf unit from gothic cabinet that fit perfectly in that space. and with pictures display on top of the unit, you would never know there was a boarded-up door way there.

put a mirror in there. it will be awesome.

Why not use this as a decorating opportunity?

Consider getting some shelves cut to fit and install them within the door frame to create a built-in bookcase (eliminating your folding bookcase)

You could also paint the "door" a contrasting color and hang artwork or a mirror in the upper section and find a small dresser that will fit within the frame and place that in this niche.

I don't know from feng shui, but you could use the doorway as a frame for a mirror or a large piece of art, or run small shelves across it and set smaller framed art and decorative objects on them.

I like that idea since it isn't in use, using the door frame to showcase something would be brilliant. Or maybe a full length mirror? If your could use that... ?

I would pass on the mirror- according to feng shui that's a thing to avoid- only because it's right by your bed. If it's across from your bed, that would be the worst.

I would use that space to do a tromp loeil inspired print. Find a scene you'd rather be looking at when you first wake up and have it blown up to fit. It costs about $120 for a 3x5 ft print on vinyl at a Kinkos. I would love a view of a NYC skyline or some birch trees- Banana Republic always has nice scenery in their windows that would make a great wall covering.

I think a full length mirror is a great idea. In the meantime, I'd move your little bookshelf in the doorway and hang some art above it.

Urban Outfitters has some lovely large wallpapery scenes that might fit in there.

Cover the whole wall with a curtain. Either a neutral tone to have it blend in with the rest of the walls or a colored curtain to give some oomph. The curtain will act to negate the door without calling attention to it (if you put something in the door i think it will emphasize it). Just make sure that the curtain has enough folds in it (nice texture) and that it goes from floor to ceiling. I did the same in my brooklyn apartment.

Would you use a vanity? you need a little desk/table that will fit inside the doorway and a mirror cut or scavenged to fit inside the nook. It will look very cool and built-in when done IMHO.

I think the mirror would help w/the blocked aspect of the feng shui and having a serene space to prepare for your day/evening is always a good idea in the bedroom.

I'm just noticing your laptop on that folding bookshelf... you need a desk my friend!

tension rod curtain

capiz door curtain

cork/bulletin

mirror

paint

chalkboard paint

bookshelfs, or just shelfs for your antiques and curious objects.

shelves* oops

Here are some ideas:

1. If it can support the load, put Shelves on it with different colored brackets/shelves. You could place books or mementos or what not on said shelves

2. Pictures, portraits, photos, art gallery, etc.

3. If you are a girl, or just like fancy dresses, put in a nice hook, find a cool old coat hanger and hang a fancy vintage dress or beautiful new dress on it. You could also paint the back an intense burst of color

4. Hang a mirror. The mirror should be big enough so it fills up most of the space.

5. Hang one of those large wallpaper photos of a forest or bamboo forest or whatever

How about painting the door and then hanging a full-length mirror on it, then putting a small table or vanity in front of it? It could be a really nice dressing area.

I agree with bepsf - paint it a contrasting color and use the doorway as a natural "frame" to do a framed photo collage.

USE IT AS A FRAME FOR AN INSPIRATION BOARD?
OR I LIKE THE MIRROR IDEA ABOVE...

I'm guessing that Alison is a girl, Lizzy. What's on the other side? If it's someone else's apartment, I would suggest that cotton insulation covered with fabric and tufted, to keep the neighbor's (bedroom?) noise to a minimum.

My home has a similar issue, except in ours, the door is still hung in the doorway, which adds some weird textural issues. I cannot figure out WHY, though, since they later installed a new door to the outside a little way away from the old one...

When I have time/money, I want to paint the non-door to look like one of the split country kitchen style doors, with the top half open to reveal some pretty scene... probably a mountain scene.

I also like the idea of using your door space to showcase artwork or bookshelves.

If you don't know about feng shui (and thus probably don't really care), don't worry about it. Do what you like.

Shelving on brackets for a built in look would be great (the best option, I think). Or a little desk/vanity with artwork above it (though you seem to have planty of room on the surrounding walls for artwork). Or a mirror if it won't be distracting while you're trying to sleep. Since you're probably renting, I would avoid painting (particularly a bright color) and definitely no wall paper or any other poster-type-thing glued to the wall. This is just asking for your deposit to disappear when you move out.

I have a double wide blocked in doorway in my room (former dining room). It frames my armoire nicely.

So I have been following this over lunch and had some free time to mock up the wall. See what I mean here: http://tinyurl.com/73vozl
I do this for a living (retouching), so sorry if I seem psycho.
P.S. I cannot stress over & over again that mirrors across from beds are very, very, bad. All you have to do is Google it.

I don't knwo about the feng shui bit, but I'd want to hang a beutiful vintage mirror there.
http://www.notyourgoddess.blogspot.com/

http://tinyurl.com/73vozl

I would try to find an art student with talent (chaaaa), or a more expensive proven prof. w/a portfolio of murals, to paint the entire wall and incorporate that into a mural.

For example: you can have the walls be an italian landscape, and the frame of the door can turn into a faux brick standing piece that looks like the kind of ruins you'd come across in Rome... then have the door turned into a garden path w/a statue in the distance.

Not sure if I am describing this very well, but I did something similar to a wall in my condo and it never fails to get compliments.

lady J read my mind, i would put up a curtain on a rod. If you did a sheer curtain and put some kind of light behind it you could have some really cool mood lighting.

It reminds me of when I visited some historical house and they had Fake doors in some of the rooms, apparently it was a common period detail to make people think your house was bigger.

paint a door handle on it.

get a mantle and a build-it fireplace.

How about a hide a way:
Table/Desk Murphy bed style.
Ironing board
Mirror
A landscape painting / picture?
http://www.c10design.com

How about some pretty wallpaper on the solid piece of the door (maybe retro floral, mod Orla Kiely, whatever)? Shallow clear glass shelves could then be used to hold bottles of perfume or trinkets or whatever.

Another idea would be to put rows and rows of some kind of hook system, then hang all your costume jewelry (if you have a lot--I have tons of vintage necklaces that look pretty displayed together). Scarves would look cute that way, too.

hi all, it's alison. thanks so much for your advice! i just moved in, so there's lots of stuff i need (including a desk, DahliaCactus!). the doorway is right across from my bed, so that sort of constricts my options, i think- including the idea of mirrors- it just feels weird, which i guessed was feng shui related.

now, i have a lot of ideas to think about. i'll post back when i do something!

thanks again!!!

I agree with Sparklebot about not placing a mirror facing your bed that way.

Antique Mirror Squares!

I'd be tempted to move my bed so it was the 'headboard' and hang a painting or a print up. (Or some funky wall paper).

Or get large mirror tiles?

It would be really fun to paint it to look like a door cracked open, going to the Other Mother's house. (read or see Coraline, by Neil Gaiman)

mirror!

I wouldn't do a mirror too...

1. Turn your bed around and make it into a headboard of some kind

2. Take out the trim around the door, even it out with the rest of the wall, buy tiles - something similar to what you have on your ceiling, and tile it all off... Like, making a strip across the whole length of your room? Pain the tile white, or same color as your ceiling tile.

3. Make a retro/modern open clothes-hanger that would block the door.

4. Bright paint big plant infront of it

5. Buy a sitting unit that is like a bench and fit it right in... add pillows or a shear certain over it

put up some shelves, make it look like built-in bookshelves?

mirror, artwork, one bright color & photos, chalkboard paint, magnetic paint, etc...

i agree - center the bed beneath it and use it as a headboard...i lived for two years in a room that was once a sunroom and had painted over french doors that led into another room. I used the doors to function as a extended headboard above my low IKEA malm bed.

you could upholster some cool fabric to fill the whole space....or paint it....or just hang a collection of smaller art in it.

Placing the bed in front of the door would also cut the awkward full length of the door on the blank wall and, from the looks of it, your existing chair rail would still be visible, which I think is a nice detail to work with in terms of a bedside vignette.

Shelves :-)

wallpaper and some framed art

I would pass on the mirror- according to feng shui that's a thing to avoid- only because it's right by your bed. If it's across from your bed, that would be the worst.


It's only bad if you can see yourself when laying down... has nothing to do with where it is. Shelves in front of the bed, on top of the headboard, etc. tho... that's bad and will keep you from having a restful sleep.

How about putting this wall sticker with hanger up?

http://www.domestic.fr/index.php?serie=7&artiste=31&produit=66#fin

Pretty with a purpose.

2nd the chalkboard paint- saw this done on HGTV many years ago and it was really cute.

i vote you treat it like a large mirror/picture frame

Sparklebot that is too cool... couldn't have pictured it; turned out cooler than I would've imagined.

A few boards can create a nice, shallow bookshelf system, deep enough for paperbacks, cds, or nicknacks...


Or find a nice mirrorcut to fit.

=)

Mirror, mirror.

sparklebot: That is AWESOME!

Multiple doorknobs? Keyholes and keys?

Mirrors across from beds are great! If folks stopped fretting about feng shui they might realize the attributes.

definitely trompe l'oil or shelves or vanity... no mirrors opposite the bed - bad feng shui!

Who in their right mind gives a flip about feng shui?

Do something practical and affordable that you like. Don't worry about conforming to some moronic superstition designed to separate suckers from their hard-earned cash.

Thank you sunspot42! Well said.

I like the faux door pictured above from sparklebot.

Also you could make it into a makeshift vanity? Put a large mirror on top and a folding desktop, and a tension rod with curtain over the top to cover it when not in use.

Mirror!

Make it look like a built-in piece that was intentional, not an accident. Maybe find a bookself that is almost the same size as the door (billy from ikea?) and fit it in the door frame. That way the molding will look like it is there to frame the built-in, not a left over door. Then flank the sides of the door with a shorter version of the same book shelf so it looks like a built in buffet. You could hang artwork over each shorter book shelf and it could look great.

I have a door I'm planning to wall over in my Brooklyn apartment and I plan to keep the door frame and build in shallow shelves fitted exactly into the space.

I think feng shui is rubbish. I'd get a mirror cut to fit - it would be perfect.

My ideas have already been written in previous comments:P
Mirror, painting, little shelves...

You could ask for a carpenter to complete the frame of the doorway next to the floor. That will give a more finished look to a mirror for example.

You could also make a little feminine corner using the framed space: put a deeper shelve to put your perfumes and accessories with a little stool and a bigger mirror.

Hope you solve the problem;)