Johnson Pocket Door Frame Provides an Easy Answer for an Antique Door InstallationDoors Link East with West, Old with New in Midlothian, Virginia Home

June, 2009 -- While browsing through an Oriental antiques shop several years ago, Willis and Mary Blackwood came across five hand-carved wooden panels dating back to the early 19th century, and realized how stunning they would look in the house they were planning to build. Recently, the Blackwood family moved into their new 8,300-square-foot home, in which the Chinese doors serve as a dramatic focal point.

The 2- by 8-foot doors function both architecturally and artistically. A carpenter converted four of them into pocket doors by joining them, two by two. The doors divide the dining room from the great room. At night they are spotlighted to highlight the intricate details of their craftsmanship. The top half of each door is open latticework, beneath which is a carved panel depicting figures of people and animals.

L.E. Johnson's Pocket Doors

"I've never seen any doors as elaborate as these," says Mrs. Blackwood. "The craftsmanship is the most dramatic thing about them. Also, they are aged and worn in places, especially at the bottom where dogs might have scratched. They are a connection to the past." Using wood cleaners, polish and a gentle touch, she was able to bring out the subtle variations in the color of the wood. Their composition is still a mystery, though. They might be rosewood, Mr. Blackwood thinks, but they are definitely not teak.

Because each door panel weighs almost 80 pounds, they had to be installed with special care. "We knew this would be a heavy-duty application and we would have to use more than the normal slider rails," says Mr. Blackwood, a shopping center developer who was his own general contractor on the home. "The manufacturer's rep from Johnson Products happened to be on the site the day the doors were brought in, and he helped us out quite a bit."

The doors were installed using L. E. Johnson Product's deluxe, commercial grade 200 series pocket door hardware kit. The kit features a heavy-duty extruded aluminum I-beam track and four-wheel ball bearing hangers with machine-turned one-inch wheels. The doors hang from a top rail and slide into the walls.

The trim carpenters working on the house had a tremendous appreciation for the work that went into these doors, according to Mr. Blackwood. Several of the doors had large curved wooden latches near the bottom that were probably used to hold them in place, and rather than remove these pieces, the carpenters notched out part of the framing in the jambs to accommodate them.

Interior designer Suellen Gregory of The Best End in Richmond, Virginia, worked with the Blackwoods for two years to achieve the look of elegance that they wanted. They started with the dining room, which they consider the signature room in the house. They painted the walls Chinese red to match the color in the custom-made wool area rug, then applied an overglaze. The great room walls were painted Kahlua and then rag rolled with a yellow glaze to create the subtle and interesting effect of old parchment.

"The doors set the whole tone for the dining room," Mrs. Blackwood says. "We've been able to carry the Chinese theme through several areas of the house without overdoing it."