Welcome to the 595th Metamorphosis Monday!
You know that old saying, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade? Well, today’s Before and After is definitely a case of me trying to turn some pretty sour lemons into some delicious lemonade. But before I pour you a glass of lemonade, I want to share some napkins I’ll be using later this week in a patriotic table setting, in case you are in need of napkins for your upcoming 4th of July celebrations.
I actually shared these back in October in this previous post: October Favorites, Some Would Make Great Gifts but this week will be my first time using them since I purchased them. The price for these was so good, I purchased them in this color, along with 3 other color combinations. I noticed today that they’ve gone up a little in price but they are still a great buy for a set of 12 dinner napkins.
So if you are in need of red, white and blue napkins for your 4th of July celebrations, you’ll find these (and many more colors) available here: Napkins.
Update: Just discovered they make matching placemats…those are available here: Placemats.
Turning Lemons Into Lemonade
So about that lemonade–last winter I shared what some very bad mice did to the two screened doors leading from my porch to the decks on either side.
See that big, honking grill out there on the deck in the photo below? Apparently, the mice took up residence inside the grill and at some point decided to chew through the screened doors. Maybe they were curious what was on the porch or perhaps they were using it as their route to the grill.
I used to use that grill a good bit when I first bought it back in 2008, but I haven’t used it in several years. I kinda lost interest in grilling on it after I tasted the food my son prepares on his Big Green Egg. It’s so much better than anything I could do on my gas grill!
After the mice issue, I decided to get rid of the grill since I wasn’t using it and I gave it away last year to a friend who was happy to have it.
I had planned to buy new screened doors in early spring but everything has been delayed due to the stores being closed and my travel to Ohio. Now that I’m back, I’m eager to get going on this project. I have two doors to replace, this one going out to where the grill used to be…
…and this one going out onto the other deck.
I have never been overly thrilled with the screened doors my contractor used when the porch was first built. I didn’t know it at the time, but apparently they were not the greatest quality–just standard doors available from the local big box hardware store.
The main issue I’ve had with them (prior to the mice holes) was that they had a tendency to sag, thus causing them to drag when you opened and closed the door. I was told by a painter a few months ago that much better doors are available, but they normally have to be special ordered.
Since I’ve been back home the last couple of weeks, I’ve been screened door shopping online and I found some screened doors that I really love. They are made of solid mahogany wood and are all hand-made in the state of Maine.
Photo from woodenscreendoor dot com
It took me several days to choose a motif/design, but I think I’ve finally decided. I will need two screened doors so I decided to go with a different motif for each door.
One door will have this dragonfly design. I love dragonflies and love seeing them used in dishware and other designs. I don’t think I’m going to go with this style door, though.
Instead, I think I’m going to go with this simple door design below, only with a dragonfly instead of a cat. I was super tempted to go with the cat motif but my heart still hasn’t recovered from losing Max and I know it would make me sad seeing this design every day.
So what did I choose as the motif for the other screened door on my porch?
For the other door, I think I’m going to go with this adorable Moon and Stars design below. Porches are great places to enjoy moonlit nights, looking up at the stars. Again, the door design will be like the door above, but will have the moon and stars motif/design.
If you are in need of a new screened door for your porch, you’ll find the company I plan to order from here: Wooden Screened Doors. I think they also make wood storm doors.
The owner, John, told me they are running about 9 weeks out right now, so once I order the doors, it will be a while before they arrive. Once they arrive, I will need to find a good company to install them, someone who really knows what they are doing. I would hate to have them ruined during the installation process.
They have sooo many whimsical designs! If you have a beach cottage, they have tons of nautical/beach themed doors that depict starfish, seabirds, anchors, lobsters, sailboats etc… It makes me wish I had a beach house just so I could order one of those doors! I especially love the lobster design!
Photo from Wooden Screen Door dot com
Update: I just read on their website that they will even make a custom design if you have something particular in mind. What design would you like for a screened door? I wonder if they do a pheasant design?
Photo from woodenscreendoor dot com
If you have a lake house, there’s a cute duck design. There are so many more including bears, butterflies, deer and fish. I even saw a canoeing design. There are way too many designs to share them all here, but you’ll find pictures of them all here: Wooden Screened Doors.
I can’t wait to see them in place here on the porch!
Looking forward to all the wonderful Before and Afters linked for this week’s Met Monday!
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Metamorphosis Monday
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Our lives must parallel!! Lol! We had a screen door installed at our lake house 2 years ago when we added on the porch – and I haven’t been happy with it at all! It came from “the store that has sells all the lumber stuff!” It is already sagging – but I do love the squeak it makes! I just hate the door! It’s made of pine and hasn’t held up at all.
So thank you so much for doing the leg work!!!
What cute screen doors!! I wish I needed one! Thanks Susan
Oh, Susan, I LOVE your door choices!! Can’t wait to see how they look on your porch.
Oh…the moon and stars ! Love both your picks and can’t wait to see the photos!
What great screen doors. We are moving back to Atlanta and will have a cute porch that needs new screen doors. Thank you for posting this. I can’t wait to order new doors now!!!!
Beautiful doors, Susan. We use Phanthom screens on our sunporch and have been very pleased. They roll into a canister out of sight when not in use. We chose this inorder to have our French doors and windows screenfree when we don’t have them open. Just a sidenote. I realize your screened in porch is totally different from our small sunporch.
Love the doors! Would like some pretty suggestions for July 4th and summer placemats.
Elaine, the same company that makes the red, white and blue check napkins I purchased, also makes placemats to match. You can see them here: https://amzn.to/3fMIL0j . The price looks good, $21.99 for six placemats.
This place has a lot of designs. You always find the best stuff!
Thanks for sharing. Jan
well, of course for that beach house we all want I’d want sea shells on my door I am lucky enough to have a custom woodworking husband so if I beg hard enough he just might make one. I am just waiting on the two tables I am having him make one is a sofa table and the other is for the tv. I don’t like the one I have and I found one on line and he is making that one plus adding a few different details. stay safe and well. rls
The screens are going to be super cute. I actually was looking for screens and started with Home Depot. They have a very basic screen for only $17.99 which I believe is made out of Pine. Of course all the reviews were saying how poorly they are made!
Susan, yes please do find a really good person to install your beautiful new doors. I had a Chippendale door made for our front door with removable glass and screens to interchange. The installer I hired needed to take a small amount off the bottom of the door and thank goodness I was watching because he was getting ready to cut a large amount off the TOP of the door.
Remember ! wood is wood , rodent is a rodent. We finally went to aluminum.
You can purchase them with screen and any design you wish.
I just really don’t like a metal door. before I think they were trying to chew through the screening and the would sort of got in the way. I’m hoping they will not try to chew through a solid mahogany door if they ever do come back up on my deck again. Hopefully with the grill gone they won’t have any reason to want to come up.
Thank you so much for this post. I have two screen doors to put in and have not liked a single one I saw. These are perfect. Do you know if they add the door hole and the screen? I went onto the website and they do add the glass for the storm door.
Also, you commented in a prior post that you do your washing on a smaller scale. Do you use a small hand washing unit. Which one? I’m single and I would love to get my hand washing out of the sink.
They do come screened. They do cut the hole for something because when I placed my order today, I had to tell him which way each door opens. I also purchased the hardware for the doors from them.
We replaced our wooden doors with aluminum and glass. Too many dogs ran through the screen door! But if I was putting in a new one, I would choose a crab. Our area is known for its blue crabs. You can catch them right off the dock.
I think you have the saying wrong it’s, “when life gives you lemons, drink several lemon drops.”
Sending you hugs from a Max-house. It will be tragic when he goes home.
Wendy
Ha! That sounds like a better plan than lemonade. 🙂 Thanks, Wendy! I sure miss my Max every day.
Those leaves make me shudder. When my car caught fire, pieces of fire was “dripping” underneath my car in front. I think it was leaves. I don’t know what that opossum chewed but it must have spewed onto the leaves and the heat of the engine caught my car on fire. Talk about a nightmare! There was leaves and chewed up plastic bags tightly tucked around and on top of my battery. Thankfully it was covered and I have a new car I didn’t really want but I do a critter check daily banging on stuff just in case because I heard squirrels and mice can do the same thing. Just call me the rodent patrol lady
Hi Susan – We go to Maine quite often and I have seen many cottages that have these screen doors – they’re very popular! and they add so much charm and personality. I look forward to seeing them installed in your screened porch – I’ll bet they will look great! Nice to buy American-made — the quality should be very good.
I love those doors!
Love your new door choices! Mice can be a real problem. We had a mouse get in our chicken run and one of the chickens caught it and they were playing keep away with the mouse. The Urban Farmer caught the mouse and disposed of it as the chooks don’t have rodent on their menu.
Beautiful doors! You find such amazing products. Looking forward to seeing the installation. Thanks for sharing.
Your doors will be beautiful. I think I would have to choose a deer design, they are everywhere here. I have a screened porch off my bedroom. One beautiful morning I had the bedroom door open and heard a loud chirping. It was two wrens in my porch, I left the door to outside open and they had the hardest time figuring out how to go through it. I found a small hole in the screen near the floor and in a corner. It may have been done by a mouse but I have also seen a bee like insect chewing on a screen. Mice last winter chewed holes in two new stretchy hoses stored over winter. Now to keep the possum and raccoon out of the strawberry patch! Life in the country is constantly challenged by the critters.
Thanks so much for the information about the napkins! I bought the red, white, and blue ones and will probably buy more later.
Great screen doors! They will look perfect on your porch!
Oh I love those! Thanks for the information. We’re starting our retirement home in July and I’m going to use a screen door for my pantry. I have an idea so I may get them to create it for me.
Well you found some wonderful doors! I would have a difficult time making a decision! I can’t wait to see them installed. I adore your screened in porch.
Oooh I LOVE those doors! We need a custom sized screen door and I’d love to have something personalized on it – brilliant! I’m echoing Rhonda – thanks for the leg work!
OMG those doors are amazing! You sure do have talent to find really awesome stuff, Susan. I love the two designs you chose and cannot wait till you get them installed! Happy day!!
I, of course, would opt for a bird design since my home’s name is Finch Rest. Or even a hummingbird would suit me – those hummers are really feeding these days! Or even just no design just any number of those great doors – I especially like that like blue one on front right. It has a vintage/ nostalgic feel to it.
Well done – really awesome doors.
Wow, these screen doors are amazing! So beautiful. I don’t know how you find cool stuff like this, but you always do. I love the idea of the dragon fly and the moon and stars on the doors. I would love those two too! I also love hummingbirds, so might would love a door with hummers on it. lol I can’t wait to see them on the porch! Hugs, Brenda
Those will make you “feel good” every time you use them!! franki
Thank you so much for hosting! This week I am excited to share my summer outdoor spaces tour, outdoor patriotic tablescape and styling a patriotic tray for summer! Hope you are staying well and happy!
I love the doors you selected, Susan! I’ve seen doors like this, one on a cabin up at Lake George, NY…wonder if it was from the same company you’re going through? Hugs!