Our Exterior Dutch Door
Add cottage farmhouse charm and visual interest to the exterior of your home with an entry Dutch door.
Our first Dutch door was at Old Salt Farm, when we built it more than ten years ago. I’d wanted one forever, and it was at the top of our list when building. It added so much charm to our kitchen and dining area, and loved everything about it. When we moved, and started to design Cottage on Blackberry Hill, I knew it had to also have a Dutch door. I had originally designed our front doors to be Dutch doors, but they were way out of my price range. Ultimately I decided on putting it in our dining room, leading to the back patio, which ended up being the perfect spot. It’s one of my very favorite things, and I don’t think I’ll ever have another house without one!
I’ve always received quite a few questions about them, so I thought I’d put all the info here, and share all the details.
Table of contents
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What is a Dutch door
The Dutch door originates in the 17th century in Netherlands, which is where the name comes from. It was especially popular in New Jersey and New York (formerly known as New Amsterdam) when settled by the Dutch. Also known as a stable door, it’s basically a split door, with each half working independently of the other. With rural roots, originally it was designed as a way to keep fresh air in the house, without animals getting in, since the screen door hadn’t been invented yet.
There are four hinges instead of the usual three — two on top and two on the bottom. Often there are windows on the top door, but it can be solid as well. Sometimes there is a little ledge at the top of the bottom door, called a perch. For exterior use in modern homes, a door handle is on the bottom, and the deadbolt on the top.
You’ll notice I also have a handle above the deadbolt. That’s due to the way the door has to swing because of where it is — it opens out instead of in. Without the handle, it’s impossible to close the door from the inside. In our NY home, it was the opposite way around–it opened in, and I didn’t need the handle.
Why I love it
I fell in love with Dutch doors many years before I had one in my home. Their charm, the historical origin and ties, and how they fit perfectly into the style I love draw me to them. They add detail and interest to a space, and every bit of this old-fashioned girl adores them.
The practicality and functionality are also high on my list. It opens on to our back patio, and I love being able to open up just the top part of the door. It might be to bring fresh air into the house on a beautiful day, or to send food outside and hand it to someone on the other side. I like it for entertaining, and for our daily, family life.
In Old Salt Farm…
Where to buy
I ordered our Dutch door through the same local company that ordered all of our doors and windows when we built. They gave me catalogs to look through, and I chose it from there. I wanted one with 9 square windows on the top, to let through plenty of light, and I was lucky to find exactly what I was looking for. I do have the information available the maker of the door, and where you can find it. It came unfinished, and we painted it white. I chose this same door in both of our house–I really like the simple, classic style.
Here’s the link–and there’s a tool to search for dealers in your area. They have other styles as well.
Dutch door: Rogue Valley, Model #4035
When we built Old Salt Farm more than ten years ago, there weren’t as many places that sold them or made them–our options were more limited. Now there are several online custom manufacturers that offer Dutch doors–both pre-made and custom fit to your specifications. They are much more expensive, which is ultimately why we didn’t go that route, but they are beautiful, and you can get exactly what you want. Rustica Doors and Vintage Doors are both ones we looked at.
You can also find a Dutch door on Amazon!
FAQ
Dutch doors offer both style and functionality to your home, which makes it a great option for an exterior door.
At Old Salt Farm, which was in upstate New York, it worked a little differently than our home now in North Carolina. Here in NC it opens onto a screened-in patio, so bugs are never an issue. In NY, that was not the case, and it opened onto our back patio. In the spring and fall, I could leave the top open, because we didn’t really have bugs during those times. I love the crisp air and smell that it brings into our home!
It’s really too hot and humid in the summer to leave it open for any length of time during the day, at least for me. This door leads out to our patio, so it is used throughout the summer, but not left open. Although it’s nice as a serving door–I can just hand things out the top part so they can be set up outside. I wanted to sometimes open it for the cool summer evenings, but needed to find a screen solution. I didn’t want a permanent full length screen door, but there are magnetic screens you can get that will hang up easily and temporarily.
After more than ten years, two different homes and doors, we haven’t had one issue with our Dutch doors.
Please let me know if you have any additional questions, I’m happy to help. Thanks so much for stopping by! Join me and subscribe to my newsletter–get all the ideas and inspiration for home + holidays right in your inbox! 🖤
*Originally posted 2019.