Old doors & windows

Old doors

Doors are a very decisive factor in the building process and leave a big mark on the final appearance and atmosphere. This is not always sufficiently considered. That’s why the Secret Annex likes to give the following tip: when buying doors:

First buy the door(s), show them to your architect or contractor and have your house or room designed around these door(s), as it were.

‘t Achterhuis has a wide range of antique interior doors. These old interior doors can be divided into the number of doors that make up the complete door:

• internal doors
• double doors
• triptychs or 3 stroke doors
• four shutters or 4 stroke doors

The vast majority of these old interior doors fall under the heading of glass doors. They are in fact internal doors with glass or a set of doors with so-called lights above them. The type of glass of these old doors is often very special, such as etched glass, cut glass or stained glass.

Stained glass doors

Stained glass was once created because it was simply not possible to make large pieces of glass. In order to get enough light and to be protected against the weather, smaller pieces of stained glass were placed in frames. The first archaeological finds date back to the Roman Empire, but the peak of its popularity was between 1150 and 1500. However, stained glass doors and windows are still popular and of course often contain very colorful representations.

Ensuite doors

Stained glass is also widely used for ensuite doors. Especially in 1930’s houses we still see these old-fashioned interior doors a lot. Ensuite doors separate the front room and back room and are therefore often used with decorative glass or stained glass.

Old panel doors

Old building materials, such as panel doors, tiles and staircases can greatly enhance the atmosphere in old and new houses. Therefore, there is a great demand for old panel doors.

A panel door is made up of a style and battens with one or more panels in between. New panel doors are often constructed with plywood panels, while the old panel doors are usually made of strong oak. Besides the appearance, the quality is also a reason to buy an old panel door.

Old panel doors 30s

The 30’s is a very popular period with many people in the field of living. There are even whole new construction projects with new houses in the 30s style. The range of old doors of ‘t Achterhuis also includes various panel doors from the 30s. A 30s panel door is characterized by the classic elements, wide styles and atmospheric glassware of mostly stained glass. ‘t Achterhuis has both 30s panel doors with glass and without glass.

Old Louvre doors and shutters

Besides panel doors, ‘t Achterhuis also has old Louvre doors and shutters in all shapes and sizes. Louvre doors and Louvre shutters are composed of small slats, which are ideal for viewing and light to regulate. For this reason they are often used on the outside of the house. Smaller versions are often used in the house to shield a pantry or built-in cupboard for example. Louvre doors are also often referred to as brocante doors because of their graceful feature.

Stable doors and castle doors

In addition to panel doors, we always have some special doors in our assortment, such as stable doors or castle doors.

The stable doors are, as the name suggests, from old stables. In most cases these are horse stables, where the door often consists of 2 parts. The upper part then consists of bars or can be opened separately.

Castle doors are also available in many variants. Of course, these doors come from castles and they are generally very strong doors finished with robust hinges and locks.

Old front doors

Old doors, windows, window frames and porches can enormously embellish the appearance of a house. It is not for nothing that such historical building materials are also used for new, modern houses. Of course, our old doors are also used to replace older houses or buildings in order to preserve the current style.

In addition to the appearance, quality is also a reason to buy an old door. They are mostly solid, oak doors that have proven their worth over the years.

Double front door

Most houses today are built with a single front door. However, it is very practical and chic to choose a double front door or an outside door. This is because large objects can easily enter and it also gives a nice view. In the past, larger or important buildings were almost always equipped with a double front door. We have these antique double doors in various designs in stock.

Years 30 doors

The range of old doors also includes several doors from the 30’s. A 30’s front door is of course very characteristic because of the classic elements, wide styles, door grilles and atmospheric glassware, mostly stained glass. ‘t Achterhuis has both 30s doors with glass and without glass.

Cell doors or prison doors

Remarkable in our assortment are the prison doors or cell doors. A real cell door is a solid oak door with hatch, number and viewing eye. In addition, the prison door is finished with iron hinges. In short, a beautiful eyecatcher for indoors or outdoors! Because of the smaller size, cell doors are often used in smaller spaces, such as a basement or pantry. But think also of outdoor applications, such as a barn door.

Old windows

Old windows, window frames, doors and porches can determine the face of a house enormously. For this reason, new, modern houses are increasingly being fitted with these historical building materials. In this way, a new house quickly evokes more atmosphere. Of course, our old windows and window frames are also used to replace older houses or buildings in order to preserve the current style.

Favorite are still the old stained glass windows or window frames in which a part of the stained glass is processed. Stained glass was made in those days because a window from one piece of glass could not be made. Now, of course, it is mainly for decoration and everyone loves the artistic, colorful representations. Our old stained glass windows are mostly from old mansions and religious buildings. In addition to separate windows, we always have a complete facade with stained glass in stock.

Old window frames

Old window frames or old-fashioned window frames are usually supplied with glass. Old windows are often used to indicate the combination of old window frames with glass. For example, there is much talk of cast iron or steel windows, but then the combination of iron frames with glass is meant. ‘t Achterhuis also has old wooden window frames and even sandstone frames with cut-outs for different shapes of old windows.

Stable windows

A typical and highly sought-after window from earlier times is the stable window. As the name suggests, this type of window was formerly used as a light window in stables. Stable windows come in 3 shapes:

• round stable window
• semi-circular stable window
• stable window in port shape, rectangular with curved top, so that a brick vault can be bricked above it

Usually the old stable windows are made of cast iron. This has been done by hand since the sixteenth century. From the end of the 19th century this could be done more cheaply in series and the use increased strongly. The stable windows are mostly glazed and some even double glazed.

Old windows and frames in Udenhout

‘t Achterhuis always has dozens of old doors in stock. Online only a part of these panel doors is shown. We would therefore like to invite you to visit our showroom in Udenhout to come and admire the full range of old doors, but also windows, window frames and many other historical building materials in real life. We have professionals who check all old doors and bring them in perfect condition. By the way, do not be tempted to patina, paint or varnish old doors. A roughly sanded or leached oak antique door often has enough patina and charm, which miraculously fits in a contemporary modern or classic interior.