"Ba r r y" wrote in message
...
Folks,

I have a room which features a red oak floor, doors, craftsman style
wide trim, and radiator covers. The floor is clear oil varnished, the
rest is stained Minwax Natural, mixed 3:1 with Minwax Golden Oak, then
covered with Seal Coat and the same varnish as the floors, for just a
slightly darker color than the floors. The walls are a cool, medium
soft green.

Then there's the metal entry door, factory painted dove gray... 8^(
The door looks good from the outside, and is durable and secure, but
what to do with the inside...

Since we all appreciate wood here, does anyone have any suggestions on
what to do with the door?

I can gel stain and "grain" it, but I don't know how that would look
side by side with real wood. Painting it the wall color wouldn't
work, according to my wife (so you know it won't G).

Help! There's lots of different tastes and plenty of good eyes here.
Anybody?

Thanks,
Barry

I would probably make a new front door out of quarter sawn white oak. It is
a weather resistant material. It will require periodic maintenance, but so
do the metal doors if appearance means anything.

But then, I dislike metal doors and for that matter mdf. I'll take real wood
every time. :-)

A faux paint job would be better than what you've got, and if you don't like
the results, it is reversible. Doesn't Jewitt or Flexner have a recipe for
faux finishes on their website?