Stuart Hough, Sunnyside Trading Co.

Whenever we are on buying trips in northern China, we search out these wonderful elm and pine compound doors, which are usually sourced from Shanxi province and date back to the nineteenth century. They originally served as the security opening along a wall which circled a residential compound. Once these massive “gates” were opened, you would encounter a courtyard before reaching the residential structure.

As you can see, their integral decorative feature is the iron detail around the borders, and especially the door handles and lock plates. Because of the design simplicity and strength of the iron details, these doors fit seamlessly into a farmhouse, southwestern, or mountain modern interior. The image below is from a downtown Asheville condo, with the door dividing the living area from the kitchen.