Dutch Door Envy

I am obsessed with Dutch doors. I love the idea of fresh air rolling in while the lower half of the door stays shut; closed off from critters (or leaves) wandering into the kitchen.  And, I mean like legit fresh air; not the fresh air scent candles or Febreeze.  I mean fresh air that rolls in with a breeze.

I really want a Dutch door for the back door that leads from the kitchen to the back patio. A door where the solid, lower half blocks the view of every bunny or squirrel that my dogs see at their eye level. We currently have a full glass door. The dogs see every bluebird and squirrel that ventures onto the patio. This time of year, with more daylight and activity in the backyard, I have a serious case of Dutch door envy.

But first! A very brief history recap of the Dutch door. Dutch doors were popular in the northeast when the Dutch immigrated from the Netherlands (Holland).  Their original purpose was to keep farm animals out and keep young children inside. 

And, those two sentences could be a sample from my freshman American history class. Direct and to the point. Only later did I learn how to add run on sentences and runaway thoughts to my paragraphs. 

Apparently, many Dutch doors are installed for today’s version of farm animals; our dogs. 

I love this photo of this dog. I also love the second door leading into the house. A friend of mine has this double entry and she uses it as a little indoor dog house. It’s so cute!

Sidenote: What the heck is on the roof? Looks like an HOA violation in my neighborhood! 

In Colorado, we do not have the humidity or the bugs that love the humidity, so Dutch doors would work here.  We have a glass back door leading to the backyard and I think a Dutch door would be so practical. We could listen to the water fountain on the back patio and keep the dogs inside when there are wildlife sightings (or howling).

Here’s another…

I love the shutter on this door. Not likely in my house since we just removed 90% of the shutters on our windows to get more light and enjoy the views. I love the hardware on the door too! 

Here’s another Dutch door. I love the mudroom too!

I am obsessed with the hardware on this door. I don’t know if I love the shade on the upper half (it looks a little busy with the glass panes), but the hardware adds so much character!

Finally, here’s a Dutch door with an exterior glass door. We currently have a glass door with a wrought iron security door and I prop mine open all the time. I don’t love this option because the propped door distracts from the Dutch door.

What do you think? Are Dutch doors popular where you live?