Kimberly White Erlinger's Barton Hills Fontenot
Realtor Kimberly Erlinger had seen a lot of bad doors during the course of her career. Find out how she chose the right door for the right house.
Kimberly White Erlinger's home sits atop a steep slope in the coveted Barton Hills neighborhood of Austin, Texas. The long and low brick home features large windows and a modest front entry. Kimber wanted an unique door that would compliment the 60's ranch style.
Kimber's home is a mix of retro chic and contemporary comfort. The home was partially renovated by a previous owner and later flipped before she and her husband got their hands on it, and they didn't like all of the updates. Rather than renovate in one fell swoop, Kimber and her husband have been picking elements one at a time to address.
They decided to keep the ceramic tile floors throughout the entry, living and dining rooms, and Kimber says that the feature that sold her on the home was the xeriscaped backyard which includes many large boulders of Austin's native limestone. But they repainted all of the rooms, replaced the clunky brass fireplace cover, and removed cabinets in the kitchen that awkwardly divided it from the living room.
After having trouble deciding which would be the best fit for their home, Kimber and her husband chose the Fontenot. "It has completely changed the look of our home," she says. "It feels modern and upscale. Our door is beautiful." She says that she is anxious for strangers to stop and knock, asking where she got it so that she can tell them it is a Crestview door.
Although she had opened a doorway into the livingroom directly from the front entry, she said that it didn't really flow until David Erwin of Crestview Doors consulted on switching the swing of the door. The left-hand swing previously opened the door into a wall, cramping the passage of guests. Kimber explains that she loves the switch to the right even if she still occasionally reaches for the knob on the left side of the door.
The Erlingers's Fontenot is a Crestview Classic in solid wood with a birch veneer. They finished the door in Benjamin Moore Sangria and selected narrow vertical reeded glass for the lites. Their nameplate reads simply, "White Erlinger 2008." Kimber says, "It brings so much light in, and rainbows in the morning! We are incredibly happy with it."
