How do I trim out this closet door?

[atgcpaul]

This crude Sketchup model shows a scale drawing of a wall in my house. The
original closet used to have 2 18" doors, but I cut it in half and the other half
is now being used in the office behind this wall. Anyway, that one skinny 18"
door looked really unbalanced on that wall, so my wife designed this. There
will be a beadboard panel covering up the old space and I'll make a coat rack
on top and then some kind of chest below.

I can't figure out how to trim around the door and the beadboard. We have
that standard door trim and standard base trim, but how do I make it "flow"
where at the top middle T where the door corner and panel corner meet, and the
bottom left T? I'd like to reuse the existing trim, but that presents a problem
at the Ts. I could use just flat trim for the door and panel, but was hoping
to use the original profiles.

Thanks, Paul

[LarryG]

You're right to be concerned. There's nothing worse than a detail that almost, but doesn't quite, work.

If it's teardrop casing, or for that matter anything that isn't both rectangular and symmetrical in both section and profile, that's going to be extremely tough to pull off. In that case your best bet would be to separate the door from the panel with a narrow piece of plain wall and then trim the two out separately. IOW you would end up with two pieces of jamb trim at the lock side of the door, separated from each other by a few inches.

If you can't do that, next best would be to trim the "outer" opening (panel plus door) with the regular casing and then use a flat piece of mullion trim between the panel and the door, the thickness of which matches and can be coped to the thin, inner edge of the casing. I've detailed trim like this a few times when there was no other way. It looks okay. Not great, not refined, but okay.

[ironhat]

A sticky problem with no easy answer so I'll just offer an alternative but probably not the best. Run the top, horizontal piece the entire way across, mitering both ends for the vertical 'stiles'. Use a new piece of ranch molding (the teardrop stuff) for the middle, vertical piece and cope the back of it to match the horizontal piece. It will lay over that top piece but will be cut away in the back to adapt to the curve. See, I told you it wouldn't be the best - just different.

Later,
Chiz

[crokett]

I have seen where the vertical piece has a double miter cut on the top end so it comes to a point. Then the top is actually cut in two sections, each mitered on both ends. That way you get mitered corners all around.

I think I'd try and cope the back of the vertical piece to match the profile of the horizontal as best you can then caulk any gaps.

[cabinetman]

In using one continuous piece for the top and trying to merge into that calls to attention that there is continuity to both sides. That is not what you want. The door should have it own casing, and the panel its own. The reasoning is that they are to be seen as separate, but butted together. Leaving any space between the verticle mouldings would be a personal preference on your part. You could get a sample view of the appearance by temporarily using tape to hold them in place. Both casings can be of the same profile.

[Tom Miller]

How about attaching beadboard to the door front itself, so that when closed, that whole field looks like one piece of beadboard. Then, put trim around the whole field. Line up the opening edge of the door with a bead, obviously, so this edge is hidden when the door is closed.

Regards,
Tom

[LarryG]

Tom has the best idea yet. And use a touch latch on the door, for an almost-invisible look.

[mschrank]

I'm with Tom on this as well. Anything else and it is going to look like a door with a big patch next to it. Using Tom's suggestion, it'll just look like a big patch, but at least more balanced and uniform than leaving the door.

You might want to have the piece of beadboard on the door slightly overlay the bboard on the wall, with a rabbet in each to make it more seamless.