Cascade Style Livio-White

As with all interior doors in this series, the raised molding is put together in layers, which, in addition to the increased durability, imparts a touch of classic elegance to the overall design. Unlike the other interior door models in the same collection, this one is a single-panel door. This simplicity makes it a perfect fit for any type of décor, no matter how nuanced.

Here’s what you need to know about the “wrap” finish. It only became available recently due to several breakthroughs in interior door technology. The process is highly technical; suffice it to say that an innovative method, known to professionals as “stretching,” is applied, working on molecular level and effectively fusing the surface and the finish. The resulting product is warp-proof, fade-proof, and scratch-resistant, a great deal less costly, and indistinguishable from traditional finishes.

The design was inspired by the first of the three brilliant epochs in the history of the Roman Empire. Titus Livius, also known as Livy (as well as Livio in Italian) worked as an historian under the egis of Octavian Augustus, the first official Roman emperor who famously boasted that, having received Rome a city of brick he was leaving it a city of marble.

Livy was born in Patavium (called Padua today), which at the time was the second wealthiest metropolis in the world. His ambition was to compose a detailed story of the Eternal City (which was what Rome was already called in those days) starting with the seminal myth about the two brothers and the she-wolf. That said, it was the rapid development the Empire witnessed during Octavian’s reign that was his principal source of inspiration. The system of paved roads covered the entirety of Roman territories, making communication quick and efficient. The engineering breakthroughs allowed contractors to build large palaces, theatres, and temples with the speed hitherto unheard of. New bridges span the rivers. Networks of aqueducts delivering fresh water to every major conurbation continue to impress folks who appreciate such things to this day (next time you’re in Rome, make sure you visit the so-called Aqueduct Park, in which eleven of them converge). Well- compensated sculptors created statues and fountains whose beauty is yet to be surpassed.

It is said that in addition to being employed by Augustus, Livy was also a personal friend. Be that as it may, his admiration for the great emperor must have been quite sincere. When, after nearly forty years of grand projects and prosperity, the title of Princeps Civitatis (“First Citizens, as Roman emperors were euphemistically styled to keep up the appearances of republican rule) passed to Tiberius, Livy promptly retired to his hometown near the Alps. It is still a subject of debate among historians what the real reason for this was. Let us romantically assume that the new ruler, a somber man who disliked great architecture and urban life so much he spent most of his reign away on the island of Capri, away from the capital, was but a poor listener and conversationalist who had no appreciation whatsoever for what the celebrated author had to offer.

This interior door comes in all standard configurations. Custom jobs are most certainly welcome as well.

This is a bit tricky. Isn’t White the default finish that would look great on any interior door? Well, not quite.

W. is the color most often associated with perfection, honesty, cleanliness, newness, neutrality, and exactitude. The pigment has been known and used by humans since prehistoric times. In ancient Egypt, W. symbolized purity. Roman patricians paraded around in W. togas to distinguish themselves from the common folk. It was the color of choice of French monarchs. Architects of all epochs used W., with considerable enthusiasm, in various projects and for various reasons. In the United States, architects favored it when designing churches, capitols, and municipal buildings – which is, in fact, a tradition they inherited from classical and Renaissance architecture. According to some experts, most of the buildings in the celebrated Forum were either made of, or clad in, W. marble. In Taoism, it represents the yang or masculine energy, one of the two complementary natures of the universe. Many authors, both classical and contemporary, have referred to W. as a sign of purity, either physical (like William Shakespeare, whose treacherous usurper monarch wishes a heavenly rain would cleanse his blood-stained hand, washing it “white as snow”) or spiritual (like Tennessee Williams, who named his lead character Blanche (derived, incidentally, from the Germanic word blanc)) as a symbol of her innocent child-like spirit, perceptible from the moment she makes her first entrance (through the interior door stage-left).

Back in the Seventeenth Century, Sir Isaac Newton discovered that sunlight is composed of light with wavelengths across the visible spectrum which the human eye perceives as W. It is the lightest of the spectrum, and achromatic (hue-less) to boot, because it fully reflects and scatters all visible wavelengths of light, absorbing none. W. objects stand out in the dark. Depending on the surroundings, an interior door with W. finish might come off as emphatic or tactful, dominant or complementary. It blends seamlessly into most types of decor and, once the owner’s needs and disposition are taken into account, can symbolize – oh, so many different things, while bringing back a myriad memories: from those glorious snowy Alpine slopes and peaks to the fluffy tops of the wayward herd of cumulus cloud heap over the horizon on a balmy afternoon in the Caribbean. Tropical sand beaches are W. due to the high quantity of calcium carbonate they get from tiny bits of seashells ground to powder by the waves. In a number of cultures W. can also symbolize festivity, and be used lavishly to brighten up weddings, birthdays, and anniversaries. It is beautiful. Make sure it goes well with your interior door model, though.