Doors of distinction

Sunset, Jan, 1994 by Bill Crosby

When is a door not just a door? When it's designed by Bill Hubartt

ARCHITECT AND artisan Bill Hubartt couldn't bring himself to mark the entries to his desert houses with off-the-shelf products. "I had trouble finding unique doors for the houses I was designing, so I decided to make them myself."

Now the doors have turned into a separate business for Hubartt, whose designs vary client by client, though many reflect the natural environment around his Tucson studio. A stylized copper creek bed flows across one entry. A Sonoran Desert moonscape graces another. These mineral, metal, and millwork creations use a rich palette of materials, many of which are hallmarks of the region.

"There's a mix of hardwoods, softwoods, exotics, along with metals with various patina treatments. I inset rocks and gems, particularly turquoise, and I also use dyed leathers. And almost all the doors use some copper," Hubartt says.

Most of the doors are built from scratch, though some are appliqued to standard solid-core doors (generally, the appliqued doors are sold unattached to a house). Not content with standard hardware on his doors, Hubartt is now experimenting with hand-cast bronze pulls and latches that complement his designs.

Hubartt's training as an architect shows in his comments about his creations. "These doors are doors first. But the art theme of a building can be carried throughout the structure. Art can be more than a painting hanging on the wall. It can also have a purpose, a functional use."