Dear Barrie: I just moved into a lovely home in the historic Hancock Park area of Los Angeles. At some point the house had an addition to it and the new doors are flat with no molding on them. Also, the hardware does not match the rest of the house. My designer friends have told me that I should invest in new doors that have molding on them already, but I'm concerned that this would be a costly endeavor. How can I dress up these doors? Yours, Mary Lou

Dear Mary Lou, An easy and inexpensive way to dress your plain doors is to have wood molding applied to them. You can visit any millwork factory and select a 1 1/2" - 2" decorative molding, where it should cost around $3.00 per linear foot. Have a contractor apply the molding to both sides of the doors. In bathrooms and bedrooms I suggest coming in around 4" at the sides and 6 - 8" from the top and bottom of the door. You can even insert a mirror that is framed by the molding -- so you have a full-length mirror. Additionally, you can paint the molding a lighter color than the door itself, and the door the same color as the wall; or, for a more elegant feel, insert wallpaper inside the molding to dress the door. I also suggest taking a picture of the existing doorknobs in your house and visiting Liz's Antique Hardware in Los Angeles. Chances are you will find a similar style or even an exact replica; many of the homes built in Hancock Park share the same hardware styles. Good luck with your project! Yours, Barrie