Your exterior doors are perhaps the most unique woodworking in your home. Exterior doors experience consistent temperature and humidity affecting the interior surface, while the exterior surface may fluctuate heavily with regard to temperature, ultraviolet light exposure, and humidity. Door construction requires a knowledge base far beyond that used in typical cabinetry or wood joinery. Not all woodworking skills, wood species, adhesives, or finishes are up to the task.
Christie’s Wood and Glass is where all the details of art, design, technology, skill, knowledge, and experience culminate in a product that you will enjoy throughout your lifetime.
The Shop
Our shop and showroom are located in the Rocky Mountains outside of Durango, Colorado. We are in the Animas Airpark, 1.1 miles south of Home Depot, off La Posta Rd. (County Road 213). Our elevation is 6.700 feet. The air is dry at this elevation, and keeps our kiln-dried lumber at consistent humidity levels through the construction process. Since we are not close to any metropolitan areas, we are quite used to shipping or delivering great distances.
Durango, Colorado
If you appreciate the city life, Durango may not be for you. The nearest major city is Albuquerque, New Mexico, nearly 4 hours away. But if you’re into nature, Durango is close to heaven on Earth. Nestled in the Animas River Valley of the San Juan Mountains at 6,512 feet, our hometown boasts recreation unlimited. World class fishing, mountain biking, skiing, climbing, and kayaking abound here.
Durango is the home to Fort Lewis College, the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, and Purgatory Ski Area. It could very well be the archaeological capital of the United States with all of the digs and Anasazi ruins here. Even the X-Files finds the region noteworthy! The people are an interesting blend of races, religions, cultures, incomes, and ages, but there is a common thread: We like it here! There is an abiding love of nature and the mountains.
The Artists
Ben Christie, Owner
An accomplished artist, writer, and chef, Ben began working with his father in 2013. With each passing year, Ben’s knowledge and experience matured. He took over ownership and management of Christie’s Wood and Glass in 2021.
Doug Christie has designed and built custom entryways since 1978. He has lectured to interior design and woodworking classes on subjects including stained glass technique, interior and exterior wood finishes, door and window construction, and the commissioning of custom work. Like all artists, Doug put his heart into everything he made.
In 1982, he was a charter member of the Orange County Woodworkers Association in Orange County, California, and served on its Board of Directors for three years, his last year as President.
Doug moved to Durango, Colorado in 1985 and introduced his unique line of entryways through dealers predominantly on the West Coast. The shop went retail, with a showroom and internet presence in the form of entryways.com, in 1999.
The recession of 2008 was devastating to many small businesses including many of our dealers, but Doug refused to allow the shop to go idle. Spare time had always been a luxury, but Doug used that time to develop the Breeze, a concept entry door that incorporated a retractable screen. Doug officially retired at the end of 2020 when his son, Ben took over management of Christie’s Wood and Glass. He can’t get the sawdust out of his veins, so he is in the shop most every day providing moral support and helping when he can.
Terri Bonham has been producing our art glass for more than a decade. The art glass in many of the doors, sidelites, and transoms featured on our web pages are her creations. Her eclectic style in stained, carved, and etched glass reflects her training and experience over the last 30 years. Her first glass art training took place in a barrio of Los Angeles. Although primarily self-taught, she took formal training in Sedona, Arizona, where she designed architectural glass for homes built by her husband and general contractor, Tuck Bonham.
Her work has been noticed and commissioned by architects, designers, craftsmen, and homeowners. In 2001, she was trained in etched and carved glass by Norm and Ruth Dobbins of Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Terri prefers to work in varied styles, including traditional, cottage, contemporary, and craftsman. She has also done commissioned works of wildlife and nature scenes. Her pieces reflect movement, unusual in glass media. In 2000, the Durango Arts Center honored Terri as a Featured Artist.
When her husband, Tuck retired in 2020, this loving couple decided to travel and camp more often and for longer periods. Terri found it difficult to to produce her art “on demand”, and officially retired as well. However, she still builds glass on a loose schedule, and you may be able to commission her on an individual basis. She can be contacted at 970-946-9641.
HELPING AMERICA’S ECONOMY
We realize that these economic times are difficult. We encourage you to keep Americans working by buying American-made products whenever possible. Many people don’t know that most low-cost, designer doors, glass, and hardware are manufactured overseas. While we offer products from numerous manufacturers around the world, we would be happy to put together an All-American package, utilizing only components manufactured in the United States and materials produced in the United States. Such a package would feature the following:
- Doors and other woodwork built in the United States, using lumber harvested and milled in the United States
- Finish applied here in Colorado, using stains and varnishes manufactured in the United States.
- All prehanging and assembly work performed in the United States.
- Hardware manufactured in the United States.
- Insulated glass assembled in the United States.
It is fairly common knowledge that American made goods are more expensive than their foreign counterparts. Cheap labor, materials, taxes, and production costs allow foreign manufacturers to produce at lower expense. American goods are most competitive in price at higher quality levels. In over thirty years of service, we have never encountered a foreign-made door product that even comes close to the quality that we produce.
Customer satisfaction is important to us. We try to keep our custom entryways priced as low as possible to provide incentive for our customers to purchase a door of the utmost quality. They have never regretted doing so!
