What's Behind Door Number ... ?
I’ve always considered the front door of a home represents its handshake … either is welcomes you, or it doesn’t!
My walk around the neighbourhood today had me looking at front doors and trying to decide what they can tell us about who resides behind them.
There are chunky, solid wood doors that suggest you’d better have a strong fist and determined character before rapping your knuckles on them and hoping to gain entry.
Then there are flimsy doors with peeling paint and dubious hinges which seem to suggest that the occupants are less concerned about what comes in and out of their house than those with the multiple locks and wrought iron handles.
Some front doors are difficult to find. Perhaps that’s deliberate. Some can only be found after going through a serious gate or up a long flight of steps … it’s all about the approach, not necessarily the arrival.
Others are set back beneath a roofed porch where there may be comfy chairs and a little table suggesting people sit there and chat once in a while. I saw two such set-ups on my walk today; coincidentally they were side-by-side. One was freshly painted and had lovely wicker loveseats and chairs with pretty cushions on them and pots of colourful blooms dotted about. The next door neighbour’s porch, by contrast, was dark and untidy with a couple of broken chairs and several bags of garbage strewn about.
Most of us inherit the front door of our home when we buy the house and rarely is replacing it or upgrading it our number one priority. So, I suppose, we have to assume that many front doors may belie what rests within and some say little more than there was a door sale at the local hardware store a while ago! But even so, there are a few things one can do to inject a little personality to your home’s handshake: a fresh coat of paint and a splash of colour is a good start; or put out a few potted plants to soften the edges.
Here’s a link to an interesting quiz about doors … one that asks more about the person looking at the door than about the people who may reside behind it: choose a door
