In life, it's all about first impressions. We make up our minds about each other on sight, whether we like to admit it or not. So the first sighting had better be a good one. The same can said of our homes, although not everyone cares as deeply about the exterior as I always have. I remember, when I moved to London and was looking to buy my first home, I was appalled by the state of the exteriors of the many buildings I visited. Peeling paint, greying facades, rickety doors and a general feeling of neglect permeated them all. Now, I have to admit that my budget was limited, so that may have had something to do with it, but as a student in Leiden I had lived in some extremely picturesque houses (which perfectly hid the studenty squalor inside!), so I was deeply spoiled. My very proper and rather posh British estate agent pointed out that the exterior simply did not register very highly on the scale of importance. It was all about the interior. In other words, stop wingeing and turn a blind a eye.
Even in the interiors, however, there was always something missing and I found out what it was much later in life, when we were selecting the doors - both inside and out - for our new home. A great door can really lift a room. It creates a sense of drama, hides what needs to be hidden, or highlights what must be seen. Often ignored as a purely functional element in the home, the door can be a thing of great beauty as the following images perfectly demonstrate. And as you can see, they're not limited to entrances. An armoire or built-in closet can become a piece of extraordinary architecture. Feeling inspired yet? I am!
All images via Pinterest
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