DOOLALLY ABOUT DOORS!
I have a bit of a crazy obsession. It’s not a secret, I really do love a good door. They feature prominently on my camera roll (apparently I have over 5000, if my photo search is to be believed). Thank goodness for the digital age!
But why do I love them so much? I feel that doors transport you. I often wonder about the history of the building, how many people have passed through those doors before me, and what their lives and experiences were like. There’s something wonderfully grounding in thinking about all the footsteps that have stepped across the same threshold over decades, even centuries.
Embracing their home’s quirks, the owners of this property near the sea in East Sussex. I love the fish tail detail on the handrail, picked up on the door knockers and how they face each other in a mirror image. The well worn steps and slightly wonky feel show the age of this home.
If walls (or doors) could talk, what would they say? The years of wear, the worn-down steps, the patina on the oak or the layers upon layers of paint, all of it tells a story. Each door bares the marks of its past: dents from hurried keys, sun-faded paint, knocks, bumps, scrapes and possibly hinges that creak with character.
But beyond their weathered beauty, doors are also architectural masterpieces in miniature. Arched, panelled, Georgian, Victorian, brightly coloured or aged oak – they are an invitation and a declaration all at once.
The design of a door is often the first sign of a home’s personality, offering clues to the era it was built, the tastes and aspirations of its occupants, and the spirit of the street or neighbourhood. Even the smallest details – a brass knocker, etched glass, or an unusually shaped letterbox – reflect something of the home and the people behind it.
A Georgian door in Old Queen Street, London.
And then, of course, there’s what they mean to us emotionally.
A door is a boundary between the outside world and our private sanctuary. Closing the door behind you can be the simplest yet most powerful act, shutting the world out, a moment of drawing a line, taking a breath, and saying, "I’m home now." It’s protection and peace. It’s where we welcome guests and keep the world at bay. In that way, doors are not just about security in the physical sense but emotional comfort, too.
So, yes, a door is so much more than wood, glass, and hinges. It's a keeper of memories, a silent witness to life, and a powerful symbol of both invitation and protection.
I honestly don’t know exactly when this door obsession of mine started, but I think it was when I was fairly small, visiting the Natural History Museum in Kensington and walking up to Hype Park for a picnic. There was an incredible door on a house on Exhibition Road - (I think it was no 54) - it was run down and unloved but had the most beautiful metal wreath detail with the number in the middle. I thought to myself, when I'm a grown up I want a front door like that!
An old photo of this vivid green door in Hampstead, next to its more sedate traditional neighbour.
I’m incredibly curious (aka nosey!) when it comes to people’s homes. I love how doors can be a gateway into another world. What were the original owners or architects trying to express through the design? What does a bold colour say about the homeowner?
A stroll around any village or city and you can be sure I’m taking photos of doors. I’ve snapped thousands of doors in hundreds of places over the years. There is always bonus points if there’s a door within a door. I have no idea of the current score so please don’t ask!
So if you can humour a girl, or maybe you’re a little partial for a really good door too. Here are a few of my favourites from my wanderings over the years. Click on the image below to click through the gallery and see all the details!
Enjoy, Sophie x
