The house I love, the one that is around the corner and sits on a busy street, no longer has a red door. It did when the dentist lived there, which was forever until he died, maybe divorced.
Then came the new owners who purchased at a premium they couldn’t afford. A year later, the house sat vacant.
The lawn burned, the fence crumbled, and over the winter everyone worried the large Chinese elms in the front would fall from neglect and crush the house. I was concerned enough to think about calling the city, but in the spirit of neighborhood apathy, forgot once I got home.
When I was a child, I always believed� families who lived in houses with red doors were happier than most. I have no idea what spurred this idea. The Cunninghams didn’t live in a house with a red door.
The Bradys didn’t have a red door, either, which I get. A red door seems a bit contrived for a maestro of split-level architecture like Mike Brady.
I think Bo and Luke had a screen door painted the color of benign neglect. So, no, I have no idea where or how I decided red doors housed happy people.
I grimaced when we passed the house on a family walk this weekend. The Mister shrugged, and told me there were plenty of houses that still had red doors.
To prove his point, we took a little drive around town and photographed–on the fly and through open car windows–a few that caught our eye.
Most of the architecture was traditional, but there were also bungalows and tudors and ranches and cottages and even� split-levels.
Don’t tell Mr. Brady.
There was a little something for everybody, even girls who don’t like pie.
I love red doors too!! When I finally get a home of my own – that will be one of the first things to paint :)
… I am now entirely unhappy with my brown front door.
We are happier … pretty sure … :) Actually, having had a red door, I’m not sure I could live in a house without one … I don’t know … I’ll have to keep you posted on that one …
And abandoned houses make me sad (especially if it once had a red door) … no doubt it stems from that book I had as a kid … The Little House. Terribly melancholy … right up there with the Velveteen Rabit.
I always wanted a red door. Then, I bought a house with a door too pretty to be painted red. The next house shall have one!
oh what a fun idea! i love red doors, too, though i’m thinking when the time comes for us to purchase a home, a chartreuse or bright yellow door might be pretty snazzy. i’m with you: a quirky door screams “happy people” to me. and it’s a fairly simple, inexpensive way to shout your happiness from the rooftops, so i’m all in.
Bo and Luke? Like Bo and Luke Duke?! I don’t know why I’m so surprised you referenced them but it makes me smile (but part of me thinks there’s another Bo and Luke that I’m not familiar with and I’m now outing my red-neck upbringing).
I do love a red door on a gray or blue painted house. We have a lot of red doors in our neighborhood–which I realized when I also drove around the ‘hood taking pictures of all of them (well, all the doors painted a color and the majority happened to be red).
Yes, Bo and Luke Duke! I’m talking about the TV show–I never saw the movies.
What the heck is it about a red door? I fall under some kind of stupid spell when I see a house with a red door. When I was looking for a house to buy I almost bought a house without ANY closets because it had a red door. Who the heck does that? I’m dying to have a red door, but my house is light yellow and I fear it might be mistaken for a McDonalds and I don’t do fries!
I love interesting doors, they always make me wonder about the people who live there. We passed a house with a HUGE teal door, which is really unusual in this wonderland of Neighboorhood, Village, and Community associations where I live. I was so impressed, I made The Boy turn around and drive past it again.
Then again, I really hope that no one ever judges me by the color of my front door. The HOA has arbitrarily dictated that it be painted the most hideous shade of jungle green I’ve ever seen.
I love red doors. Every morning when I make coffee, I look out my window at the house in front of me… that has a red door :)
I loooove red doors, too! I heard that a red door means you’ve paid off your mortgage, but that probably won’t stop me from having a red door when we get out of this condo and into an actual house.
I have a blue door. I know, safe color. Red for me at the time (10 years ago) was just a tad bit too much. Now. I want a red door. There is something about a red door that say, “Go ahead, dare me. I’ll make you regret it.” ;-)
This is one of my dream renovations (ok, if you call painting a door a renovation). I’ve ALWAYS wanted a red door. My husband prefers wood tone. Blah. I’ll have to settle (for now) for my red wall in our basement. It makes me happy. :-)
Old, abandoned houses make me sad. We live in a well established neighborhood (30-35 years old) and we see a mix of houses that have been spruced up & upgraded right beside houses that need some TLC. The momma & nester in me wants to move right into those little houses & fix ’em up. They need to be loved.
weird i noticed the house on the corner did not have a red door and it made me sad..that was the first thing i noticed the other day on the way to your house… :(
LOVE. Love unique colored doors! I think I took 100 pictures in Ireland. They know how to embrace colorful doors! I am waiting on painting my front front and side door red… Our front and side porch is the most hideous color of green! Waiting on warm and dry weather for that home improvement project. If not- it would look like freggin’ Christmas!
What about yellow houses? Now that’s happiness!
I never noticed other people’s doors, but mine is red & I love it! White house, black trim on a colonial – red is perfect. Can’t say we’re always happy, but I wouldn’t want any other colored door. Nice blog post!
I have always loved red doors! When we moved into our house, it was in sad need of a paint job and the only color my husband and I could agree on was gray…so I begged and pleaded and cried for a red door (the hubs is a tad color phobic) and now it makes me happy every time I come home.