Sober but Beautiful

It was a cold, end-of-Winter day when I took these pictures. Nevertheless, I don't know if a sunny sky would have changed the soberness of this door. Either way, the door is beautiful even if, at first appearance, it is somewhat 'timid'. I have no qualms with the brown paint on this door...I can't say whether it would have originally been painted a different color, but I can imagine that it was probably something like this, if not only slightly different.

What I find wonderful about this door is the beveled glass windows!! Sure, they are quite simple...just small rectangles, but they have been framed in such a way as to render the door even more endearing. On each door there is a lower row of three implied windows where, in actuality, only the center rectangle has glass in it; above this row is a row of three windows where the center one is slightly taller than it's surrounding windows, giving the impression that it is trying to pull our eye upward; and finally, above the door is another set of three small windows surrounded by other windows. These are simple elements, but I find them incredibly effective!

In the middle-lower part of each door, there is a Art Nouveau style carving of mistletoe. This mistletoe repeats the theme in the door's arch where mistletoe surrounds the lady's head and flows gently around the top section of the arch. Simple and enchanting!

If you click on the picture of the door handle, a larger version of it will come up in a separate screen. When it does, look closely at the brass plate that goes with the handle...it has small, but simple designs on it...very charming! Speaking of designs, though, I'm not too sure why it was necessary to add the spiral carving in vertical piece that covers the seam of the two doors...Maybe it was put there in anticipation of that part of the door being knicked and scratched by keys when the door is being opened and closed and like that, any small damage won't be so obvious. I don't know, otherwise, why it would be put there. Any ideas?