Beauty

On the street called Parizska (Paris Street), there are some very chic stores and in between them, some nice doors, some ok doors and some wonderful doors. This door and it's gate are what I consider members of that last group - wonderful doors!! Just look at this beautiful wrought-iron work....so rich, so elegant, so charming...it suits my tastes perfectly because it is beautiful without being too rich or too anything but, well, to repeat myself, charming!! Notice the little cut-out hearts at the bottom? (That's my new puppy Ellwood peeking through one.)

As for the door itself, it is of a caramel-coloured wood that is rich and friendly. It's simplicity invites you in and it's rounded windows are like delicate kisses to your eyelids. On the floor of the tiny 'foyer' between the gate and the door is a delicate mosaic of polished stones while on the walls a similar pattern repeats itself as a sort of garland of warmth enveloping the welcoming space before you actually enter into the building. You can certainly guess that I like this door/gate combination. Or did I already say that?

Respectable

Personally, I find nothing more appealing in a door than a big, beautiful, intricately carved wooden door. Look at this one, for example...isn't it just stunning?! It is immediately flanked by two wooden columns then once again by even larger stone columns which, though unimposing, give it strength and mass. But the door all by itself is just so beautiful that it earned my respect all by itself!! Sure, the fan shaped window above the door also adds to the door's charm though the door would still be sufficiently charming if it wasn't there.

As for the details, check out this handle...we've seen one similar to this before (see here), but that doesn't bother me...I liked it then and I like it now!! And the key hole protector/embellishment is incredibly intricate and a real beauty.

I think I'm in love with this door!!

Quiet Lions

The lions on this door once roared, but have since gone silent... possibly as a result of the dust or the neglect or both. These majestic creatures that once made this beautiful door regal are waiting to be able to roar again, but until this door has been given some proper loving care, they will remain quiet. It really wouldn't take much though to help them find their voices...just a bit of soap and water, new door handles and a bit of paint!!

Waiting for Glory

If you take a walk around Prague, anywhere around the center, you will very probably come across one, if not several, buildings from the art nouveau period. Some of these buildings have been restored to impeccable beauty while others are waiting their turn to be brought back to their original glory. The building that owns this door is across the street from the Parliament Building so one would assume that it would be admired and respected, but helas such is not the case. Granted, the door is not in a state of decadence, but it isn't glowing in the glory of it's beauty either.

There are some very lovely details such as the sculptures over the door, the lamp, the leafy arch, the beautiful shape of the window over the door, the various elements on door which despite being simple, complete the overall look and feel of the ensemble.

Of course, the door's handle is the smallest detail that completes the art nouveau theme nicely. This is another door that I find truly beautiful...I do hope that one day it will be loved again and respected...and that someone will have the decency to at least move the garbage bins away from it!

Abandonned

Once upon a time, the man and woman standing over this door greeted many visitors daily to this grand turn-of-the-century building which housed the central post office for this part of Prague as well as the communications for much of the city. Now, the entire building lies empty and this door, which was once a main entrance, is shut and no one passes through it. Maybe one day people will once again use this warm, interesting door, but for now, it is there...alone...victim to the thoughtless, stupid acts of individuals who are unable to comprehend the value of something well-made and appreciable.

Though this is admittedly not from my favourite architectural period, I have to say in all fairness that I find all the elements of this door and its frame to be very agreeable..from the light fixtures above the door down to the round brass decorations on the door and, of course, the grills and the very simple, yet unique door handle.

Poor door, it needs to be loved...it wants to be loved...I do hope that one day again soon, it will find the love it deserves.

Colourful Door Monday

Yes, I know, it's almost Tuesday, but I'm sneaking in under the wire on this!!

This door isn't extraordinary, but I do like it...especially the colour. It is small and could even be considered an 'Emily' door...look how high up the handle is! I don't know, this just seems like a nice, happy little door...it would make me happy to come home to this every day.

Hello Pretty Blue Door!!

What??

From a distance, this door and it's arch and wrought-iron gate look really impressive and they are, but come in close and see some of the details that you might have missed when looking at the big picture...

A chain to keep the gate closed?

Two door handles (one old, one new)...is this a joke or what?!

But beyond those details, I do have to say that there are some nice things about this door. The lion's head carving is nice...

...as is the wrought-iron work that makes the gate...

...and the symbolism...a baby's head!!

The door itself is also interesting, but with all that is going on in front of it, it's a bit hard to focus just on the door!! It, too has a lot of style and the windows in it are quite interesting...just imagine how all of this would look if someone took the time to clean, repair and paint all of it. Wow!!

Stone Cold

I think this door and it's frame have a certain beauty and merit being discussed. The huge door is really very nice, but honestly, the ensemble leaves me a bit cold. No, I don't want to say I don't like this door, I guess I just feel a bit chilly when I look at it. Even though there are several figures and faces around this door, I just can't seem to find any warmth or cheerfulness when I look at it. Odd that I have this impression of the door because each element does have charm. Perhaps it is I that is the odd one..yes, this is quite possible!