Walkabout: Son of Doors

Doors have always accompanied metaphor and symbolism in our culture. In life, you walk through one door into another relationship, a new opportunity, or another phase of existence.

You can shut the door on change, or close yourself off from another person, or from progress. Sometimes you can leave the door open when you should have shut it, as any trial lawyer, or aficionado of Law and Order can tell you.

In our Brooklyn architecture, doors can be the first thing to go, when buildings are renovated, or more often, upgraded for security reasons. We all complain about Home Depot Doors, yet while walking around, there are still more original doors than replacement ones, in the long run, and that is great.

There is always a demand for original, or original looking doors. We’ve got some fantastic doors on our buildings, both residential and commercial.

They reflect the many architectural styles that have developed over the years, and they also reflect the changes in materials and technology. As the 19th century turned into the 20th century, designs got more eclectic, especially on the homes of the wealthy, who could afford to indulge in the architectural whims of their often brilliant designers.

We’ve got everything from Medieval keeps to classic curved Italianate doors, iron and glass to more modern glass upon glass, beautiful carved and grained woods, and everything in between, often accompanied by incredible hardware. We also have modern artisans creating new accessories in steel. Creativity has always played a role in our doorways and entrances.

I featured doors over a year ago, and here’s a brand new crop, from all over Brownstone Brooklyn. I’m always on the lookout, and as we know, opportunity can knock at any time. See my Flickr page for more.

[Photos by Suzanne Spellen]