We have a front door. I think it’s been used 3 times. Not because we don’t have any friends or family and no one ever comes over, but because it’s perhaps the most oddly placed front door in the world.
It’s easy to miss, seeing as how it’s really more of a side door. And it’s not even the first door you see from the direction most folk enter the neighborhood. The first door you typically see is the “back door,” which is technically a side door. We have no actual back door. Understanding the architect’s (though I doubt there was one) rationale related to door placement is a head scratcher. Come to think of it, my house might be a portal to another dimension. I just have to get the door system worked out correctly before I can access Narnia or wherever. Regardless, no one uses the front door. I would like to change that.
I’ve tried a few things to encourage use of the front door.
1) Telling people. This was my first approach. Though all the conversations generally wound up going something like this…
Me: Hey guys. You know how when you come over, the first room you walk into is the kitchen? That’s weird, huh? You should try using the front door!
Other people: You have a front door?
Me: Yeah, it’s right there.
Other people: Oh. I thought that was a closet.
2) Building a path leading directly to said front door. Mom helped with this one. The thinking was that maybe if people had an easy and pleasant way to get to this mysterious threshold, they would be more inclined to use it. I think we’ve had one taker so far.
That about brings us up to speed as far as my efforts go to encourage front door use. Clearly more diabolical measures are in order.
Of course, my first instinct is to paint. Maybe part of the reason people can’t see the front door is because it blends too well with the rest of the house? Same color. Same texture. Same everything. I think a coat of lime paint would look stinkin’ good with our existing grey.
But why stop there? Painting alone would be too pedestrian for the likes of us. We’ve got this mid century house, I’d like to spruce ‘er up with some mid century doors–the type that have the dainty little windows that both let in light and look unbelievably trendy. Surely if there windows no one would confuse it for a closet!
At this rate. People would be fools, FOOLS I say, not to want to enter through this heavenly little nook we have created on our minuscule portion of the planet. Until recently, I thought a front door makeover would be further down the renovation line, as we don’t really want to shell out up to $1,000 for a door we still aren’t completely sure people will use. Thank heavens I was turned on to Crestview Doors, which is an amazing company that not only sells custom mid century doors, but also has “doorlite kits” for as little as $59 which enables thrifty homeowners such as ourselves to do the dirty window installation on our own. And, if you can believe it, the company is based out of Austin. Oh dear fate, what have we done to fall into your good graces?
We have found our weekend project.
And while I am dreaming big. Allow me to share my final scheme for encouraging use of our front door. Drum roll please….
I am going to eliminate all other options. You can’t learn to use the front door? You lose side door privileges all together. Somewhere down the line I want to put in a glass paneled garage door and turn our carport into a patio/greenhouse/sunroom.
It’s a lofty goal indeed. And one that might be coming later rather than sooner. But as the poster above the chair at my orthodontist’s office said, “even if you shoot for the moon, you’ll land among the stars.” So, inspirational children’s poster, I’m shooting for sun room.
Thanks for visiting. Now, kindly exit through the front door.
