4 Famous Front Doors

The front of your home is extremely important. Why? Well, it’s one of the first things that people notice when approaching your house. There are a number of front doors that are renowned for their colour, design and style.

Here you can discover some of the most distinguished doors in the world.

1.    Number 10 Downing Street

With a black front door that is widely recognised, we couldn’t not mention this door, even if its fame is down to status. However, although it is possibly one of the most renowned addresses in London what with it being the residence of the Prime Minister, members of the public would still notice if this front door was replaced with another.

In fact, on April Fool’s Day in 2006, the door became great speculation when it was claimed that it had been replaced with a red door! However the prestigious door remains as an immaculately polished black door with an iron knocker in the shape of a lion’s head and a brass letter box. And let’s not forget the bold, white number 10.

robertsharp under CC by 2.0

2.    Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa

The iconic red door of the Elizabeth Arden Spa has been a landmark on Fifth Avenue since 1910, the very first Red Door Spa location. In 1915 the beauty industry pioneer expanded her operations by opening beauty salons globally and each salon was fronted with the famous red door, chosen by Elizabeth Arden herself to attract attention. And boy, did it work.

The red door symbol became synonymous with the Elizabeth Arden brand, so much so that it became the logo emblem! In 1989, the company launched Red Door Perfume with one of the largest perfume advertising campaigns in fashion history.

#elizabethardenreddoor #SPA□□□

A photo posted by Eat | Experience | Explore (@sasha__orlov) on Sep 14, 2015 at 2:11pm PDT

3.    William Shakespeare’s Birthplace

With the famous playwright’s home being open as a museum, this one had to make an appearance on our list. William Shakespeare grew up in a beautiful 18th Century house in Henley Street, Stratford-upon-Avon which is now managed by the Shakespeare Birthplace trust.

The wooden door of the house is well-known amongst visitors because of its height; it’s so low that most have to stoop down to enter the house! Back when William Shakespeare was born in 1564 this door would have been unimpressive, however today it is a novelty for the small museum.

Elliott Brown under CC by 2.0

4.    221b Baker Street

The home of fictional detective Sherlock Holmes has caused much controversy over the years due to its door number. You see, when author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle first wrote the books, the houses on Baker Street only ran to 85. It wasn’t until the 1930s that the road was extended and the doors were renumbered, with house 221 becoming the Abbey Society premises.

Almost immediately, the building society started receiving correspondence from Sherlock Holmes fans all over the world so it had to employ a permanent ‘secretary to Sherlock Holmes’; fancy that?!

The Sherlock Holmes museum was opened at number 237 Baker Street in 1990 but was granted special dispensation by the local council to change the number to 221b and grant us with the world famous door we know and love.

Shining.darkness under CC by 2.0

So, now you know of some of the most famous front doors in the world. Whilst you won’t be able to make your front door known worldwide, you can give your home a first-class front door. Take a look at our range of doors today, including a stylish and secure composite door, and find your perfect entranceway.

Read more: What is a Composite Door?