Knock, knock...

So I'm still sorting through the several hundred pictures I took while on vacation, but I thought I'd whet your appetites with some pictures of beautiful doors that I saw while traveling. While it's rather popular to photograph doorways right now, I've never been particularly drawn to them myself....that is, until I saw what is perhaps the most charming street in all of Dublin: Upper Merrion Street, nestled right in the heart of Dublin, and within steps of two lovely parks (Merrion Square Park and St. Stephen's Green).

These two photographs are just close-ups of the first picture. Note how lovely the round top transomes are with their intricate sashes. I particularly love that, while all of these doors share common architectural features (Ionic columns, round top transomes, elaborate sash work, solid paneled doors, etc.), they also manage to show-off the individuality of the owners.

A few shots of the doors across the street, which are equally charming. Which doorway is your favorite? I'm torn between the bright pink and the robin's egg blue myself. If you love this street as much as I do, you might consider staying at the swanky Merrion Hotel next time you're in Dublin. Fun Fact: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band stayed there last weekend while they were in town for their concert. We even saw their tour bus pull up to the hotel!

And finally, here are a few pictures of an absolutely stunning house (from street-level anyway) that I saw while in London. Not only is the location stellar (it's between Sloane Square and South Kensington), but it's also beautifully maintained.

I love how the gray door pops against the white stone walls. A few boxwoods [would that they could thrive in Houston!] and some gorgeous ironwork complete the picture. I wish I had been able to snap a picture of the entire house in one frame, but unfortunately traffic was so awful that evening that I couldn't take a picture from across the road without being completely blocked out by cars.