Looking for some inspiration for your latest home improvement project?

Maybe you are thinking about a custom, detailed door to add character and curb appeal to your home?
Why not get inspiration from the masters?

Here are five famous doors from pop culture and around the world, plus the stories behind them.

There is always a bit of mystique and surprise surrounding a door—they can be ornate secret-keepers, simple barricades, or even a revolving portal through which friends (as you’ll see in number 3) come and go without so much as a knock.

1. Royal Palace Fes, Morocco:

As a country, Morocco is no doubt a top contender in the decorative door department. At the Royal Palace Fes, intricate brass detail and ornate stone mosaics adorn pointed arches that date back to the 13th century.

What makes these doors (there are seven of them) so fascinating is that they are so large, so lavish and so stunning, but they pretty much don’t open, ever.

In fact, the middle door is meant for only one person—the King. Commissioning multiple, ornate doors for your house would set you apart as a trendsetter, for sure!

And hey, the dog gets his own door—why not dad?

A multi-panel wooden door, with elaborate wrought iron scrolls set on glass panes, like number 33 in Madison Doors’ Wrought Iron Collection, which can be found under “Products,” would fit the bill beautifully.

2. 10 Downing Street, London:

Frequently called “the most famous door in Britain,” the black door with a white number “10” looks friendly enough.

But this simple door of the traditional home for all of Britain’s Prime Ministers barricades one of the most heavily guarded buildings in the country, and cannot be opened from the outside at all. In fact, it is entirely missing a knob.

That may not be the best strategy for your needs, however a beautifully fanned transom atop a secure steel door would convey status and strength on any dwelling—from a townhouse in the city to a cottage in the country.

Madison Doors’ has just the match for a perfectly dignified custom door—check out Transom number 6 (pictured above) in their Products gallery!

3. Monica’s Apartment Door, “Friends:”

The purple door of primetime TV fame was practically a character of its own in the hit show “Friends.”

With a light violet hue and pizazz thanks to a yellow makeshift frame fashioned from a broken picture, this entryway is one of the friendliest in history; it opened and closed hundreds of thousands of times throughout the series—each time with a new joke or plot twist.

If yours is a bright, happy home, full of friends and loved ones, a distinctive custom Madison Door with a deep Oak Merlot wood finish or even some funky purple glass panels like the sample on the right (Light Purple Waterglass form their glass products page) would fit the bill.

4. Door into Bag End, The Shire:

One of the most famous of all fictional doors, the blue-green circle that opens into an enchanting underground abode for hobbits in The Lord of The Rings Trilogy is welcoming, cozy and definitely unique!

Custom doors can take many surprising shapes, like this Madison custom door that is almost as round as Bilbo’s fairy-tale entryway. You can check it out on their product page under their “Contemporary” section—number 10!

There is something enchanting about a door so unique and whimsical—the child in you hopes there just might be a little bit of magic behind it.

5. The Columbus Doors, Washington, D.C.:

These 20,000-pound, 17-foot bronze doors were designed by Randolph Rogers and lord over the entrance to the State Capitol Building. Each panel is a detailed bronze relief depicting a scene from the life and history of Christopher Columbus.

While a mammoth door this big, heavy and historical would be out of place on a residence, the same air of distinction can be conveyed with a carved, solid wood masterpiece like the Madison Custom door on the left. This beauty is featured as number 1 in their Carved collection under “Prodcuts.”

Older homes in historical areas and neighborhoods would be wise to choose such a door as an instant facelift!

Go Down in History

Each of these five doors represents a famous, historical and well-designed entryway into another world of the past. Your home can easily become famous for its door, as well.

Custom woods, colors, glass and shapes make for an investment that may just land YOU on a list like this someday!