A Photo Collection

Doors & Windows of the World

Doors, windows, gates and knockers I’ve photographed around the world, from island shacks to Korean palaces.

Updated October 21, 2026

Doors and windows describe the aesthetic tastes of people in different cities and towns around the world. I've been photographing doors and windows for as long as I can remember. Here is my collection of doors, windows, gates and door details.

A street of cream and yellow houses with ornate iron grilles on the doors and windows.

Windows and Doors of the Islands

The doors and windows of the islands are often vivid, welcoming and worn by salt and sun.

A worn wooden door below louvered shutters on a peeling turquoise house in Havana.

Door and Window in Havana, Cuba

I took to this small apartment near my flat in Havana, Cuba, with its brilliant turquoise.

A barred window filled with potted plants in a peeling sky-blue wall in Trinidad, Cuba.

Small Window in Trinidad, Cuba

I loved the bright cerulean paint surrounding this small window in Trinidad, Cuba.

A green wooden outhouse with two doors marked with figures in Sandy Point, Abaco, Bahamas.

Sandy Point Outhouse Doors

Lovely tropical greens on this beachside outhouse in the isolated Sandy Point, Abaco Islands, Bahamas.

A white-framed window in a yellow wall painted with a menu of juices — carrot, papaya and soursop — at Sandy Point, Abaco.

Modest Window in Sandbank, Abaco, Bahamas

I photographed this window in Sandbank, a Haitian migrant camp near Treasure Cay in the Abaco Islands. It was lost in Hurricane Dorian.

A barred brown window in a peeling green and blue wall in Trinidad, Cuba.

Window with Iron Grates in Trinidad

You can see decades of pastel paints on this wall with a simple, wooden window.

A bright blue door and grilled window in a yellow and red wall in Trinidad, Cuba.

Yellow House with Blue Windows and Doors

I found this stunning yellow apartment with blue doors and windows in Trinidad, Cuba.

Copper Door in a Turquoise Façade

A rust-red door with a stained-glass fanlight set into pale turquoise pilasters in Havana.

The Overgrown Window

A shrub swallows a window above an abandoned washing machine in the Abaco Islands, Bahamas.

A brown door under a carved plaster pediment beside bright blue louvered shutters in Havana.

A window covered with raindrops interests me more than a photograph of a famous person.

Saul Leiter

A boarded red door, a yellow wall with a grilled window and a white door on a weathered house in Trinidad, Cuba.

Apartment on Aguacate Street, Habana Vieja, Havana, Cuba

Door and Window in Habana Vieja

Well worn greens adorn this apartment in Habana Vieja, Havana, Cuba.

A grilled door in a pale green frame on a chipped ochre and red façade in Havana.

Chipped Ochre Paints and Door

Chipped ochre paints reveal history in this Havana, Cuba apartment.

A weathered turquoise garden door among potted plants and a lemon tree in Scopello, Sicily.

Shutters and Iron Gate in Havana

Mustard louvered shutters beside a gated double door on a sea-green wall in Havana, Cuba.

Faded Blue Door in Havana

A tall blue door beneath a broken transom, with mosaic scraps clinging to the plaster around it.

A white door in a green wall beside a stenciled mural of Charlie Chaplin and a child in Havana.

Charlie Chaplin Door

Charlie Chaplin iconography is ever-present in Cuba, where he was seen as a symbol of the Cuban peasant-worker during the Castro years.

Two dilapidated doors, one barred and one ajar, framed in turquoise on a crumbling façade in Havana.

Habana Vieja Doors

Cracked and broken doors offer glimpses into the often dim and dark interiors of Havana apartments.

A barred window and doorway on a crumbling turquoise colonial façade in Havana.

Tropical Doors and Windows

My favorite doors and windows are playful and colorful and describe the palette of a place. I am aware of nowhere on Earth where the doors and windows are so endowed with color and character as the Latin American tropics.

A turquoise-framed white door beside a lime-green grilled door on a white wall in the tropics.

Modern Blue and Green Doors

Great colors are found on the urban center streets of Mérida, Yucatán.

Grated Windows

Pastel blues surround these grated windows in Mérida, Yucatán.

A wooden door and shuttered windows on a yellow wall painted with flowers, a dog and a cat in Celestún, Yucatán.

Black Metal Door

Great Latin American colors surround this black metal door in Mérida.

A dark wooden door in a weathered mustard-yellow wall with peeling plaster in Mérida.

Yellow Wall and Wood Door

Photographed in Mérida, Yucatán.

Sunburst Window Grille

A starburst iron grille in a white frame on a burnt-orange wall in Colombia.

White Door on Chartreuse

A white metal door with a single dark stripe of glass on a lime-green wall in Colombia.

A man walking past the painted turquoise and yellow storefront of Dulcería Tony, a candy wholesaler in Mérida.

Urban Door in Mérida

Colorful advertisements on display in a retail district in Mérida, Yucatán.

A dark wooden door in a white stone frame set into a red-orange wall of a church in Mérida, Yucatán.

Church Door

Bold colors on this sturdy church door in a quaint colonial plaza in downtown Mérida, Yucatán.

A white-grilled window in a green and orange wall beside a small window in a red wall in Mérida, Mexico.

If you feel you have to open a particular door, open it, otherwise all your life that door will haunt your mind!

Mehmet Murat İldan

Iron Gate with Creeping Vine

A vine climbs through a scrolled iron gate on a crumbling limestone wall in Mérida, Yucatán.

Rusted Window in Celestún

Corroded bars over a dark window on a sky-blue wall in Celestún, Yucatán.

Two tall barred windows on a faded turquoise wall in Mérida, Mexico.

Grated Windows

Lovely turquoise colors on these grated windows in Mérida, Yucatán.

Entrance to Abandoned Beach Property

This abandoned beach property in downtown Celestun is filled with the color of age, decay and graffiti.

A collage of weathered tropical doors and windows in faded orange, teal and green walls, including a Cantina Costa Blanca.

An arched, grilled window in a green tiled wall beside a red "Alto" stop sign in Mérida, Mexico.

Grated Window and Stop Sign

Photographed in downtown Mérida, Yucatán.

A peeling mint-green wooden double door in a yellow wall in downtown Granada, Nicaragua.

Green Wood Door

Photographed in downtown Granada, Nicaragua.

A grid of Mexican doors and windows in blue, yellow, orange and green walls.

Barred Window in Colombia

A weathered window sits between bulging plaster buttresses above a mottled blue base.

Dentist’s Office in Mérida

Turquoise and yellow breeze blocks over a glass storefront in Mérida, Yucatán.

Mint Window

Grated window with faded mint paint, photographed in Mérida, Yucatán.

A barred window in a peeling yellow wall in Celestún, Yucatán.

Yellow Window

Photographed in Celestun, Yucatán.

A white shuttered window trimmed with tinsel in a bright yellow wall in Camarones, Colombia.

A white-shuttered window behind a twisting tree trunk on a bright orange wall in Colombia.

Camarones Window

White window surrounded by rich orange in Camarones, La Guajira, Colombia.

A dark wooden door and shuttered window in a peeling pink wall in Camarones, Colombia.

Pink Door and Window

Photographed in Camarones, La Guajira, Colombia.

White Grilles on Mint Green

A white security door and matching window grille on a seafoam wall in Colombia.

Lavender Windows in Mérida

Two barred windows framed in violet plaster on a blue colonial façade in Mérida.

Two weathered gray doors and an ornate grilled window on a peeling yellow and red wall in Celestún, Yucatán.

A cream door with a round window below a red and white façade with green windows in Mexico.

Beige Door and Windows

Photographed in Mérida, Yucatán.

Pink and Green Door

Photographed in Mérida, Yucatán.

A row of pink, yellow and blue colonial houses with tiled roofs on a street in Granada, Nicaragua.

Red Door in a Village Wall

A red-brown panel door in a whitewashed wall smudged with old paint, Colombia.

A dark green grilled door framed in red on a weathered gray wall at number 53 in Mérida, Yucatán.

Green Door with Red Outline

Photographed in Mérida, Yucatán.

A broken turquoise-framed window on a weathered wall with painted lettering in Celestún, Mexico.

Turquoise Window

Photographed in Celestun, Yucatán.

A gray door framed in turquoise beside a flowering jacaranda in Celestún, Yucatán.

A grid of Colombian doors and windows in orange, mint green, lime and yellow walls.

North African Doors and Windows

The doors and windows of North Africa blend intricate craftsmanship with bold color, reflecting centuries of cultural fusion and Mediterranean light.

Bright yellow arched door with traditional black studded motifs set in a pale stone frame in Sidi Bou Said, Tunisia.

Yellow Door with Black Studded Motifs

Photographed in Sidi Bou Said, Tunisia.

Blue window with ornate wrought iron grille set in a weathered white wall in Sidi Bou Said, Tunisia.

Ornate Wrought Iron Blue Window

Photographed in Sidi Bou Said, Tunisia.

Teal Shutters Behind Iron

Teal wooden shutters behind a rusted iron grille on a pink and cream wall in Marrakech.

Blue Door with Tiled Step

A blue grilled door above a tiled step on a white wall in Sidi Bou Said, Tunisia.

Blue Arched Door

Photographed in Essaouira, Morocco.

Blue shuttered windows framed in yellow above a carved doorway on a weathered white wall in Essaouira.

Whitewashed Walls, Yellow Windows

Photographed in Essaouira, Morocco.

Green Door Under Iron Fanlight

A green double door with a scrolled iron transom between two lanterns in the Medina of Tunis.

Golden Grille in a Carved Frame

A golden scrolled grille inside a lacy pink plaster frame on an ochre wall in Marrakech.

Sky Blue Metal Studded Door

Photographed in the Medina of Tunis, Tunisia.

Ornate blue wooden door with hand-painted floral motifs in red, yellow, and green, located in the Medina of Tunis.

Hand-painted Floral Motif Door

Photographed in the Medina of Tunis, Tunisia.

Yellow Door with Awning

A small yellow door under a matching wooden awning on a cream wall in Tunis.

Turquoise Window and Door on Tile

A turquoise grilled window and narrow door set into a wall of painted tiles in Tunis.

A blue arched door framed by open blue doors and potted plants in a whitewashed courtyard of a museum in Marrakech.

A very little key will open a very heavy door.

Charles Dickens

Blue Studded Door with Climbing Vines

Black studs in rings on a blue arched door, with vines climbing from pots on the step, Sidi Bou Said.

Yellow Door and Sleeping Cat

A yellow door painted with black motifs, with a cat asleep on the step, Medina of Tunis.

An ornate gilded window grille flanked by painted wooden shutters in Marrakech.

Marrakech Window

Fantastic decorated wooden window in Marrakech.

A turquoise arched door in a weathered whitewashed wall in Essaouira, Morocco.

Blue Door

The use of blue from a Murex shell in Essaouira, Morocco has a long history. I write about it in these notes on Essaouira .

Painted Arch Through a Dark Passage

A blue door in a red and green horseshoe arch, seen from a shadowed passage in Marrakech.

Yellow Studded Door

Black nail-head patterns and iron knockers on a yellow door in a stone frame, Medina of Tunis.

Turquoise blue window in the Medina of Tunis framed by white stone and protected by a diamond-patterned metal grille, surrounded by intricate, hand-painted ceramic tiles featuring floral motifs, golden arabesques, and cobalt blue scrollwork.

Maximalist Turquoise Shutter Window

This stunning window from a private courtyard in the Medina of Tunis, Tunisia, features ornate lattice grillwork and stunning ceramic tilework in arabesque hues.

Sky-blue arched window in Sidi Bou Said with ornate wrought iron bars and a weathered wooden frame, set in a whitewashed wall beside yellow potted succulents, a blue metal gate, and a cactus in a yellow ceramic urn.

Sun-Worn Wooden Window Frame

This sky blue window exemplifies the white, blue and yellow colors of Tunisia's Sidi Bou Said.

Yellow Door in a Marble Arch

A rounded yellow door studded in black, framed by a pale marble horseshoe arch in Tunis.

Arched Window with Iron Scrolls

A blue window behind a rusted scrollwork grille set in a sandstone arch in Marrakech.

An arched gilded iron window grille in a cobalt-blue wall framed by green leaves at Jardin Majorelle, Marrakech.

Majorelle Gardens Window

Orange-trimmed window from the Majorelle Garden in Marrakech, Morocco.

A turquoise and yellow arched door framed in carved white plaster in a cobalt-blue wall at Jardin Majorelle, Marrakech.

Majorelle Gardens Door

Photographed in Marrakech, Morocco.

Studded Blue Door in a Stone Frame

A bright blue horseshoe-arched door set in carved limestone in Sidi Bou Said.

Yellow Door and Blue Window

A tall yellow double door next to a narrow cobalt window on a white wall in Tunis.

Green-shuttered window in the Medina of Tunis framed by ornate white stonework and protected by intricate black wrought iron bars, topped with a whimsical scalloped purple wooden awning and purple support brackets.

Window with Scalloped Purple Awning

This traditional North African window from the Medina of Tunis pops with modern color.

Tall narrow window in the Medina of Tunis with black wrought iron bars, painted pink on the inner frame and dark green on the outer frame, set in a weathered white stucco wall next to a vertical drainage pipe.

Pink Interior Frame Window

I photographed this stunning and joyful vertical window in the Medina of Tunis.

Blue Door Between Cactus Pots

A blue arched door under a white canopy, with potted cactus on both sides, Sidi Bou Said.

Twin Turquoise Windows

Two turquoise windows with black iron scrolls on a peeling white wall, Medina of Tunis.

A blue double door within a pointed stone arch in Essaouira, Morocco.

Essaouira Door

The classic blue of Essaouira is used on this beautifully shaped door.

A red horseshoe-arched mosque door with carved white plasterwork and tiled windows in Morocco.

Red Mosque Door

Photographed in Tangier, Morocco.

Green window with decorative iron grille set in a stone frame on a whitewashed wall in the Medina of Tunis.

Green Iron Grille Window

Photographed in the Medina of Tunis, Tunisia.

Ornate green wooden door with floral hand-painted panels and decorative ironwork in the Medina of Tunis.

Floral Motif Door

Photographed in the Medina of Tunis, Tunisia.

Striped Arch and Blue Door

A blue door under a black-and-white striped arch framed in tile, Sidi Bou Said.

Orange Door with Iron Studs

An orange studded door and window beneath a yellow awning in a sandstone wall in Tunis.

An ornate grille window in a yellow frame set in a cobalt-blue wall at Jardin Majorelle, Marrakech.

Blue Window and Ivy Door

A blue grilled window and a pale blue door half hidden in ivy in Sidi Bou Said.

Painted Green Door

A pale green double door painted with red and blue flowers in the Medina of Tunis.

Weathered blue door and small window in Sidi Bou Said, Tunisia, set in a whitewashed wall beneath a carved cream archway, with iron grilles, flaking paint, utility boxes, and a worn stone threshold.

Sun-bleached Door and Window

I photographed this old door and window with traditional Tunisian motifs in Sidi Bou Said.

Bright yellow double door with black studs and iron rings in Sidi Bou Said, Tunisia, framed by a painted black-and-white horseshoe arch and a yellow border, flanked by flowering plants and topped with a hanging lantern.

Horseshoe Arch Door

I photographed this striking door with traditional Tunisian black studs in Sidi Bou Said.

Green Door and Bougainvillea

A green door with a scrolled transom beside a cascade of bougainvillea in Tunis.

Carved Sky Blue Door

A carved blue door with a smaller inset door, set in a whitewashed arch in the Medina of Tunis.

A long whitewashed corridor with a zigzag-tiled floor leading to a blue arched door at a museum in Marrakech.

Marrakech Museum Door

One of my favorite interior door scenes is from this museum in Marrakech.

Blue Door

Photographed in Essaouira, Morocco.

Blue Door Between Two Windows

A cobalt studded door flanked by grilled windows under blue wooden canopies in Sidi Bou Said.

Yellow Door in a Stone Frame

Black-studded yellow doors flanked by carved stone pilasters in the Medina of Tunis.

Weathered yellow door ajar in Marsaxlokk, with graffiti, iron grilles, and golden evening light.

The courage of the poet is to keep ajar the door that leads into madness.

Christopher Morley

Weathered Blue Door in a Stone Arch

Peeling blue paint and fanlight grilles inside a carved limestone frame, Medina of Tunis.

Studded Door with Knot Patterns

Black studs trace loops and diamonds across a yellow door in a sandstone frame, Tunis.

Blue arched door with yellow decorative patterns set in a carved stone frame in Sidi Bou Said, Tunisia.

Decorative Blue Double Door

Photographed in Sidi Bou Said, Tunisia.

Blue wooden door with ornamental nail patterns and matching window grille, framed by yellow and blue trim in Sidi Bou Said, Tunisia.

Blue and Yellow Door

Photographed in Sidi Bou Said, Tunisia.

Blue Door and Shutter

A plain blue door beside a matching shutter under a long blue grille, Medina of Tunis.

Yellow Door at the End of the Arch

A yellow door glows at the far end of a vaulted passage in the Medina of Tunis.

Bronze arched door with a hammered texture set in a pale stone frame, located in the Medina of Tunis.

Hammered Surface Bronze Door

Photographed in the Medina of Tunis, Tunisia.

Dark Orange Doors

Photographed in the Medina of Tunis, Tunisia.

Cobalt Door in a Tiled Wall

A cobalt arched door with white iron flowers, framed in blue and white tile in Tunis.

Blue Door with Gold Medallions

A royal blue double door with gold-painted panels in a carved stone arch in Tunis.

Mediterranean Doors and Windows

Whitewashed walls and brightly colored interiors are among my favorite design motifs of the Mediterranean. Influenced by the sea, by Mudéjar design motifs and heat and sun, this region has some of the world's most intoxicating doors and windows.

Sky blue wooden door in Valletta, Malta, set in a warm limestone facade, with ornate white wrought iron grilles over glass panels, a small vertical decorative inset, and a matching blue shuttered window nearby.

Vibrant Sky Blue Door and Window

I photographed this ornate, yet humble doorway and window in Valletta, Malta. Note the starburst iron patterns in the door.

Teal-Painted Shuttered Window

I was drawn to the bright teal paint against the typical honey-colored limestone stonework in an alley in Birgu, Malta.

Green double door in Valletta framed by stone arch and potted purple flowers.

Teal Green Double Door

The warm yellow stone of the Maltese building contrasts beautifully with this vivid door.

A yellow-shuttered window with a flower box in a whitewashed wall hung with terracotta pots in Cadaqués.

Yellow Window

Bright yellow window in alley adjacent to Mediterranean. Cadaques, Catalonia, Spain.

Red Door in Limestone

A red double door between two small barred windows in a golden stone wall in Birgu.

Blue Door with Iron Window

A bright blue door with an iron grille window in a powder-blue frame in Paros, Greece.

Green wooden door with a red mailbox beneath a stone arch in a pale plaster wall in Lipari, Aeolian Islands, Sicily.

Green Door in Lipari

A green door and a red mailbox beneath a stone arch in Lipari, in Sicily’s Aeolian Islands.

Sunflower-yellow door and dark wooden door in neighboring arched stone doorways in Lipari, Aeolian Islands, Sicily.

Yellow and Brown Doors in Lipari

Neighboring arched doorways in Lipari, one sunflower yellow, the other dark wood beneath an iron-scrolled fanlight.

A small, worn green door at the end of a whitewashed arched passage in Port Lligat, Catalonia.

Salvador Dalí Door

Green door and whitewashed walls at the Salvador Dalí House Museum in Port Lligat, Catalonia, Spain.

An iron window grille painted turquoise in a white wall in Cadaqués, Catalonia.

Wrought Iron Window

Small window photographed in an alley in Cadaques, Catalonia, Spain.

Keep the Entrance Clear

A cream door hand-lettered “Lasciare libero l’ingresso” in a crumbling arched frame in Sicily.

Navy Door in Birgu

A navy and white door with a painted fanlight on a limestone wall in Birgu, Malta.

Rectangular stone doorway carved into a massive limestone slab inside the Neolithic temple complex of Ħaġar Qim, Malta, with an opening leading to an interior chamber under a protective canopy.

This doorway from Ħaġar Qim, a Neolithic temple complex in Malta dating to around 3600–3200 BCE is one of the oldest architectural doorways on Earth that still remains standing. This portal into a deeper section of this temple was cut from a single slab of limestone.

Ornate double wooden door in honey-beige tones in Victory Square, Malta, with carved floral iron panels, circular brass medallions, and a decorative stone arch featuring symbolic religious carvings, set in a weathered limestone façade.

Twin Beige Church Doors

I photographed this door leading to the Oratory of Saint Joseph Church near the center of Birgu, Malta. Right above the door, you can see a carved stone arch which bears carpenter's tools nestled in vines and laurels, referencing the namesake of the church, the patron saint of workers and protector of the Holy Family.

Tall beige door in Birgu, Malta, framed by an arched limestone portal with carved pilasters, a decorative fanlight grille, and a sculpted angel keystone above the arch, set into a weathered stone façade.

Arched Limestone Portal Door

I photographed this tall, elegant vertical door in Birgu, Malta. Note its angel keystone in the arch above the door.

Dark green arched door hand-painted with oranges and flowers, framed by painted tiles and a Trinacria emblem in Taormina, Sicily.

Citrus-Painted Door in Taormina

Hand-painted oranges and flowers cover this arched door in Taormina, framed by painted tiles and a Trinacria, Sicily’s three-legged emblem.

Weathered wooden door with black iron strap hinges under a pointed stone arch marked Bastione in Taormina, Sicily.

Pointed-Arch Door in Taormina

A weathered door with iron strap hinges and a lion knocker, beneath a pointed stone arch marked Bastione, in Taormina, Sicily.

Blue-framed Window in Birgu

A four-paned window framed in deep blue on a cream wall in Birgu, Malta.

Yellow Doors Under a Green Arch

Yellow glass doors beneath a green arched frame in a Palermo entry hall.

A green door within a pointed Gothic arch on a faded pink Venetian palazzo above a canal.

Elegant sky-blue double door in Mdina, Malta, set in a Gothic-arched limestone doorway with black iron strap hinges, a lattice transom window, and cascading bougainvillea blooms framing the upper right corner.

Blue Double Door with Lattice Fanlight

Photographed in Mdina, Malta. Note the five pairs of black iron strap hinges.

Bold blue Maltese door and matching shuttered window set into a yellow-painted stone façade in Mdina, Malta, topped by a traditional enclosed wooden balcony with lace-curtained windows and white corbels.

Cobalt Blue Door and Gallarija Balcony Window

I photographed this vivid door and window scene in Mdina, Malta. The blue closed timber balcony, the gallarijas, are ubiquitous in Malta. They were introduced during Moorish times as they were initially designed to allow women privacy with the benefits of cool, open windows and a view of the alleys below.

Green Door with No-Parking Sign

A green double door with a “passo carrabile” sign in a sun-faded orange wall in Sicily.

Red Door and Blue Door in Valletta

Neighboring red and blue doors under iron fanlights on a golden façade in Valletta.

Bold Orange Double Door

Photographed in Birgu, Malta.

Weathered brown and freshly painted yellow arched doors set in centuries-old limestone in Birgu, Malta.

Arched Doors in Birgu

Centuries-old limestone buildings frame a vivid contrast between weathered wood and freshly painted color.

An arched white double door and a white-shuttered window in a peeling purple and blue wall in Birgu, Malta.

Blue Arched Door in Catalonia

A cobalt door under a slate-stone arch on a whitewashed wall in Catalonia, Spain.

Two Doors in the Alfama

A green door and a black door side by side above potted plants on a worn street in Lisbon.

Worn orange wooden door with a transom window in a wall of peeling pink plaster in Marzamemi, Sicily.

Faded Orange Door in Marzamemi

A worn orange door with a transom window, set in a wall of peeling pink plaster in Marzamemi, Sicily.

Black double door beneath a small tiled hood and stone arch on a rose-pink wall in Marzamemi, Sicily.

Black Door in Marzamemi

A black double door beneath a tiled hood and stone arch, against a rose-pink wall in Marzamemi, Sicily.

Red arched double door with black ironwork in a limestone wall in Mdina, Malta.

Arched Mdina Double Door

A bold red entrance framed by warm limestone and crowned with fan-shaped ironwork.

Iron-grilled window with red trim and ceramic flower pots in Mdina, Malta.

Red Window in Mdina

This iron-grilled window in the historic former capital of Malta glows with red trim and ceramic flower pots.

A collage of blue doors and shutters in whitewashed Mediterranean walls, with a cat sitting by one.

Lemon Tree by a Painted Door

A peeling green and white door behind a lemon tree and potted herbs in Sicily.

Red Door and Red Shutters

A red door and matching shutters on a pale façade in Birgu, Malta.

Colorful Maltese doors in a sunlit alley of Valletta, Malta

Three traditional Maltese doors in Valletta show typical 19th-century design.

Three Arched Windows in Venice

Three arched windows with red flower boxes on a mustard façade in Venice.

Blue Door Under a Pine

A blue door and window in dappled shade on a white wall in Catalonia, Spain.

Mustard-yellow louvered shutters on a crumbling whitewashed wall in Anafiotika, Athens.

Yellow Window

Photographed in Anafiotika, Athens, Greece.

A faded pink wooden louvered shutter set in a rough whitewashed wall in Lefkes, Paros.

Rose Window

Photographed in Lefkes, Paros, Greece.

Two arched windows with brown and green wooden louvered shutters in a stone wall in Istria.

Window Under Bougainvillea

A turquoise window framed by magenta bougainvillea on a white wall in Paros, Greece.

Brick Wall at the Waterline

A bricked-up doorway and barred window with plants growing out of the wall above a Venice canal.

A lime-green door and shuttered window in a pale gray-blue wall in Barcelona.

Lime Green Door and Window

Photographed in Naoussa, Paros, Greece.

A celadon-green metal door with arched grilles set in a rough stucco wall.

Metal Celadon Green Door

Photographed in Lefkes, Paros, Greece.

Deep green wooden double door beneath a carved stone lintel and iron fanlight on a peeling plaster wall in Modica, Sicily.

Green Wooden Door in Modica

Deep green double doors beneath a carved stone lintel and iron fanlight, on a peeling plaster wall in Modica, Sicily.

Faded green window shutters in an ochre frame on a peeling peach plaster wall in Marzamemi, Sicily.

Green Shutters in Marzamemi

Faded green shutters in an ochre frame on a peeling peach wall in Marzamemi, a fishing village near Sicily’s southeastern tip.

Blue House in Birgu

Blue shutters and a painted geometric plinth on a blue façade in Birgu, Malta.

Wooden Door Under a Skull

A brown wooden door in a white frame topped with an animal skull in Catalonia, Spain.

A grid of green, turquoise, blue and purple doors set in whitewashed Aegean walls.

A tiny weathered wooden door with a small barred window in a crumbling whitewashed wall in Lefkes, Paros.

Tiny Door with Wood and Metal Details

Photographed in Lefkes, Paros, Greece.

Sky Blue Door in Rovinj

A sky blue double door and shutters beside a yellow flowering shrub in Rovinj, Croatia.

Canal Door in Venice

A green arched door at water level between two barred windows on a canal in Venice.

A small white-framed window with a carved stone lintel in a whitewashed wall on Paros.

Everything is but a path, a portal, or a window opening on something other than itself.

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

A pale blue paneled window set deep in a whitewashed wall on Paros.

Maya Blue Window

Photographed in Naoussa, Paros, Greece.

A turquoise double door beside a white barrel in a whitewashed wall on Paros.

Turquoise Door

Photographed in Naoussa, Paros, Greece.

A hot-pink wooden door in a whitewashed wall under pink bougainvillea in Naoussa, Paros.

Green Door at the End of a Red Passage

A green door glimpsed through a red arched passage in Rovinj, Croatia.

Red Door in Mdina

A red paneled door in a honey-colored stone wall in Mdina, Malta.

Blue Door with Navy Trim

Photographed in Naoussa, Paros, Greece.

Maya Blue Door

Photographed in the harbor of Naoussa, Paros, Greece.

A black iron door in a white stone frame set into a peeling red wall in Venice.

Venetian Iron Door

Photographed in the Cannaregio neighborhood, Venice.

Green wooden shutters closed over a window in an old stone wall.

Green Wooden Window

Photographed in Piran, Slovenia.

Blue Gate at the Top of the Stairs

White steps climb to a small blue gate in Paros, Greece.

Green Door in a Garden

A green door half hidden by roses and potted plants behind a low lattice fence in Sicily.

A collage of blue doors and shutters set in whitewashed Greek island walls.

Dark red louvered shutters set in a crumbling ochre and blue wall in Anafiotika, Athens.

Red Window

Photographed in Anafiotika, Athens, Greece.

Ochre wooden louvered shutters closed in a whitewashed wall.

Ochre Window

Photographed in Lefkes, Paros, Greece.

Green Door Beside the Shutters

A dark green arched door beside green shutters on a pink wall in Lipari.

Weathered Arched Door in Birgu

A peeling blue-gray arched door in a worn limestone wall in Birgu, Malta.

Climbing cactus across a latticed window with blue shutters in a honey-colored stone wall in Marzamemi, Sicily.

Cactus Window in Marzamemi

A climbing cactus reaches across a latticed window with blue shutters, set in honey-colored stone in Marzamemi, Sicily.

Bronze grille double door beneath a carved stone lintel on a peeling mint-green wall in Marzamemi, Sicily.

Art Deco Door in Marzamemi

A bronze grille door beneath a carved stone lintel, on a mint-green wall in Marzamemi, Sicily.

A green arched water door on a pink Venetian building, with a small motorboat moored in the canal below.

Venetian Doors and Windows

Photographed in the San Marco neighborhood of Venice, Italy.

Green wooden shutters in a stone-framed window on a crumbling red-brick wall in Venice.

Green Wood Window in Venice

Photographed in Cannaregio, Venice, Italy.

Palazzo Castro, a Baroque palazzo in Ragusa, Sicily, with green-shuttered windows over wrought-iron balconies, oval windows and an arched doorway.

Red Balcony and Flower Pots

A red door and window trimmed with flower boxes on a sandstone house in Birgu.

Blue Door in Taormina

A bright blue door under a stone arch, surrounded by potted plants in Taormina.

Olive-yellow louvered shutters set in a pink stucco wall in Rovinj, Croatia.

Yellow-green Window

Photographed in Rovinj, Croatia.

An oval window with an ornate iron grille set in a weathered stucco wall in Venice.

Ancient Venetian Window

Oval window photographed in the Castello neighborhood, Venice, Italy.

A green door framed by an arbor of climbing vines and terracotta planters on a weathered Venetian façade.

Door with Arbor

Photographed in Cannaregio neighborhood, Venice, Italy.

Green shutters opened beside an iron grille window set in an orange wall in Venice.

Green Venetian Window

Photographed in the Dorsoduro neighborhood, Venice, Italy.

Green Vent in a Golden Wall

A small green louvered shutter alone on a sunlit limestone wall in Birgu, Malta.

Red Arched Window in Birgu

A red arched window with saints in the panes under a tiled shrine in Birgu, Malta.

Blue and Yellow Cafe Doors in Lefkes, Greece

Nordic Doors and Windows

There is something special about the colors and design styles of the north, which is often reflected in personal ways in the doors and windows.

A white-framed window in a bright orange wall in Reykjavík, Iceland.

Orange Window

Photographed in Reykjavík, Iceland.

Six small square windows arranged in pairs in a cobalt-blue wall in Reykjavík.

Six Windowlets

Pint-sized windows, photographed in an alley in Reykjavík, Iceland.

Blue Door

Photographed in Reykjavík, Iceland.

Green Door

Green door with classic nordic red corrugated walls.

A red door with red wooden steps on a salmon-pink corrugated house in Reykjavík.

Salmon-pink Exterior and Red Door

Photographed in Reykjavík, Iceland.

A white-framed window with a lace curtain in a slate-blue corrugated wall in Reykjavík.

White Window with Blue Corrugated Walls

Photographed in Reykjavík, Iceland.

An ultramarine blue door with flower boxes on a mint-green corrugated wall in Reykjavík.

Every door is another passage, another boundary we have to go beyond.

Rumi

Yellow Door and Red Door

A yellow door and a red door painted into a green hillside mural in Reykjavík, Iceland.

A white-framed window with curtains in a red corrugated-metal wall in Reykjavík.

White Window

Photographed in Reykjavík, Iceland.

A green-framed window with a lace curtain in a red corrugated-metal wall in Reykjavík.

Narrow Window

Photographed in Reykjavík, Iceland.

A white paneled door with a fanlight, numbered 22, in an ochre-yellow wall with pots of flowers in Reykjavík.

White Door

Photographed in Reykjavík, Iceland.

Two rows of white-framed windows with flower boxes on a bright blue corrugated building in Reykjavík.

A black-framed window in a coral-red wall painted with chalk graffiti.

Window with Graffiti

Photographed in Reykjavík, Iceland.

Tricolored houses in red, white and navy blue with white windows and a small door in Reykjavík.

Tricolored Walls, Doors and Windows

Photographed in Reykjavík, Iceland.

White-paned windows with orange trim on a gray corrugated-metal house above a stone foundation.

A bright yellow door with a pot of yellow flowers on a gray house numbered 22 in Reykjavík.

Yellow Door with Matching Bouquet

Photographed in Reykjavík, Iceland.

Orange Door

Photographed in Reykjavík, Iceland.

A pale blue-framed window with drawn blinds in a hot-pink wall beneath a corrugated roof.

White and Pink Window

Photographed in Reykjavík, Iceland.

A blue-framed white window with a small raven figurine on the sill in a white corrugated wall in Reykjavík.

White Window with Raven Figurine

Photographed in Reykjavík, Iceland.

Bright pink and lime-green corrugated houses side by side in Reykjavík, Iceland.

A white-framed window in a sky-blue wall above a picket fence and pink roses.

Window with Fence

Photographed in Reykjavík, Iceland.

A bright red paneled door with a fanlight between two windows in a gray pebbledash wall in Reykjavík.

Red Door

Photographed in Reykjavík, Iceland.

Urban Doors and Windows

Big stone entryways, graffiti, well worn wood. These are the common themes of the world's urban doors and windows.

A teal double door set in an ornate carved stone doorway in Paris.

Turquoise Door

Photographed in Paris, France.

A green double door beneath an ornate carved stone pediment in Barcelona.

Green Door

Photographed in Barcelona.

A pink Georgian door with a cream fanlight and columns in a brick wall in Dublin, Ireland.

Georgian Door with Fanlight

Photographed in Dublin, Ireland.

Red double doors set within a Romanesque stone archway with carved columns and decorative capitals at St. Andrew's Church in Dublin, Ireland.

St. Andrew’s Church Door

Photographed in Dublin, Ireland.

A green louvered window covered in graffiti on a weathered wall in Athens.

Green Window

Photographed in Athens, Greece.

A dark blue door and shuttered window in a faded pink wall in Athens.

Old Door and Window

Photographed in Athens, Greece.

A shop's rolling metal shutter painted with a graffiti face and lettering in Barcelona.

Shop Door

Photographed in Barcelona.

A massive dark wooden medieval door studded with iron fittings and arched windows in Barcelona.

Middle Ages Doors

Doors preserved from the Middle Ages, photographed in Barcelona.

Carved blue-gray church door beneath an ornate Baroque stone portal and steps in Modica, Sicily.

Baroque Church Door in Modica

A carved blue-gray door beneath an ornate portal in Modica, one of the Baroque towns of Sicily’s Val di Noto.

Black and green doors marked with graffiti in a crumbling limestone alley in Modica, Sicily.

Alleyway Doors in Modica

Two tagged doors, one black and one green, in a crumbling limestone alley in Modica, Sicily.

Graffiti Garage Door

A white door cut into a garage door buried in graffiti in Reykjavík, Iceland.

Victorian Shopfront in Dublin

A teal shopfront with fan-shaped windows and carved trim in Dublin, Ireland.

A small carmine door and shuttered windows in a yellow wall in Anafiotika, Athens.

A blue double door under a carved stone pediment in a stone wall in Barcelona.

Steel and Stone Entryway

Photographed in a petit courtyard in Barcelona.

A weathered green double door under a faded "Carretti" sign in an arched stone doorway in Palermo.

Arched Door in Palermo

Green-painted wooden door, photographed in Palermo, Sicily.

A wooden door covered in orange and black graffiti in a stone wall in Barcelona.

Unless you call out, who will open the door?

Ethiopian Proverb

A glossy red double door beneath an ornate carved stone surround on a Paris building.

Imperial Red Door

Photographed in Paris.

The orange-framed doorway of the Supermercat Queen, a small corner store stocked with bottles, in Barcelona.

Convenience Store Door

Photographed in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.

A tall red arched door between shopfronts in a cream Haussmann building in Paris.

A turquoise metal door with peeling paint in a light blue cinderblock wall in Forest Grove, Oregon.

Commercial Facility Door

Photographed in Forest Grove, Oregon.

A black-and-white stenciled figure pasted inside a recessed window in a rough concrete wall.

Window Frame on Abandoned Property

Photographed in Reykjavík, Iceland.

Shutters and Spray Paint

Dark shutters lettered “TEMA” above a wall of spray paint in Paros, Greece.

An arched door covered in colorful graffiti set in a stone wall.

Arched Door with Graffiti

Photographed in Barcelona.

The carved wooden door set in the ornate stone Baroque portal of the Cathedral of Lima, Peru.

Cathedral Door

Cathedral of Lima door, photographed in the Plaza Mayor, Lima, Peru.

Narrow graffiti-covered door beside an iron-grilled window in a rough stone wall in Palermo, Sicily.

Graffiti on an Old Palermo Wall

A narrow tagged door beside an iron-grilled window, set in rough stone in Palermo, Sicily.

Green metal door covered in graffiti and torn posters in a pale ochre wall in Palermo, Sicily.

Graffiti Door in Palermo

Spray paint and posters layered over a green metal door in a pale ochre wall in Palermo, Sicily.

A boy in a hat walking past an ornate barred window on a pale blue colonial façade in Lima, Peru.

Downtown Window

Photographed in Lima, Peru.

A pale yellow wooden door with a paned window in a brick wall beside blue gas pipes and meters in Bend, Oregon.

Alley Door

Photographed in Bend, Oregon.

A dark green door and iron gate beside a wall covered in graffiti in Athens.

A studded, patterned metal door beneath Gothic stone tracery at Barcelona Cathedral.

Santa Maria del Mar Door

Catalan Gothic cathedral door, photographed in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.

A dark wooden door within a carved stone Renaissance portal at the cathedral in Mérida, Yucatán.

Cathedral Door

Photographed in Mérida, Mexico.

Far Eastern Doors and Windows

The doors and windows of Asia blend stark modernism, intricate wood carvings, latticework, and bold colors with symbolic motifs of nature and spirituality.

A window detail from a palace in Seoul, South Korea includes rich, colorful details and green windowshades.

Green Palace Window

Photographed at Changdeokgung Palace in Seoul, South Korea.

Door in the Haebangchon neighborhood of Seoul, South Korea

Door in Haebangchon

Intricately designed black and gold door in Haebangchon, Seoul, stands out against a vibrant teal wall with murals of trees and flying birds.

A narrow, weathered door in an Euljiro alley in Seoul, surrounded by colorful, densely packed Korean signage advertising printing, name tag, and seal services. The small storefront is cluttered with layered posters and old utility meters, capturing the gritty, industrious charm of the neighborhood.

Euljiro Alley Door

Photographed in Euljiro Neighborhood, Seoul, South Korea.

A faded green wooden double door framed in red beneath a painted roof at Changdeokgung Palace, Seoul.

Changdeokgung Palace Door

Photographed in Jongno-gu District, Seoul, South Korea.

Traditional Korean Lattice Window

Photographed at Changdeokgung Palace in Seoul, South Korea.

Wooden Folding Doors

I photographed these traditional wooden doors with intricate iron hinges at Changdeokgung Palace in Seoul, South Korea.

A gray metal door with patterned glass panels in a brown tile wall near Bukchon Hanok Village, Seoul.

Bukchon Door

A contemporary door photographed near the Bukchon Hanok Village in Seoul, South Korea.

A contemporary door in the Bukchon area of Seoul

Contemporary Seoul Door

Photographed in the Bukchon neighborhood of Seoul.

A wooden-framed window with iron grilles in a timbered wall above a brick base in a hanok house in Seoul.

The window is the soul's eye, revealing the world beyond, yet also reflecting the mind within.

Anonymous

Green doors at Jeongsusa Temple on Ganghwa Island

These green doors at the great hall of the small Jeongsusa Temple on Ganghwa Island in South Korea feature lotus munsal motifs are considered a national treasure.

Door and Window Details

The details you find in doorknobs, locks and latches tell many stories. Here are some of the door details I've collected along the way.

Close-up of an ornate wrought-iron door grille with a lion's face at its center in Paris.

Iron Lion Detail

Photographed in Paris, France.

Blue Iron Door Details

Painted blue iron door details, photographed in Paris, France.

A lion-head door knocker with a ring on a pale blue wooden door in the Aegean.

Lion Knocker on Aegean-colored Door

Photographed in Naoussa, Paros, Greece.

A rusted padlock and old latch on a peeling blue door in Lefkes, Paros.

Rusted Door Lock

Photographed in Lefkes, Paros, Greece.

Rusted iron slide bolt and lock plate on a weathered, patched wooden door in Palermo, Sicily.

Iron Door Latch in Palermo

A rusted iron slide bolt and lock plate on a patched, weathered wooden door in Palermo, Sicily.

Iron bolts, hasps and a padlock layered on a dented sheet-metal door in Palermo, Sicily.

Old Door Lock in Palermo

Layers of iron bolts, hasps and a padlock on a dented sheet-metal door in Palermo, Sicily.

Face Knocker in Birgu

A brass knocker with a woman's face on a mustard door in Birgu, Malta.

Padlock on Orange Planks

A small padlock and lock on a cracked orange wooden door in Sicily.

A blue weathered wooden door with two round locks and a latch in Trinidad, Cuba.

Blue Door Handle

Blue door handle found in Trinidad, Cuba.

A carved bronze door knocker shaped like a man's face holding a ring in its mouth, on a wooden door in Barcelona.

Human Head Door Knocker

Photographed in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.

Bronze Lion Head Door Knocker

Photographed in Erice, Sicily.

Lion Head Door Knocker

Photographed in Trapani, Sicily.

Pharaoh-head door knocker painted bright blue to match its door in Palermo, Sicily.

Egyptian Door Knocker

A pharaoh’s head, painted the same bright blue as its door, in Palermo, Sicily.

Iron lion-head door knocker on a sun-faded ochre wooden door in Modica, Sicily.

Lion Knocker in Modica

An iron lion-head knocker on a sun-faded ochre door in Modica, Sicily.

Ring Knocker on a Green Door

An iron ring knocker and lever handle on weathered green planks in Sicily.

Lock Plate and Keypad in Seoul

An ornate brass lock plate below a modern digital lock on a wooden door in Seoul.

A cast-metal door knocker shaped like a human head with curling hair on a weathered brown door.

Be sure to put the knocker fairly low on your door in case a very small friend drops by.

Anonymous, often attributed to A.A. Milne

A brass lever handle on an ornate backplate on a green door.

Green Door and Handle

Photographed in Reykjavík, Iceland.

A rusty hasp and brass padlock on a weathered green wooden door in Croatia.

Iron Ring Pulls in Seoul

Twin iron ring pulls and flower studs on a varnished wooden door in Seoul.

Dolphin Knocker

A brass dolphin knocker on a pale green door in Birgu, Malta.

A rusted lion-head door knocker with a ring on a weathered, peeling blue-green door.

Blue Door with Rusted Lion Door Knocker

Photographed in Venice, Italy.

Two iron ring pulls on a studded, gray-painted medieval door in Venice.

Medieval Door Details

Photographed in Venice, Italy.

Old black door with iron studs, a small grilled peephole and a scrolled iron hinge in Palermo, Sicily.

Studded Door in Palermo

A small grilled peephole, rows of iron studs and a scrolled hinge on an old black door in Palermo, Sicily.

A round brass lock on a glossy teal door in Istria.

Istrian Door Details

Photographed in Rovinj, Istria, Croatia.

A brass lever handle and ornate latch on a weathered green wooden door in Istria, Croatia.

Green Door in Istria

Photographed in Rovinj, Istria, Croatia.

Lion Knocker in Venice

A brass lion knocker with a heavy ring on a dark wooden door in Venice.

Carved Acanthus on a Blue Door

Raised plaster leaves and an old iron key handle on a weathered blue door in Havana, Cuba.

A chain and padlock through a hole in a weathered green and brown wooden door in Sicily.

A brass keyhole lock on a weathered door with peeling layers of gray and yellow paint in Sicily.

Keyhole on Weather-worn Door

Photographed in Cefalù, Sicily.

Close-up of a faded blue wooden door with rusted studs and painted numbers in Marrakech.

Weathered Arched Door Details

Photographed in Marrakech, Morocco.

Close-up of a rusted, peeling blue metal door with a padlocked latch in Marrakech.

Blue Door Details

Photographed in Marrakech, Morocco.

A weathered wooden door with peeling turquoise and blue paint in Trapani, Sicily.

Door Detail in Trapani

Weathered door, photographed in Trapani, Sicily.

Twin Lion Knockers in Seoul

Two iron lion heads with rings on a weathered blue-gray gate in Seoul.

Mermaid Doorknob

A ceramic knob painted with a mermaid inside a wooden ring in Birgu, Malta.

Close-up of a weathered metal door in Sicily, with rusted hasps, a padlock and flaking blue and gold paint.

Iron chain-link door pulls and studs on a dark metal double door in Habana Vieja, Havana.

Door Detail in Havana

Photographed in Havana, Cuba.

An ornate brass keyhole plate on a dark, scratched wooden paneled door.

Gold-colored Keyhole

Photographed in Havana, Cuba.

A cast-iron lion-head door knocker on a dark, weathered door in Havana.

Iron Door Knocker

Lion-themed door knocker, photographed in Havana, Cuba.

Turned wooden balusters in the panel of a weathered green door in Habana Vieja, Havana.

Wood Door Detail

Photographed in Habana Vieja, Cuba.

Rusted Lion Knockers

Two lion-head knockers and a padlock on a rust-red metal gate in Seoul.

Korean Door Hardware

Iron plates and ring pulls across two weathered wooden doors in Seoul.

Ornate cast iron door knocker on a deep blue wooden door in Senglea, Malta, featuring a stylized Green Man face with flowing leaf-like hair and beard, flanked by curled decorative elements and a scallop-shaped strike plate.

Green Man Door Knocker

These traditional door knockers from European mythology represent a part man, part plant creature, who guards over this Maltese home in Senglea.

Polished brass elephant-shaped doorknob mounted on a vivid blue door in Birgu, Malta, featuring a long downward-curving trunk and stylized sunburst or crown motif above its head.

Elephant Door Knob

Malta has a tradition of marine-influenced doorknobs like dolphins, fish and starfish. This whimsical elephant mimics those traditional doorknobs.

A bronze door knocker shaped like a man's bust in a waistcoat on a dark red door in Venice.

Doorman Door Knocker

Photographed in Venice, Italy.

An ornate silver door knocker with a lion's head and a mask on an orange-red Venetian door.

Venetian Lion Door Knocker

Photographed in Venice, Italy.

Ornate black iron ring door knocker on a bold red wooden door in Mdina, Malta, mounted on a decorative diamond-shaped iron backplate with intricate cutouts and small raised rivets.

Iron Ring Knocker

This door knocker from Mdina, Malta is of classic Moorish and Mediterranean style.

Hand-painted ceramic door knob on a green wooden door in Birgu, Malta, featuring a traditional eight-pointed Maltese Cross encircled by a laurel wreath and bordered with red and blue scrollwork.

Maltese Cross Ceramic Doorknob

This doorknob from Birgu, Malta features the handpainted Maltese cross with hand-painted scrollwork.

Hammered Iron Plate

A round studded iron plate on wooden planks in Seoul, South Korea.

Fish Door Pull

A fish-shaped latch and iron ring on an old wooden door in Seoul.

Close-up of a weathered, peeling blue wooden door with rusty nail heads and an iron ring handle.

Close-up of a decorative iron hinge on a teal-painted door.

Blue-green Door Hinge

Photographed in Reykjavík, Iceland.

A rusted iron grille and padlock on a peeling green and white wooden door in Mérida.

Green Door Details

Photographed in Mérida, Yucatán.