At some point in the past, the singer Prince decided he wouldn’t have a name. He became known as “The artist formerly known as Prince.” How is that not a name? I thought a riff on it would be fun for the title of this post which features the door to our house in South Euclid, Ohio. (Eventually, Prince went back to being Prince. Good move.)
Although we didn’t know when we bought it, our house had historical significance. Here’s a short article about it and a photo of the house, a photo taken when we were actually living there. If you look on the left side of the entryway (as you look at it), that’s our windsock.
The house was designed by Charles Bacon Rowley and built in 1932 by the Ferro Corporation. It was the first of its kind in the world: a steel-framed house covered with dark brown porcelain enamel shingles. By the time we purchased it, there was siding over the shingles. The original windows were still there: single-pane casement windows that either wouldn’t open or wouldn’t completely close. We replaced them all, a rather large cost we didn’t expect when buying the house.
This is, however, a door challenge. All the doorways were extra-wide, which the movers loved, and our front door would never have been kicked in by the police! The rose bush was purchased for $1.99 at a store called Just Closeouts and grew into this giant, flower-covered beauty. Every year I had to cut it back, as it tended to head for the roof at a rapid rate and, for some reason, a few of the flowers were pink, rather than the deep red of the rest of them. This was our front door for 27 of the first 28 years of our marriage.
This, that and the other thing 
A very neat take on this week’s challenge. I like your door. It has a lot of personality. I bet the whole house did. I know sometimes those old houses have lots of challenges of a different kind (mine certainly does), but there’s personality there that I never seem to find in newer, more accommodating structures.
Sandra, the house had an enormous amount of personality and charm. As you say, there were a couple of challenges, but I loved it very much. Our current rental house built in the mid-70’s has, for all it’s relative newness, very little charm/personality and plenty of weird issues as well.
janet
The construction story is [pretty interesting, Janet. The casement windows that wouldn’t open or completely close strike a little too close to home. We, too have replaced those, at large expense and with much effort.
We had no idea that replacement windows were so expensive. The problem in this house was that all the windows were very large, which was wonderful in most way, but quite costly to replace. There were also 8 of them on each floor!
janet
We found structural problems once we removed the windows 😦 Remodeling is never a walk in the park.
That’s for sure, Dan.
Handsome door, but I’d really like the rose bush. 🙂
The screen door wasn’t anything special. The actual door was plain and strong. But as you say, the rose bush was something else.
janet
Despite the history, the rose bush is the strong point. Did it ever form a complete arch over the door?
No, but only because I had to cut it back. It kept getting into places it shouldn’t have been.
janet
A very pretty and welcoming front door. 🙂
Thanks, Marje. Appreciate it.
janet
:))
Lovely door.
Our 32 year-old windows are all odd sizes that will require custom work when we eventually have to change them too. I shudder to think what it will cost. But for now everything still works fine and they all seal properly so… *fingers crossed*
My wife will be jealous when I show her that rose bush 🙂
It was an amazing bush, especially for the price. 🙂 Good luck with the windows! We had 16 that were 84″ wide and two different lengths. That was a lot of window to replace.
janet
What a lovely door to come home to every day! It must have been hard to leave.
I loved that house and yes, it was difficult to leave.
janet
Love those roses. I can almost smell them.
They weren’t the kind that smelled unfortunately. So many hybrids don’t. But they were certainly beautiful.
janet
Ah, so that’s why I couldn’t get a scent. 😉
If they’d had a scent, it would have been even more amazing. But so few roses these days seem to. Sad.
janet
Lovely roses! And a fascinating door. Doors have such metaphorical significance, especially those on our homes. 🙂 Su
That was quite a rose bush. The door was the door to our first house and one we really loved.
janet
What a pretty entrance, Janet. That rose bush was such good value. 🙂
It was an unbeatable value, that’s for sure, and beautiful, too.
janet
That rose bush is AMAZING! What an overachiever!! 😉
So true, Joanne. 🙂
janet
I also love wide doors:) Wow, the rosebush is a beautiful punch of color! Well done in the decorating department!
Thanks, Jesh. I never expected the bush to be so stunning.
janet
Thanks for inviting us into your house via your door under the rose bush. When you mentioned screen door and windows it made me remember of our travels through Europe during the past 4 years; it appears that European homes in Sweden, Norway, Germany, Czech Republic, France, Italy, Monaco (I hope I haven’t forgotten some countries) do not have screen doors or window screens and the mosquitos and bees tend to make themselves at home. I wonder why they don’t use window screens because the buzz of the mosquitos at night makes it difficult to get a good night’s sleep. Guess we are lucky we live in America.
Although I haven’t been to some of the places you mention, I don’t recall any place in Europe that had screens and many don’t have AC, either. My s-i-l in France has something you plug into the outlet and is supposed to keep bugs away. These days, the buzzing of mosquitoes isn’t the biggest problem, the possible diseases they carry is.
janet
The past few years have been really hot in Europe and we traveled during the summer so we had to look for accommodations that included AC (screens would have been nice to open the windows but no such luck).
Some years ago, we were visiting in Provence and there was a heat wave. The only place anywhere nearby that had AC was a mall. It was packed and ice cream was sold out everywhere. It was so hot, we had to switch from red wine to rosé. 🙂
Love the whole scene! The door, walkway, overhang and of course the rose bush. So pretty!
Thanks, Deb. I thought it looked inviting, the way a front door should. Glad you agree. I loved the paving stone walkway, too.
janet
The roses framing the door and the little portico over it look so pretty, and inviting.
8 windows on each floor! Yes, that would be an expensive home improvement. In my entire house there are 8 windows.
And 8 very large windows. They were, however, one of the appealing parts of the house when we first saw it, sunshine pouring in. 🙂
janet
Lots of light especially in Ohio winters would be very welcome!
Very true. And as we had a lot of very tall, mature trees, it wasn’t overwhelmingly hot in summer. We also had window treatments!
Not being too hot in summer is really nice and I love having trees in the yard for that. We had to remove our mature Ash that was in a corner of the backyard b/c it got too tall and into the power lines and caused more than few power outages in the winters.
I miss it’s shade, and branches still. But, the previous owner of our house didn’t think it through when purchasing that type of tree. It really was too large for our space with the power lines running across our backyard.
Trees don’t help with the humidity though do they? How in the world do you beat that? I don’t do well in very humid climates.
We had to have one of the front trees removed, but moved before any other one needed work, although we had them trimmed when needed. Our rental house here doesn’t have any large trees around it at all. It’s a mixed blessing: no shade but no leaves on the roof to worry about.
I grew up in Nebraska, which is hot and humid often in summer, so I guess I’m used to it.
I guess that’s the thing…one needs to get used to it. I haven’t. California has little to no humidity. I love that!
Although, I will say that the humidity level in Oahu was perfect for my naturally curly hair, and I wasn’t uncomfortable. It was October when I visited so who knows in June the humidity may be awful and my hair wouldn’t curl perfectly, just frizz. 🙂 My hair was perfect beginning the second day while on that trip. No frizz, and perfect curls. I’ve never forgotten it. I think of it as a gift to have had perfect curls just once in my lifetime. 🙂
The rose climber really enhances the door. I went to the link but it came up as “this page no longer exists”
Hmmm, thanks. I’ll check on it and fix it.
It is working now. Interesting article but a strange comment from Justin!!!
Pauline, I’m glad you enjoyed the article. I didn’t read the comments, but there are almost always strange and/or obnoxious comments at the end of internet articles, so I tend to stop with the article itself.
janet
How odd. But I re-did it, then tested it and the link now works. It worked originally, so I don’t know what happened.
I will pop over and try it again.
Beautiful flowers!
And from such humble beginnings. 🙂
janet
This door has a lot of character, and I love the red rose bush!
The entire house had character and all those little decorative touches that these days cost lots of extra money.
janet