There is a strange habit in Ireland in relation to the use of a house’s front door. Apparently, most people don’t feel comfortable to use it, they feel like they are being too snobbish or something, and to avoid this they prefer using the back door when visiting family or friends. Furthermore, even homeowners rarely use their own front door, they would argue it is more practical and less formal.
As a designer I struggle to find a solution for this. I just don’t want my very well thought-through beautiful entrance to be underappreciated and taken over by the back door. And I surely cannot design a house without a front door.
I don’t understand why someone would prefer to come through the back door and see all the messy laundry, muddy boots, cat litter, etc, instead of coming through the main door and appreciate a welcoming entrance hall.
I know you are going to tell me what this lady says (00:35:43 Room to Improve Series 5, programme 2) but does it make sense? Not to me!
The front door is your main access to your house, you certainly have spent some money and time to make the entrance hall look welcoming and inviting, so why not use it? And why not do the same if you are visiting someone else’s house? Just break the habit, life is too short not to enjoy every living moment and every living space!
Posted by Isabel Barros
Isabel Barros Architects - Wexford is driven by a passion for creating high quality contemporary Architecture. Our goal is to make good design available to the general public while maintaining a strong focus on the energy efficiency and sustainability of our designs.
A graduate of Lusíada University in Lisbon, Portugal, Isabel is a Senior Architect with over 20 years experience. She is a registered member of both the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) and the Portuguese Association of Architects. Isabel is also Accredited in Conservation at Grade 3.
