In popular parlance these days, the expression "Shut up!" has come to signify disbelief, awe, wonder, and other such amazements, replacing the more familiar exclamations, "Oh my god" "Holy cow!" "No way!" when confronted with someone who has just uttered an unbelievably bad, good, lucky, or inane statement or, similarly, performed some impressive or dubious feat.
For the more verbally exuberant, though perhaps vocabulary-challenged, a certain eff-word, combined with "the," is often inserted between "shut" and "up" thus lending even more emphasis. However, for more polite exclaimers, or those who don't wish to be "bleeped" while expressing themselves on television, "Shut the eff-word up!" has transmogrified into "
Shut the front door!"
As I recently experienced considerable awe and wonder when confronted by numerous firmly closed, brilliantly hued front doors in Halifax, I could think of no more fitting hymn of praise to them than
SHUT THE FRONT DOOR!
Take a tour with me and you'll see what I mean.
It is, apparently, very good
feng shui to have a red front door.
Lots of juicy yang engergy, especially useful if you live near a hospital.
The main doors should look strong, be large--though in suitable proportion to the house size,
and make a bold statement.
Although the example above is making a distinct statement,
it is still rather plain-spoken
whereas this entrance compensates for its modest door expression
with an impressively colourful foreign accent.
Colour schemes for the entrances are often contrasts of hot with cool in unusual combinations.
Some decorators choose to temper the contrast with a neutral hue between the hot and cool colours.
This is a very grand entrance with its wide double doors, intricate Celtic-themed details, stairs leading up to it,
windows to let the light in, a hand railing (though a second one would be better), and a visually interesting, as well as structurally strong, combination of brick and wood.
What other entrances lack in size,
they make up for with charm.
This door seems rather overpowered by the big house looming over it, but it's doing its best to be strong with its bright colour. Personally, I think a lime green or unexpected lilac might make more of a statement.
We'll finish up our tour of doors with this heritage house entryway, just waiting to get its colour groove on!
What colour would you paint it?
Really??? Shut the front door!!!