It was the autumn colours that initially caught my eye as the car came to a halt in traffic, on a recent road trip. After snapping a shot of those lovely copper and gold coloured leaves I thought there was something unusual about the house in the background. Fake windows and door. Further along the street there was another one.
Would you have known they were fake if I hadn’t told you? I’m sure there are some ‘real’ Thursday Doors over on Norm’s blog, have a look at the links in the comments at the end of his post.
Jean Reinhardt 
Those are trippy. Why would you put fake windows and doors on a building? But in answer to your question, no I would never have known they weren’t real if you hadn’t told me.
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They do that a lot here so places don’t look too derelict. I think it looks better than being boarded up, especially when a street has a lot of empty buildings in a row. From a distance they always seem pretty real.
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Fooled me, Jean. They look real.
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Almost fooled me too, Jack
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I would not have known they were fake! Good replicas and wonder why or who put them there
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I suppose they cheer up an empty building.
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That makes sense – and provide a homey neighborhood vibe (sand they were painted well)
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I thought they were real Jean! I’m with you they look so much better than being boarded up!
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They probably prevent vandalism, like broken windows. I’ve never seen any graffiti on empty buildings with fake windows and doors.
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It would be totally you to take some shots here, because as a writer you create a world of your own in your books. To give you a short update, I was well on my way, but the electrical outages distracted me completely for 6 weeks or so. Yesterday was the first time I added some text! The biggest hindrance now is that nothing is compelling me to get finished, edited, and publish. Is that common, or?
Wonder why they make fake windows and doors – to beautify? Or prevent vandalism?
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Both, I think, Jesh. To make pretty and discourage vandalism. As for writing, it’s very common to feel as you do. It’s like you suddenly run out of steam. I’m like that at the moment. What helped me in the past was to start another creative project so that I could go between the two. When I first started writing I worked on two books at the same time, two completely different genres and it worked. When I hit a wall on one I would turn my attention to the other. I think I’ll have to do that again soon.
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Thanks for letting me know this is normal- when it keeps happening -you think, maybe this is not what I am cut out for, even more so because I was able to go to the end of a doctorate, I should be able to do this. Thanks for telling me what works for you:):)
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I would have never guessed, Jean.
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🙂
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Wow, I bet that’s an interesting idea. My son works for a neighborhood redevelopment program that tries to rehab neighborhoods and keep them from failing. I wonder if they’ve thought of this.
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I’m not sure how expensive it is to do this but it really does seem to discourage vandalism.
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Here’s a link that might be of interest to your son. https://www.naiop.org/en/Magazine/2015/Spring-2015/Development-Ownership/Changing-the-Face-of-Vacant-Buildings
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I’ve definitely not seen anything like these before, but I think they look much better than just a blank wall. Kudos to whomever had the idea and executed it so well.
janet
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There are lots of them here, Janet. They mustn’t cost too much or there wouldn’t be so many.
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Nice (fake) doors and windows finds, Jean! The artist is good; they really look like the teal deal!
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Thank you 🙂
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I love this post! I remember the ‘fake’ window shots I took when visiting Ireland. These are terrific, and I thank you for the memories and the smile.
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I’m delighted they brought back some nice memories of your trip here, Judy.
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Haha fake windows and doors…. what’s their reason, do you know, Jean?
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To take the empty look off them, and they seem to deter vandalism.
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Well, I guess that’s a good idea. 👍🏼
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These are right up there with some of the best fake doors and windows I have seen. From these shots it really is hard to tell.
Great finds Jean 🙂
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My guess: The reason these look like real windows is because they are real windows. The woodwork has weather flashing all the way ’round, something probably you’d not bother to do unless the frame actually penetrates the masonry. A full sill sits beneath each window, and each frame has a central weep-hole at the bottom to drain moisture. Apparently, instead of curtains, the inside of each window has been sealed off with a decorated panel for privacy and draft-prevention. If these are fake, then much kudos to the artist for adding what appears to be a genuine structural crack typical of what is found where a window penetrates masonry.
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If you zoom in you can see studs around the door and windows, which makes me think they’re fake. I’ll have to stop the car next time and take a closer look.
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Yes, I saw the studs/screws, 5 per window, oddly. I assumed they were to hold the flashing in place or to hold the woodwork against the masonry beneath the flashing. Please let us know what you find.
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I did a bit more research and it seems in 2013 funding was made available to town councils and community groups in the north of Ireland to have false house and shop fronts fitted to empty or derelict buildings. This was to pretty up shabby streets in preparation for the 39th G8 which was held in County Fermanagh. In the village of Bushmills (where the whiskey comes from) the painted shop fronts apparently increased tourism quite a bit. On my next trip up there, I’ll get some close up photos. Might even do a tour of the distillery, too.
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Wow, they certainly don’t look fake. Love the fall colors!
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My favourite time of year, Brenda.
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I was 100% fooled! I did think that first door was very shiny for the space, and reckoned it was new. The second set, it’s even harder to see the fakery! Great share!
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The studs around the framework are a subtle giveaway, Joey.
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I’d take photos and post them and still wouldn’t know. :p My eyesight isn’t the keenest. Naughty people.
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I’m sure a sharp-eyed visitor to your blog would soon tell you, lol.
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