Enchanting European Architectural Antique and Vintage Doors & Gates
Do you love old doors and gates? If the answer is yes and you’re ready for some serious inspiration, check out these antique and vintage doors and gates I found when vacationing in Europe.
I’m sharing something a little different for my vintage-inspired post this month.
My monthly vintage post usually shows you vintage finds and how I use them, or some of my favorite stores where I go thrifting.
But I found SO MANY antique and vintage doors and gates throughout our European trip! And they were so whimsical, unique, and downright charming. I knew you would love seeing them.
I will be referring to these European doors and gates as antiques and vintage, but obviously I can’t be 100% sure how old they really are. But for the sake of this post, let’s just assume they are very old.
European Antique & Vintage Doors
There is a distinctive charm when it comes to European architecture.
Arched Doors and Doorways
I couldn’t believe how many arched vintage doors I found in both Italy and Greece. They all looked similar but the colors were what really made the doors stand out.
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I love this shade of yellow.
Here’s a wooden door with a neutral color but what made it special to me was the hardware.
The patina door handles here are extraordinary.
A curved door painted black is quite a classic look in Europe.
This shade of kelly green is stunning! Look at the door handle.
The stone archway is just the kind of detail that makes this green curved door look even more fabulous.
This was one of the few wooden doors that I saw that wasn’t painted a bright color.
The architecture in Europe is so unique and this wall that surrounded the door was no exception. I love the mixture of stone and brick.
Incorporating Glass and Transom Windows into Vintage Doors
How do you add even more character to an already gorgeous vintage curved door? Add a transom window above the door.
Here’s a bold transom window design.
Rather than a glass transom window, this door had iron added above instead.
This one has both the glass and the iron. Love it!
Incorporating Glass Into a Door
I also saw a lot of glass incorporated into doors like this.
Don’t you LOVE this color? So many different details went into making this vintage door.
Don’t you love the rusty flowers on this door?
It’s all about the details on this door.
Greek Rectangular Vintage Doors
When you’re in Greece, a basic rectangular door still looks amazing!
Not only were there a lot of beautiful blue doors in Mykonos but window shutters as well.
There were few red doors in Greece but I actually loved this one.
This pretty purple door and balcony are so charming, aren’t they?
Even the windows in Mykonos have special details like this one with the added iron.
Beyond Chippy Vintage Glass Doors in Italy
I found some serious chippiness when it came to these vintage doors in Italy.
This door is close to reaching the point of no return above. It’s pretty trashed.
It was hard to miss the vintage iron fencing on the balcony.
Antique and Vintage European Iron Gates
I saw so many gates in Europe, especially on the island of Capri, Italy.
I loved this gate design…very dramatic.
A simple gate gets a huge wow because of these columns and tile details.
I’m loving the birds here on this gate.
I absolutely LOVE the design of this one.
Green seemed to be the favorite color for an iron gate in Italy.
The same color gate can look so different depending on the design. This one has a lot going on.
This door is very simple. Look at all the rusty goodness.
Look at the different detailing on each of these gates.
Now we come to my favorite iron gate. It could be the color. It could be the garden behind the gate. I found this gorgeous spot in Capri, Italy.
I hope these European vintage doors and gates inspired you. They sure inspired me.
Until next time,
Happy Vintage Inspiration!
More Vintage Inspiration from My Blogging Buddies
Make sure you click on each of these blogger links below to see more vintage inspiration.
Stacy from Bricks ‘n Blooms is sharing how to thrift for a vintage aesthetic.
Jennifer from Cottage on Bunker Hill is sharing how to add whimsy to your garden with vintage finds.
Amber from Follow the Yellow Brick Home is sharing her favorite thrifted garden treasures.
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OK, I just remembered I got an error message when I was commenting last week…and then of course forgot to check back later because I can’t remember a thing anymore!!
All the architecture is just so incredible because of the age of everything, I’m so glad you put together an album for us to drool over! I love the gate with all the terra cotta pots filled with flowers in the background…so effortless!!
Oh my gosh, I wonder why there was an error message. Too weird. They have the coolest architecture in Europe Jennifer. It was so fun to see it in person.
Kim, as I am reading your post I am thinking how much we are alike. I just LOVE taking pictures of doors, windows and shutters when I travel. I may even have an old blog post about the ones I photographed in Old Town, Alexandria, VA. The charm, history and beauty of European towns just cannot be replicated. Thanks for sharing this glimpse of your trip…it feels like a mini-vacation.
I had so much fun seeing all the old architecture Mary. Talk about charming! I have been to Alexandria and had such a wonderful time there as well. We definitely are alike!
I loved the gates and doors…they add so much character but I am still oohing and aching over your picture with Mt. Rainier in the background. Mother Nature at her finest! Peace.
Thank you, Cindi. It’s pretty terrific when you don’t even need to leave on a trip to witness such beauty as Mt. Rainier. So grateful.
Kim,
I love old doors and these are just stunning. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Rachel. It was like Christmas over there for a vintage junkie like me. So much to see.
Kim this post is just magical! How lucky you are to have experienced such a trip and take in all of this beauty! I have a whole Pinterest board dedicated to these kinds of doors and gates, so I am pinning away! I can’t pick a favorite!
Beautiful photos!
It was such a great experience, Amber. I was like a kid in a candy factory as they say. What a great idea. I need to start a board for vintage doors and gates too. Thank you for pinning.
Kim Wow! Look at all of those cool doors and gates! Wouldn’t they be spectacular in your garden? When I was in Texas, there was a vendor that had SO MANY gates and vintage dorrs like that. So so cool.
Yes, I would have taken any of these home with me Stacy! A Texas shopping spree is definitely on my bucket list.