Social media is suffocating. Amidst all the sales and negativity, beautiful accounts like Front Doors of Annapolis shine like an oasis in a desert. I got to sit down with the Front Door Fanatic on a beautiful Wednesday afternoon at Forward Brewing in Eastport.
There's no name attached to the account, so we'll call the owner Kate. In 12 weeks, Kate built a following of over 1,000 raving fans. We actually met the day she crossed 1,000. Her posts get hundreds of likes, dozens of comments, and sometimes even attract comments from brands like Party City!
2022 revisit: Front Doors of Annapolis now has almost 5,000 followers!
Whether it's the pithy captions—likely from Kate's time at BuzzFeed and CollegeHumor—or the pastel shingles, there's magic in the Front Doors account. And I wanted to find out what it was.
What was your inspiration for the account?
The real answer is lame. The nice answer is I love this town. But the real answer is I had to test Instagram ads for work. So I thought, "What's a dummy account that I won't care about" because I didn't want to run ads on my personal account. And then I really started getting into it.
I'm a big runner and I just moved back to Annapolis a few months ago. So I'm running all over town and I'd stop mid-run and say, "It's so cute!" and take a bunch of pictures. My camera was full of creepy house pictures... I'm like creeping on houses all the time.
How long have you lived in town?
I grew up here. I went to Severn for high school then college in Philly, moved to New York, LA, and then DC. I would have come back to Annapolis eventually but COVID expedited my return.
What's your favorite style of house?
I'm such a city person. I love all those tiny townhouses right off Main Street. They feel like you're at a good intersection of modern vibrant city life but also what people were doing in the 1800s. They don't always photograph well though.
Do you think you'll ever run out of doors?
I don't think I'll ever run out. There's so many houses and I can go back and shoot in all different seasons.
Has anyone ever asked what the heck you're doing?
I'm waiting for this to happen because it inevitably will. Nobody has ever walked out their front door or leaned out their window and been like, "What are you doing?!" But people give me shady looks all the time. I mean it does look like I'm casing houses to rob them.
1,000 followers in 3 months. Are you surprised by that?
I knew it was going to be good. If there had been another awesome account of real estate, I wouldn't have done it.
Quick Questions
What's your favorite color for a front door?
I like a bold color.
Do you have a favorite house?
I'm always excited about the next one.
String lights or candles/torches?
I have string lights in my backyard.
Front porch or back?
Front.
Door knocker or doorbell?
I love a crab door knocker.
Garage or carport?
Carports are so rare but I love a carport. Editor's fun fact: the carport was invented by Frank Lloyd Wright.
Dining room or eat-in kitchen?
Both.
One story house or multiple?
Multiple, although I grew up in a rancher. I grew up in a one story thinking all the rich people had a set of stairs in their house.
Downtown or Eastport?
I need to take more pictures of Eastport...
Favorite restaurant in the city?
Sailor Oyster Bar. I walk there from my house. It reminds of New York. It's so cool.
Get involved
Make sure you follow Front Doors of Annapolis on Instagram. And if you want to send in your own photos, DM them!
