Fence of Doors

Glimpse through the parking lot between two buildings on Vashon Island, and a spot of bright color will catch your eye. Each part of the fence seems as though it’s inviting you to open the door into various fictional worlds. 

The owner of the home behind the main street needed a fence to separate his backyard from the businesses. So, rather than constructing a plain wooden fence, he decided to have a bit of fun with his design, creating instead a barrier made to look like a line of colorful doors.

These aren’t just any doors. One of the joys of viewing the fence is trying to figure out what film, TV show, book, or game the doors are from. The first door is blue and has the address of 221B, with a sign for Baker Street hanging above it. Another door looks like a set of lockers, complete with a “Vote for Pedro” signed slapped onto them. Yet another resembles the iconic Tardis; one boasts the large Mystery Date question mark; and still another stands beneath a “Mr. Sanderz” sign, which marked the residence of none other than Winnie the Pooh.

As of August 2018, there are a dozen doors on the fence, which is still a work in progress. If Oz, the fence’s owner, is in the backyard, be sure to say hello. He is a delight to talk to about his project. And as of May 2020, there are two additional doors—Scrooge’s door with the ghost of Jacob Marley and a certain wardrobe. Can you guess which one? There are more doors on the way as well. The doors are not permanently closed, but social distancing should be kept in mind.