Roy Duff, my maternal grandfather painted homes in Toronto. I am told that his “signature” touch on every house he painted was a cheery red front door. It was so long ago...is it possible that he started this classic craze? We'll never know I guess...I love a red front door. To me it says; “Hello, we try to be as cheerful as possible in this house”, “Hello…we are happy to see you!”, “Hello…this is a house of love” (without actually hanging signs on the walls stating “this