Red Doors, Cacti, and Stair Veneers

The title of this post sounds like a surreal Alice and Wonderland-like dream, but really it's a description of three little vignettes that have inspired me during my stay in what the locals call "Old Town" Alexandria, Virginia over the past week.  "Old Town" is the cutest little place in the midst of the crazy Washington D.C. hustle and bustle.  A must visit, if you're ever in the D.C. metro!  


I snapped the iPhone pics below while walking around in my off time so the quality isn't fab, but the design certainly is!

First, we have the most beautiful lacquered doors I've ever seen.  It doesn't hurt that the home owners selected the most perfect shade of red...

I actually LOVE gold hardware after seeing this picture.  And that's a tough tide to turn for me...

Next, we have the coolest little DIY fabric cactus plants I saw in the Old Town Alexandria Anthropologie.  Are these not totally adorable?

They're made out of green linen fabric, stuffed with batting, and then little toothpicks are stuck in a few of them for the full-on pokey effect.  Totally something to make and set on a window sill for some cheeky fun.  As if a real cactus plant could get any easier to care for...

Finally, the stair veneer (or, that's what I'm calling it) running upstairs to the dressing rooms in the Old Town Alexandria Anthropologie.

I'm not quite certain how it was engineered - I wish I had gotten down on my hands and knees to further investigate.  It would be tough to recreate by hand but definitely manageable if done on a small 2-3 step stoop (versus 2 flights of stairs...).  The random black "piano" striping makes it all the better, if I do say so myself.

Anyone else lovin' these finds?  If you had to pick one, which inspires you the most: 1) slick candy apple red doors, 2) faux cacti, or 3) striped stairs?