Door

The bottom of the door at the top of the staircase was dirtier than the rest of the door, which was the direct result of the door's function. The family liked to invest less money on energy for the upstairs bedrooms than the downstairs living areas, and to maintain the distinct climates between the two floors the staircase door was kept shut. The spring they installed to keep that door closed was strong, and when left to close on its own the door would slam swiftly and loudly, especially within the enclosed area at the top of the staircase. All the family members quickly learned to catch the door before it closed (new in-laws were quick to catch on to this as well), and when going down the stairs it became routine to stop the door from slamming shut by catching it with their left hand. While the middle to top of the door had remained clean, years of dirt and oil from the family's hands had left the bottom of the door with the brown, blotchy look of a door well-used.