Your Front Door
The front door to your home is the only piece that relates to both the exterior and interior style of your home. Knowing all the design options for your entry is a good first step to selecting a signature door –creating a home you can be proud of.
Selecting such a signature piece can feel daunting. However, breaking down the options into a multiple-choice checklist can quickly ease the entry door jitters (trust us, it’s a “thing”). First up: Material. There are three elements to decide on to narrow down the myriad of options for a great door: wood, aluminum or glass. See, it’s already getting easier. Here are a few applications to get your creativity flowing and help envision which route you’d like to go.
Wood doors are often used for traditional style homes, from Craftsmen to Colonial, French-Country and beyond. Many of these styles have different recessed panels or louvered panels to add dimension and interest. However, there are plenty of modern looking front doors with inlays and beveled type designs that also deliver that “wow factor”. (see images below)
Aluminum doors are most often used in modern home designs. These large front doors can range from subdued flat panel to the most unique layouts that the mind can think of. Here’s a healthy line-up of aluminum doors with modern flare. These particular Glo European doors have over 200 color choices giving the ability to truly customize your front entry. (see images below)
Glass doors bring to mind modern homes but can also just as easily be used in a traditional setting. Most often modern front door applications have clear glass, offering unobstructed views and a feeling of openness. Traditional style glass entries generally use obscure glass, providing the benefit of natural light while still offering privacy to homeowners. (see images below)
Once you’ve decided on wood, aluminum, or glass the next decision-hurdle is whether or not you’d like full-glass or the amount of glass in your front door. Windows within the door are referred to as lights. There are four basic window options: full-light, three quarter light, half-light, and no windows (see image below). Of course, you can get very specific as to how much light or window you are wanting, down to an exact percentage. The options below are a starting point for your decision making as you envision your front door with glass.
Next up: Color. Before you read the next sentence, let me just say, “Do not get overwhelmed!” (Ok, now that that’s out of the way let’s talk about color). With what seems like limitless color options and stains you will be able to truly achieve a custom front door look, showcasing your home’s exterior/interior perfectly. See, tons of options can be a good thing. When it comes to door color, some preliminary questions you need to be asking yourself are; “Do I want to have a contrasting door?”, “Do I want my door to highlight accents of my home’s exterior?”, “Do I want to have a statement door with bold color?”, “Do I want my front door to blend-in with my home’s exterior?”. After deciding on a color direction, by answering these questions, you are well on your way to selecting a color that best suits your vision. Alright, now let’s walk through a question in order to help ease the color option whirlwind. Let’s answer, “Do I want to have a contrasting front door?”. If you answered yes, then the first thing you need to determine is if your home is a dark or light color. Say your home is light tan. Now you know you need to be looking in darker colors. If you are a bit bolder in your choices you can either go with a darker color rather than a darker tone of the existing home exterior color. A darker color meaning; dark red, dark blue, dark green, black, etc. A darker tone would be dark browns. After you’ve determined which route you want to go, you will have successfully narrowed down the selection to a manageable decision. Another helpful tip: Take a photo of your home and change the front door color in a color program, like Photoshop or Paint, to play around with different color options. This is especially helpful if you’ve narrowed it down to two or three choices. The options seem limitless but it can be navigated through if you take it one step at a time and narrow down the color-flurry with purpose and decisiveness. Also, have fun with it!
Homes are as diverse as the people who live in them and your front door should be no different. Selecting a door that clearly represents your style and your homes’ style, when done well, can make any home standout among the rest. Hope these helpful tips and options aid you in the perfect-front-door-search!