The front entry is the first thing people see when they look at your home. It plays a big part in setting the style, tone and mood for your house.
If your doorway is not living up to its potential, now is an excellent time to fix it. Let me help you spruce up your entryway, so it’s more pleasing to the eye but at the same time is functional.
So, what can you do to make your front door more attractive and inviting than ever? Read up on this post, and I’ll share some design inspiration you can do yourself.
10 Front Door Ideas For A Stylish Entryway
1. Add a Bold Color or Design
Front doors make a stunning first impression through its paint. You can turn an old door to have that inviting wow factor to your guests just by adding a fresh coat of paint.
By choosing a bold paint color, you can also boost your curb appeal. If you have a white wall on your entryway, make sure to avoid white or light paint on your front door and panels too.
Instead, pick some modern contemporary colors in the world of architecture. Choose colors that never go out of style such as Caribbean coral, Stratford blue, or Barnyard red (if you have country-style Double Dutch doors).
Just remember that style comes with proper preparation, and it goes a long way when it comes to repainting your front door. Here are some tips on how to add color and design depending on the type of your door.
- Wooden Door: To repaint a front door (including its panel) made of wood, sand it off first. 220-grit sandpaper may be used to sand it down, then prime it so that the new paint has a good surface to stick to.
- Steel Doors: If you repaint steel doors, lightly sand the door, and 400-grit sandpaper must be used. Then apply two coats of an oil-based primer (make sure to let it dry after each coat). Then apply the exterior paint color.
- Frosted Door: If you have a frosted glass front door, a little design refurbishing, or changing to the latest style of a window film would be a great idea, especially if it’s worn out. Applying paint may not seem like a good idea when it comes to frosted glass front doors.
- Stained Glass Door: If you have a stained glass door, check up on its color if it’s still bright. Also, check any chipped off sides, if you see that it’s time to update the films of your stained glass door, then go for it.
Skipping the crucial steps when painting your front door could mean that the paint will chip off, and then you’ll have to touch it up again and again.
2. Replace the Hardware
Aside from prioritizing the design, you have to make sure that your front door will stand the test of time. Second on the list of front door ideas is to replace the hardware with new parts.
Since your front door is the main entrance and the most active spot of your home for your family and guests, the doorknob and knocker will get a lot of wear and tear over the years.
If you’ve never replaced parts of your front door before, don’t worry, because it’s a lot simpler than it may seem. You don’t need to be a craftsman to do this.
Usually, all it requires is undoing a few screws, swapping out the parts, and putting the screws back in place.
3. Add a Kick-plate
A kick plate is a wide strip of metal that’s attached to the bottom edge of your front door. For a front door, it’s considered a popular contemporary design and, at the same time, functional.
You can get kick plates in all types of finishes, including brass, nickel, gold, black, and pewter. The plate protects the door from getting scratched up nicked by people’s feet and animal paws.
Adding a kick plate to your existing front door is not hard. Depending on the product that you choose, it will either come with tiny nails or screws for you to tack it into place or strong adhesive to stick it to the front door.
4. Add a Smart Door Lock
If you’re serious about updating your front door, then you should highly consider adding a smart door lock.
Smart door locks are a special type of device that can be controlled by your smartphone, and here are some reasons why:
- Connectivity: Since many of these locks have Bluetooth built-in and work over WiFi, this device is designed to lock or unlock your door even if you’re not at home. [1]
- Convenient: It also means that your door can sense when you arrive and automatically unlock for you. This eliminates the hassle of using a physical key to get in and out of your home.
- Easy to Install: Adding a smart door lock is easy. You can find units where you just replace your old deadbolt and can be done in about 15 minutes.
To find out more about this type of front door upgrade and its features, check out my best smart door lock reviews.
On that page, I have gone over every aspect you should consider when buying a smart WiFi door lock. It also has tips on how to look for a great product at the best price.
Recommended Article: How to Secure French Doors
5. Install a New Doorbell
Your doorbell is a small yet integral part of your home. Without it, you’d never know when someone has arrived unless they pound hard to the door itself. If you haven’t upgraded your doorbell, now is the time to do it.
You may want to consider getting a video doorbell camera. This high-tech device is an affordable way to add video surveillance to your home.
Like a smart door lock, it can also be controlled remotely from your smartphone. That way, you can answer the door without people knowing if you’re really there or not.
If this sounds appealing to you, take a look at my guide on the best video doorbell cameras. It explains its features and everything there is to know about these nifty devices and how they can keep your home safe. Maybe you can choose a unit that fits right to your home.
6. Install New House Numbers
Here’s another cheap fix you can create to spice up your entryway and give your front door some personality.
You can find all sorts of modern, contemporary, vintage, or funky designs for house numbers. So do an online search or visit your local hardware store to find a set that matches your taste.
7. Add Plants or Flowers
One of the quickest ways to give life to your entryway is to add a set of plants on each side of your door. Any earth-toned natural design (like wood furniture and plants) will create a more welcoming vibe to the entrance of your house.
It also boosts curb appeal and is one of the top front door ideas most realtors will tell you to do when trying to sell your home.
On your entrance, you can show off beautiful red flowers, succulents, or seasonal plants. Throughout the colder months, make a statement by displaying seasonal items.
During Halloween, you can place pumpkins, or create tree branches painted with red and twinkling lights as an addition during Christmas. This way, people passing by will view your entryway as interesting and creative.
Though, it’s not a good idea to put many plant elements on your porch as it may obstruct the view. You don’t want your front door to look like a forest. Go for a simple and classic clear look that’s warm in the eyes.
8. Add Lighting
If you don’t already have a set of lights flanking your door, adding in a pair can really boost the presentation at night.
A good set of outdoor lights adds to your home’s architectural style, looks like a great statement, and provides better security.
If you do have lights set up, consider replacing them with more updated looks. They come in a myriad of designs from modern all-glass models to traditional lanterns, pendant light, wood light fixtures, and more.
Just make sure that it complements the architecture of the house. Another simple update you can do is to put a cheap spotlight at the foot of your steps and shine it up at the door.
That way, your entryway can really take center stage and brighten up the look of your entire house.
9. Put a Bench or a Small Chair
There are three major benefits I realized on putting a bench or a small chair in the entryway.
- First, it has a stylish and inviting look.
- Second, a guest can sit on something while waiting for the front door to be opened.
- Third, I can place my bag of groceries on the chair while looking for my keys to open the front door.
A unique bench made of wood is a nice touch to have that earth tone and natural finish on your entrance.
It won’t take up too much room, plus it would be perfect if the architectural design of your house is composed of beautiful interior wood elements.
10. Add Decorative Iron Frame Accents
Now, this is something glass doors must-have. It’s not just the unique style that I recommend, but is also designed for the safety it brings when it comes to glass doors.
A decorative iron frame is designed to add curb appeal to your front door. At the same time, it protects your glass door from breaking if it hits a hard material (like when someone throws a stone).
This iron frame comes in several designs that will surely make a great statement in your main entrance.
Recommended Article: How to Secure a Door from Being Kicked In
Pro Tip:
This pro tip is not an idea for your front door, but it is a unique tip to make sure that every design in your house matches.
With that being said, make sure that your windows, including the panel, match the design of your front door. To make it easier, make sure that the front door and window panel has the same colors.
It would be odd to look at windows and front doors that do not match.
Bottom Line:
As you can see, making just a few inexpensive front door ideas can go a long way to improving the look and function of your front door entrance.
By following these front door design ideas, you’ll have something that you will be proud of. I hope these tips helped and have given you fresh ideas on how to upgrade your door.
If you’ve got a bit more time, you may want to check out my full list of modern home gadgets. I’ve reviewed a ton of cool gadgets for the home, and you might see something interesting on the list.
