First impressions are everything — and when it comes to your home, very little makes more of one than your front door. Not only does an aesthetically pleasing entryway boost your curb appeal, likely increasing your property value; it represents your style and even gives neighbors, passersby and guests a little taste of what’s happening inside: Are you cool and modern, classic and stately, or fun with a penchant for color? “Even in historic neighborhoods, the door is the one place where people have a little bit more freedom,” says Washington, D.C.-based architect Seth Ballard. “It adds a head-turning pop to the neighborhood.”
But upgrading your entry isn’t just for the outside world, of course: A beautiful front door boosts that delicious feeling of arriving home. And while you might not be able to build a portico or landscape the entire front yard, “front doors are a great way to make a big impact with one comparatively small project,” says Ballard.
That’s why we asked him, as well as Ohio-based interior designer Autumn Pochiro, for some tips on how best to go about the effort. Read on for the details, from finding the perfect style and color to choosing an affordable and energy-efficient option.
Know the Space You’re Working With
When you’re looking to invest in a new front door, the first step is to figure out the size of your frame — the average entry door, for starters, is 80 inches tall by 36 inches wide. “That way, when you’re shopping, you have a better idea of what’ll work,” Pochiro says.
From there, a good place to begin your search is Window World, a Good Housekeeping Home Renovation Award recipient for its durable, weather-resistant and insulated doors. The company allows customers to make their doors their own with paints, stains and an extensive selection of factory finishes. “You can choose the size of your glass, the case moldings, whether you want glass grid panels or doors without glass, privacy glass or a customized transom — the possibilities are endless,” Pochiro says, adding that her personal favorite has one panel with three-quarter glass. “I love to let in a lot of light.”
Pick Your Style
“The trend nowadays is toward more modern doors,” says Ballard. For those wanting to keep the design fairly neutral, he recommends Window World’s Classic Craft collection. “It can span between a lot of different looks and is timeless,” he says. For a more cutting-edge style, Ballard likes the brand’s Modern Entry Doors, which feature clean lines, geometric accents and vibrant colors. “The door with the full vertical glass sort of jumps in between modern and atomic farmhouse,” he says. “It’s the type of door that can make a statement.” And if the exterior of your house is a basic brick box, “the modern door hints that inside, you can expect a cool renovation.”
To complete the look, upgrade your mailbox, add some stylish house numbers and bring in warmth with some planters. “It’s a place to sort of show your personality,” Ballard says.
Make a Statement With Paint
Whether you have a worn-out door that needs a touch-up or are looking to replace yours entirely, color can make an outsize impact. While Ballard has used everything from bright yellows to moody blues and reds on doors, he finds himself constantly returning to the classic colonial American color palette, like warm yellows and cool greens. “The colors are inspired by nature, so they tend to look good around nature,” he says.
For her part, Pochiro — whose own front door is turquoise — encourages clients to go for it when it comes to color. “Don’t let the fear of making a mistake stop you from doing something bold and creative,” she says. To find the right shade, she advises, take paint swatches outside and hold them against your house and the doorframe to see what works. The same rule applies for stains: “Look at your window casings, your moldings, all your gutters, and make sure the stain complements them.”
Go for Durability
If you love the look of a solid-wood door, but the price is beyond your budget or you don’t want to deal with chips and dents, consider fiberglass doors. More durable than steel ones, according to the Good Housekeeping Engineering Lab, they are made from thin fibers of glass material that are bonded together and coated with a durable resin. Because their core consists of polyurethane insulating foam, these doors are extremely energy-efficient as well as extra-soundproof.
Even cooler: Some fiberglass doors, including those found at Window World, are designed to look (and even feel) like real wood. “This is especially great for front entries that don’t have a porch cover,” says Ballard. “Because no matter how good it looks, natural wood is going to weather from the elements.”
