In many ways, your home’s entryway is akin to a first impression. Is your home making it a good one? If you’re ready to spruce up your entry door, an updated door design is one of the most cost-effective home upgrades you can make. It’s also one of the most stylish. However, when it comes to your entry door, the options are endless.

To jog your creativity and help you find an entrance door design you love, we’ve compiled a list of the top entry door design trends of last year.

Design Trends for Updating Your Home Entryway, The Fresh Coat of Paint

Is a fresh coat of paint really the first entry door design trend we’re listing? While it might not lend itself to “design,” the reality is that repainting your entry door can yield just the change and “pop” you’re looking for.

So before you start considering new hardware, materials, frames, or windows, survey the current paint job. What you’re envisioning, can it be accomplished by choosing a color that accentuates the house? If you’re looking for a completely new entrance door, is it going to remain the same color as the previous one?

To that end, have you considered painting it yourself?

A Few Tips for Painting Your Entrance Door

If you’ve decided that your entrance door just needs some new color, here are a few tips on how to paint it yourself:

• Look at your paint samples in the light. If you’ve narrowed your choices down to a few options, bring color swatches home to study how they look at different times of day outside at your door.

• Make sure you use paint designed for exterior applications. Glossy paints are often chosen for doors and trim. They’re durable and serve to highlight architectural details.

• Start with a primer that matches the type of paint you’re working with (latex or oil-based).

• You can remove the door from its hinges or paint it in place, but do take off any removable fixtures first (doorknobs, knocker, etc.).

Staining Your Beautiful Grain

If you have a door with a gorgeous wood grain, you might not want to cover it with paint. In that case, a finishing stain protects the wood and highlights the grain, especially if the door has begun to fade after years without treatment. This is another inexpensive (perhaps DIY) job that can improve your home’s first impression.

Add a Metal Front Door for Durability

Steel doors offer security and durability at a competitive price point. They also have higher insulating values than wooden doors. A steel door won’t have the warm, welcoming appearance of wood, but it can—and should—be painted, so once again you can choose a color that complements the home.

Updating The Glass Panels

The vertical window glass pieces at the sides of an entry door are known as sidelights. These are great for bringing a splash of sunlight into your home, and at night they show off the warm, welcoming glow inside your house.

Sidelights can be “full light”—a single long sheet of glass—or they can incorporate any number of framed window panels. Style options can range from craftsman to deco to sleek modern, each of which should complement the home’s overall aesthetic.

Pivot Doors Offer a Big New Look

With a pivot door design, an oversized door is hinged with pins at the top and bottom of the frame so that the hinge is offset from the traditional edge of the door. It’s a visually striking design, but there are some drawbacks:

• Pivot doors can be more prone to warping than traditionally hung doors.

• Because of the door’s swinging design, water and air infiltration can be a problem. Pivot doors work best when there’s a large overhang to protect against the weather.

• A poorly installed pivot door can be prone to dragging.

• You can damage the door by accidentally extending it past its 90° open limit.

• Although the doors are wider than standard doors, you don’t gain any extra pass-through space in the doorway.

Consider French Doors, Sliding Doors, and Folding Sliding Doors

If your entryway is sizable, French doors, sliding doors, and folding doors are an impeccable upgrade that will open your home’s initial breathability. While French doors are more common in entryways, sliding and folding doors are most often used to access backyards and patios. With that being said, they’re a stylistic choice that can accentuate your home’s first impression.

Upgrading the “Door Furniture”

The “furniture” of the door is an umbrella term for its fixtures (think: knockers and knobs). To that end, the furniture needs to match the style of the door. You can find contemporary designs in nickel or polished brass. Rustic country designs often sport wrought iron. If you’re looking to make a small upgrade with a big impact, your door furniture might be the first thing to consider.

Last year, many of these smaller DIY projects took precedence over big remodels (given the state of the world). In which case, if you want to follow this trend, your entry door design might just need to be accessorized.

Enhancing the Light

Depending on the layout of your door, porch, and adjacent windows and hardware, you might consider one or more hanging lights, paired sconces, spotlights from above or below, and path lights leading to the door. Remember, the lighting itself can be part of the design. Perhaps your door is just a bit too backlit, or it’s not receiving ambient light when the sun fades.

In which case, consider positioning your lights (and choosing which type) to complement the door itself. Think of the entry door as your subject, what type of lighting is going to make for the best picture?

Add Some Greenery to your Entry Door

Planters, potted plants, and hanging baskets are perfect complements to your home’s entrance. Perhaps, instead of an overhaul, your entry door just needs some lush greenery. To that end, consider the following (should you want to, you can also install a flower basket to house the flowers directly on the entry door):

Plants that love the sun:

• Lantana – A perennial in the verbena family featuring brightly colored flowers with extended bloom time.

• Wave Petunias – This ground-covering annual plant does great in pots or hanging baskets.

• Marigolds – A no-fuss, quick-growing annual with bright flowers.

• Autumn Joy Sedum – A deciduous perennial with pink, salmon, and rosy flowers.

• Citrus Tree – A dwarf lemon or orange tree in a pot is attractive and fruitful as long as it doesn’t sit outside in freezing winters.

Plants that love shade:

• Ferns – An ancient, bushy, green vascular plant that loves dappled shade.

• Coleus – A perennial herb or shrub with exotic, variegated leaves in shades of green and deep purple.

• Begonias – An easy-to-grow perennial with pink, white, or yellow flowers.

• Caladium – Another flowering plant with beautiful variegated leaves (also known as elephant ear).

• English Ivy – Start this in a pot or planter box and let it trail up your doorframe.

Use Furniture to Accentuate the Door

If you have a large enough porch, consider adding distinctive patio furniture. A set of chairs and a small table can quickly convert your entryway into an extra room of the house. More so, you can position and curate the furniture to complement the door. Think wood against brass, red leather on steel, etc.

Utilizing furniture isn’t just about comfort, it can help spotlight the entry door.

Clear the Clutter

This is the lowest budget improvement you can make to your entryway. Sweep it up, clean it out. Clear away the cobwebs. Polish the fixtures. Prune the plants. You might be surprised at how a little tender love and care can transform your entryway.

Security Options: Smart Home Features

Finally, another way to update your entry door’s design is through technology. From battery-powered cameras, electronic locks, to security sensors, the options are endless. If you’re trying to enhance your home’s security and functionality, then smart home technology might be exactly what you’re looking for.

While this trend has been on the upswing for a while, smart home technology has never been more accessible and affordable.

Entry Door Design Upgrades with The Glass Guru

Your doorway is your home’s first impression and your guests’ final goodbye. If you’re looking to make any upgrades, improve your exterior storm windows, and identify the right design for your property, here at The Glass Guru, our experts are ready to help. From window restoration to installing a new entry door, we can do it all.

Ready to make an upgrade? Fantastic. There’s never been a better year for it.

Sources:

Realtor.com. The Renovations That Will Pay Off the Most for Your Home in 2017. https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/best-and-worst-renovations-to-make-in-2017/

Consumer Reports. Best and Worst Door Locks From Consumer Reports’ Tests. https://www.consumerreports.org/door-locks/best-and-worst-door-locks/