But if it’s time to pick out an entirely new entryway, there are plenty of front door ideas. The type of exterior door best for you depends on your house’s design and your personal preference. Here are popular front door styles and some of the best front door trends to consider, whether you’re into a rustic, farmhouse-inspired look or searching for something more modern.
Types of Front Door Materials
How do you choose a front door style? Consider several factors, such as materials, durability, home design, personal style, and budget. Here are some of the more common front door materials to consider:
Wood: Naturally energy-efficient; most common material for doors; can be used in a variety of home styles; can be solid, engineered wood, paneled, or include glass panels; many types of wood, including oak, elm, mahogany, beech, sycamore, and more; solid wood is costlySteel: Strong, durable; solid panel; inner frame usually made of steel, wood, or foam; easy to paint; won’t crack or warp; more affordableFiberglass: Tough, maintenance-free, stands up to humidity; can mimic wood; more affordableAluminum: Custom-ordered; aluminum sheet over inner wooden or foam core; never needs painting; doesn’t rust; expensiveWrought iron: Decorative, ornate; traditional and contemporary styles; sturdy; usually incorporate glass; many are custom; can be priceyComposite: Made of a variety of materials, like UPVC, foam, wood, and glass-reinforced plastic; weatherproof; moderately priced
These doors originated in the countryside of the Netherlands, their design making its way to colonial America with Dutch immigrants. They are also called dairy, stable, double-hung, split, and half doors. This front door style allows you to keep the top part of the front door open for a breeze while the bottom keeps furry animals inside. You can get horizontal panels that offer a contemporary front door style that works best with modern houses. Wood paneled doors also work nicely with homes with wood paneling on the facade. Bold hues like pink, royal blue, black, and yellow are hot, modern front door colors. Other current trends include oversized doors and experimenting with non-traditional hardware for handles. Unlike rustic or traditional farmhouses, the modern farmhouse aesthetic builds upon the comfortable farmhouse style, giving it modern accents, such as bolder neutral colors, sleeker lines, and more sophisticated hardware. This lovely mint green craftsman door from onceupona1912 incorporates the shelf and displays how impactful the color is and how well it works with a bungalow or craftsman-style home. Sidelights are vertical pieces of glass or windows that are placed on each side of the front entry door. You can find many front door styles with sidelights offering a lot of variety. You can get full light sidelights, spanning the entire door height, letting in the most light or craftsman-style, offering partial window panels for more privacy. Stained glass windows can bolster the style of a home, particularly craftsman homes that marry well with Tiffany-style panes of glass or this traditional front door embellished with decorative glass panels. This home’s brick exterior and special glasswork make an elegant statement. You can choose from many types of arched doors, such as classical arches or elliptical (flatter arches that curve down at the sides). Do you fancy double doors or single, different types of wood, windows, or wrought iron work? Arched doorways are unique styles you can customize to handle many front door styles. Steel is one of the strongest materials for a front door, surpassing wood in strength and durability. They will last for years. Steel resists weathering when wood can warp or rot with temperature and moisture.
