Make an entrance! First impressions count so your front door should make a statement and be an obvious front door (not one that's confused with a side or back door and has your visitors wondering which one to knock on!). Here are some tips on how to make the most of your front door.
Shut the front door!
Steps up to your front door create a sense of drama and importance.
If budget is minimal a quick and cost effective way to enhance your front door is to flank it with large planted pots.
Glass over the top of your door accentuates the space, builds “upwards” to create the illusion of more height and also adds some much-needed light into what can be an otherwise fairly dark part of the house.
A reclaimed door, especially on a period, rural or character property looks great and can be a fantastic way to get a high quality door at a good price. An d it's a great way to be sustainable and re-use perfectly good pieces of architectural salvage.
Be bold! Distinguish your house from the rest of the street with a bright or different colour… It’s actually a great way of updating your house and you can change your colour whenever you feel like it…
Don’t get stuck on rectangular doors. There are some lovely arched doors out there (particularly in salvage) that soften the front of your house while being imposing at the same time.
Porches
A porch is a great way to make a statement and if built-in (subject to planning permission) creates some handy additional space for coats and boots, plus additional security.
Go with a gable. A gable is usually a triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. Porches are often gabled, offering the best architecture in terms of statement, style and function. These are the most popular style of porches you’ll find in British architecture - they're also less likely to have leaking problems than a flat roof porch.
Oak gabled porches are perfect for period and character homes, but they also come in more contemporary styles for more modern properties.
If you don’t have room or budget for a full porch, consider a door canopy. They come in lots of different styles - both period and modern - and protect you and your door from the elements while also giving your front door a bit of personality and gravitas! I think they look like little bonnets or caps!
Don't be shy... Even if you have a period home, you can experiment with contemporary design (within planning and building regs obviously). Porches are a great way to add something modern.