Anyone that works with Greystone Homes knows that we love our front doors.
There are several focal points in a home such as windows, cabinetry, fireplaces and staircases, but chief among them is your front door! What does your front door say about your home? If you have limited resources to improve your home and make a splash, begin with your front door that will create the first impression.
We are most often selecting a front door that is consistent with the architectural style of the home, but most new homes are a blend of architectural styles meaning that there is not just one right choice but most likely several options that could be perfect for the space and give you the look that you want. An internet search can be used as a starting point to help you find doors that complement the style of your home, but I would also bring a trusted designer or other expert into the discussion.
We’ve installed doors of all sizes and styles – traditional wood raised panel to contemporary glass and steel to oversized 12ft tall and 10ft wide pivot doors. All of these doors were chosen to help set the style and tone for the entire home and of course to make a statement. The oversized pivot door is imposing and makes a strong impression with the visitor. A stained wood door with beveled glass or even stained glass says that this home was designed with care and attention to detail. A steel and glass pivot door says that we’re modern and okay being cutting edge. Sidelights (usually wood and glass panels) flanking the sides of a door or a glass transom overhead can also add architectural interest and style.
Before we discuss some design aspects, the practical side of me wants to discuss the non-visual energy performance and long-term maintenance considerations. I’m a hobbyist furniture maker and love working with Michigan’s beautiful walnut, maple and oak hardwoods. We also commonly see mahogany and more exotic woods used to create masterpiece front doors. But intense sunlight on a wood door creates a recipe for a long term maintenance headache. If your front door faces south or west and is not shaded by a significant porch or overhang, the sunlight is likely to degrade the clear coat finish so that you’ll need to refinish and perhaps re-stain every 5 years. This is not an attractive prospect for most modern homeowners. Modern wood-grained embossed fiberglass doors finished with a gel stain and durable clear coat is a great alternative if you want to minimize maintenance where sun exposure is a concern.
The other common issue worth talking about in our climate is designing for cold weather. I have seen some incredible decorative steel or wrought iron and glass doors. The insulation value that you get from a real wood or fiberglass door can be satisfactory for our cold winters, but steel and glass doors need some additional steps to make them acceptable for use in our climate zone. All glass used in a door should not only be tempered (heat treated so that it breaks into pellets and not sharp chards), but it should also be part of an insulated glass unit or system – a double layer of glass separated by an inert gas. Likewise, steel doors should be “thermally broken” (isolated) with a layer of insulative material separating inside steel from outside steel. Many steel doors you find online may look amazing and have a great price point, but they are often made for warm southern locations, not a cold Michigan January.
Okay now that you’ve learned more than you wanted to know about the technical aspects of choosing a new door, let’s talk design! You don’t necessarily have to replace your existing front door to add some pizzaz and some additional value to your home. Refinishing, staining a different color or painting can be attractive, cost-effective options. Color should not be overlooked either. Midland has several mid-century modern homes with simple door designs that create “wow” using a vibrant color, particularly when surrounded by a sea of stained siding or brick. Have you seen a home with a bright sunflower yellow front door? What an impact!
Our designers encourage clients to “be bold” when choosing paint colors. Paint is a relatively inexpensive way to add your personality to your home and can easily be re-painted later for a change. Also consider other finishing touches such as the handle set, light fixtures, your address number or even the walkway to that entrance. Be bold and make a statement!
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