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Exterior front door designs


Front Door Design Ideas | Pella

From colorful front doors and hardware finishes to energy-efficient glass and styling options, make a stunning first impression with front door designs that can transform your curb appeal.

ByKatie Vollmar

Published 2021-10-08

When it comes to your home’s overall style, the entryway is critical to achieving your vision. It’s the first thing people see when approaching the house and the last thing they see when walking out the door. When exploring designs, begin by understanding the basics of front doors. From colors and hardware to glass and panel styles, explore many different front door ideas that can elevate your entryway.

Make a Statement with On-Trend Colors for a Front Door

One of the easiest ways to add instant curb appeal is with a colorful front door. The entry door can act as a focal point when you choose a statement color like black or an eye-catching navy blue or teal. If you need help deciding, check out this in-depth article on how to choose the best front door color for your home. From natural wood stains and fiberglass front door colors to smooth steel and fiberglass finishes, select a look that complements the other exterior finishes of your home like siding, roofing and stone.

Black Front Doors

Black front doors look great with any home style. It’s a color that’s classic and never goes out of style. Black makes a bold design statement that enhances the overall aesthetic of a home. If a modern and contemporary front door is what you’re after, black is sure to deliver a sleek, minimalist design statement. Black front doors are also commonly used in farmhouse homes as they beautifully contrast light-colored interiors and exteriors. Consider a very dark stain on a wood front door to achieve contrast and display the natural beauty of wood.

Navy Blue Front Doors

For a subtle yet grounded hint of color, choose a navy blue front door. Navy blue doors richly contrast white, gray or tan exteriors. This color is every bit as elegant and versatile as it is eye-catching. No matter your home’s style, a navy blue door will make your front entryway stand out and leave a lasting impression.

Teal Front Doors

Teal front doors can be punchy and fun or soft and muted, depending on the style you like best. In the right geographic environment, a bright blue-green color is a subtle nod towards beachy themes. In more rural settings, a soft teal color lends itself to the quaint feel of a farmhouse country style home. If you’re ready to make a fun statement at your front steps, consider how a teal front door could boost your curb appeal.

Add Style and Security with Front Door Hardware

Complement your home’s style and existing window hardware with front door hardware. Pella offers four stunning collections of front door hardware available in many different styles and finishes that offer added safety enhancements to help secure your home in seconds. Three of these collections are collaborations with Baldwin® hardware.

Front door hardware brings style, innovation and enhanced security to your entryway. A front door handle can be the perfect finishing touch to your entryway. If you’d like advice on selecting, see our article on choosing exterior door hardware.

Let In More Light with Glass Front Doors

When you select a wood or fiberglass front door, you can choose from a variety of glass options to meet your design and privacy needs. With choices like energy-efficient Low-E glass, impact-resistant glass, textured glass and obscure glass, there are many entry door glass options to ensure your door works for you and your style. For example, decorative glass with ornate detailing and charming designs can help achieve the style of a traditional entry door. A wood front door with glass and simple grilles also exudes a traditional look, while a fiberglass front door with glass and sleek lines lends a more modern feel.

If you love a bright and welcoming entryway with plenty of natural light, consider a full light glass door in which glass spans the entire length of the door. If you’d like some natural light in your entryway but still want to maintain privacy, ½ light front doors are a great solution. These doors only have glass on the top half or on one of the sides. Obscure privacy glass front doors are another option that ensures privacy while still letting in natural light.

Sidelights for front doors are another feature that can elevate your entryway. These are vertical pieces of glass panes on the sides of an entry door that allow more light into the home. Full light sidelights feature unobstructed glass for a contemporary feel while smaller panes of glass divided by grilles offer a more traditional look. Also, consider front door transoms, which are sections of glass placed above a door and its sidelights. You can choose an arched transom or a rectangular transom depending on the style you like best. No matter the vision you have for your entryway, there are many ways that your glass front door can help achieve a look you love that complements the style of your home.

Creativity is Key

Whether you choose a solid door or a style enhanced with glass, there are many ways to add depth and beauty to your entryway including finishes and colors, hardware, glass and grilles, sidelights and transoms and more. Welcome guests in style with personalized options that will make your front door one-of-a-kind. Ready to transform your entryway? Check out what to keep in mind when shopping for replacement entry doors.

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50 Modern Front Door Designs

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The front door is often the focal point of a home exterior – a door is the first thing guests see when they arrive, it's the last thing they contemplate after leaving, it's visited daily by the mail delivery, and it gives potential buyers something to remember the house by. An ordinary home can become "the house with the red door" with nothing more than a simple coat of paint, while a magnificent piece of architecture can rely on a unique door style to tie its exterior design together. Why settle with normal? This post looks at 50 spectacular front doors that boast expressively tailored personality and style.

Let’s start with a modern take on a classic. Smooth horizontal wood panels gain a contemporary update with a silky black handle guard that runs from top to bottom.

Here’s a wood door formed from a solid sheet of veneer, integrated within matching boards that wrap around on the side and ceiling.

Doors that reach from top to bottom make entryways look larger than they really are. This one is especially interesting because of how the handle guard continues sideways with room for a mail slot.

Warm wood panels jump out from the neutral home exterior, horizontal matte black panels providing a little extra decoration.

Vibrant wood tones add natural character to concrete exteriors. Here, a matching walking path further differentiates the entryway from the paved parking and patio tiles.

In the context of an industrial exterior like this one, a natural door can have an even bolder effect. This one has a textural exterior to stand in contrast with the concrete and steel that surrounds it.

This classic door seems to float weightlessly between frameless sidelights.

Camouflaged within its bordering panels, this door makes a dramatic first impression by offering a surprising substantial and weighty look among a perfect glass-clad exterior.

Chevron wood panels are a nice break from the traditional horizontal or vertical wood planks. Fiery orange is a nice finish for a modern Californian home like this one.

Timber planks and alternating glass strips allow for guarded visual continuity, allowing sunlight to filter through an otherwise heavy-looking door. The long door pull is another interesting touch.

Incorporating artistic glass is another way to make a front door stand out. These textural sheets of glass coordinate well with the textural exterior of the home, and provide extra privacy that ordinary panels could not. Note that this door also opens on a pivot to save space on the interior.

Garden-facing doors don’t need a lot of bulk, so something with glass panes like this is perfectly workable. It’s the perfect solution for an entryway with a farmhouse vibe like this one.

Wow! These oversized atrium-height doors are breathtaking. Mechanized hardware allows designers to overlook the weight of the doors so the homeowners can go as big and bold as they want.

Deep rose tones ring with a traditional and sophisticated tone, while the brushed steel door guard incorporates modern styling.

This Red Dot Design Award winner gains admiration for its enhanced security and keyless entry options as well as its distinctive styling. Exotic woods like the ones used here always catch the eye.

The ideal door a minimalist exterior – this sleek and modern design uses uncomplicated modern materials, its stripes serving up just a touch of decoration for visual interest.

Wavy wood panels flow and interweave for an artistic effect. The ultra-tall and wide design opens on a pivot, making it stand out both in terms of looks and functionality.

This part of the door tour takes us through several highly artistic and up-to-date options. This futuristic door incorporates a textured print on top of a cloudy finish.

Unusual materials can transform an ordinary front door into a true focal point. This one goes for a bold approach to texture, with stone-like panels varied by tint and height.

Designed by Deborah Aguiar and executed by Joinery Piñeiro, this door transforms ordinary wood panels into a daring sculptural arrangement. Even the mail slot plays an integral role in the design.

Laser carved doors give homeowners endless possibilities for self-expression. This floral imprint continues along the frame to either side to stretch its effect on the home’s exterior.

Here’s another laser carved door, this time featuring an aerial view of the client’s home and neighborhood in the finest of detail. Its aluminum coating contributes substantial visual weight.

Even snake scale texture looks right at home on a modern front door. Edgy and elegant.

This door combines cutout branches with a multi-tone finish for a perfectly up-to-date result. The handprint on the door pull is a neat idea, too.

Check out this flattering take on pane windows, with small squares of amber glass embracing an open view without compromising security. This would be a nice door for an updated take on a classic exterior.

Here’s another take on tiny panes, this one with frosted glass to provide ample privacy while still retaining a bright and sunny appeal.

Are you looking for a way to incorporate natural themes without sacrificing your modernist aesthetic? This starburst pattern draws the eye immediately, its distressed bright blue paint keeping the personality nice and casual.

Screen doors can boast plenty of style too. Here, decorative strapwork creates a guarded but attractive boundary between the front door and the street outside. Fresh air filters right through to cool the home, but the hot sun doesn’t get very far.

Designed by architect Dick Clark and constructed by Gary McFarland, this artistic door glows brightly from within thanks to the ethereal lights sandwiched between semi-transparent onyx panels.

The mid-century Scandinavian vibes are strong with this door! Natural shades of orange and green blend flawlessly with the nearby furniture and decoration while livening up the home’s concrete exterior.

Natural materials meet minimalism in this gorgeous entryway.

Sideways herringbone patterns certainly aren’t a common pattern for front doors, making this one even more noticeable. The golden ratio inspired sidelights reinforce the artistic elements at play here.

Glossy doors are uncommon as well. White stripes offer a response to the black strips along the exterior walkway. Inside, glossy walls and floors continue the highly polished theme.

This cardinal red door uses its extra-wide stature and pivot construction to make a dramatic statement every time it sweeps open.

Pivoting doors always seem to create a stir among visitors. This method can turn even an ordinary door into a show-stopper.

Some doors don’t have much of a pivot to them at all. This lovely example could be mistaken for a traditional hinged door at first glance, but the lack of visual hinges makes it a great option for those who seek out minimalism in exterior design.

It’s impossible to overlook this creative modern door. A pivoting outer frame reveals a smaller door within, the smaller door adhering to traditional sizing and the outer door blurring the boundaries between inside and out.

Karim Rashid’s innovative Ring front door design won a Red Dot Design Award, thanks in part to its unique opening mechanism: a ring hiding inside the volcano that opens when activated.

The gorgeous Blow door, also by Karim Rashid, curves outward to provide a visually stunning alternative to a traditional door handle.

Now let’s move on to a collection of doors that emphasize color. This bright blue door stands out against the surrounding potted plants, a cool drink of water within a desert-inspired garden.

Bright yellow is a cheerful and welcoming color, perfect for a front door.

Do you recognize this famous entryway? The creatives at Studio DIY noticed this bold door making waves on Pinterest, and became so obsessed they actually took the time to hunt it down.

Color is a great way to embrace bright flora growing nearby – these blossoms would have outshined any other door, so now the entrance gets to share the spotlight.

Constructed from 40 planks of Burma teak, this door contains fabulously intricate inner mechanisms including a wire rope and hidden counterweight to create its dynamic opening effect. It looks just like an ordinary oversized door when closed, but fans out into a beautiful curved opening.

This door offers another amazing example of construction turning ordinary materials into something magical, in this case, a lovely starburst pattern that extends the door framing on either side.

This wooden door is especially unique. Its wood body continues down beneath the stairs and off to the sides to create the illusion of one large door, with a set of varied stairs seeming to float in front.

What could make you feel more secure than a stone door? This work of art is carved from solid basalt.

Woodcarving can come in handy for artistic expression as well. This door takes its owl motif to the next level by including a sculptural beak and tinted windows for eyes.

While this is not a home, the idea is still solid – the door itself is an ordinary style, but the streetlamp painting gives it a distinctive artistic frame.

Wow! This door is built into a round window, its unique shape and proportions ensuring undivided attention.


A great door design can be made special with a few additional things. Explore these to truly take your entry to the next level:
40 Unique Door Knockers To Add Drama To Your Door
40 Decorative Door Stops That Leave The Door Open For Conversation
30 Funny Door Mats To Give Your Guests A Humorous Welcome

Description of the design of external doors

The main and most significant factor on which the design of an external door depends is the conditions for its subsequent use. It is they who, first of all, determine the features of the finished product and should be taken into account in its manufacture. Obviously, in this case we are talking about the fact that the outer door during operation acts as a separator between the interior and the street itself.

Outer door design details

In general, the design of external entrance doors does not differ from conventional products that are installed in apartments. It also consists of:

The above list of basic structural elements is no different from a conventional steel door. However, in the manufacture and installation of each of them, some nuances associated with the special conditions of further operation should be taken into account.

Door frame and leaf

The design of an external metal door implies that the frame and leaf must be made of steel of such thickness as to provide reliable protection of the interior of a country cottage or the entrance of a multi-storey building from illegal entry. That is why the type of product under consideration is usually quite heavy. Another reason for the large mass of the structure is the fact that often external doors are made in a one-and-a-half or two-leaf version, having serious dimensions that exceed the usual ones.

Filler and sealant

Another important feature that must be taken into account in the design of external doors is to achieve a high level of insulation performance of the finished product. This applies equally to the protection of housing from the penetration of cold, dust or harsh and unpleasant sounds from the outside. Such properties are provided, first of all, by the use of high-quality and effective filler and sealants. In the first case, today, most often, such modern heat-insulating materials as expanded polystyrene foam and varieties of mineral wool are used. To create a sealed circuit, tubular rubber-polymer profiles are used.

External door trim

An important structural part of external doors is the trim. To create a decorative coating on the inside, almost any materials can be used during work, ranging from widespread powder coating to lining with clapboard or solid wood. Higher demands are placed on the exterior finish.

Outdoor decorative coating should combine stylish and aesthetic appearance with reliability and resistance to any negative factors. This equally applies to both mechanical influences, such as breaking, impact or scratching, and natural ones, which include sunlight, temperature changes and precipitation. Only such a combination of properties will make it possible to achieve the manufacture of a truly reliable and durable metal entrance external structure.

Entrance door structures

02/12/2021

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Entrance doors differ not only in material, but also in design. In this article, we will look at what types of designs of the leaf and the box of a metal door are.

Content

Web designs

Let's dwell on three main types: monolithic, frame and with a thermal break. The design of the door is responsible for the following parameters: protection against intruders, sound and heat insulation, strength.

Monolithic construction

The monolithic design is a single block with a one-piece non-separable canvas. Polyurethane foam is pumped into the canvas from the side of the loops through the technological hole, it spreads over the entire area, hardens and forms a dense monolith.

Doors with a monolithic design are designed for installation in apartment buildings.

The main elements of a monolithic structure

Design features:

Frame structure

Framed is a construction with a prefabricated leaf, which consists of several parts: a 1.8 mm thick steel sheet for the Professor and Ultimatum doors and 1.2 mm for the Delta series, a metal stiffening frame and several layers of filling.

A door with such a design is intended for installation in an apartment.

The main elements of the frame structure

In Torex doors, this design is used in the Delta, Ultimatum and Professor series

Design features:

Differences between monolithic and frame structures

Each of these designs has its own advantages. Monolithic more solid, durable. The frame is more flexible - it adapts to the needs of customers and allows you to replace the construct. For example, MDF panels in case of damage or when changing the interior of the hallway. The frame structure is also strong and reliable, as it uses frames and stiffeners.

Thermal break design

Thermal break is a mandatory design feature of a street door. If there is no thermal break, the door will not cope with weather conditions.

Thermal break - a layer of material with low thermal conductivity, which separates the outer and inner sides of the structure, so that one does not transfer its temperature to the other.

The principle of operation of a thermal break can be explained as "two doors in one", since the parts of the door are connected to each other through a heat-insulating material. Thermal break can be both in the box, and in the box and canvas.

The following materials are used as heat-insulating material in Torex doors:

Doors with this design are intended for installation in private homes. The thermal break makes the door resistant to cold weather.

The location of the thermal break in the box and canvas

Torex doors have a thermal break design in all Snegir series.

Design features:

Box structures

Earlier we examined the types of front door leaf designs, but there is another important element - the box.

There are two types of box construction: open and closed. The open structure is made of several welded steel sheets, and the closed one is a one-piece bent box made of a single sheet of steel.

The closed box is filled with mineral wool at the factory, the open box can optionally be insulated when installing the door.

In a monolithic and with a thermal break, the box is open, in a frame box it is closed. The closed box in the frame structure is explained by the large weight of the door, so it needs reinforcement in the form of a closed box.

Which design to choose?

The design is an important characteristic when choosing a door. Each has individual characteristics and advantages. Here it is worth understanding what you are closer to: a solid and solid monolithic structure, a flexible and prefabricated frame, or you need a door for a private house with a thermal break. If the manufacturer is good, then the door will be of high quality and durable, regardless of the type of construction.

When choosing a door, do not forget about other important characteristics: heat and sound insulation, tightness, exterior and interior finishes, and burglary resistance.

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