When you hear the phrase curb appeal, most people think of landscaping, paint, siding, and even driveways. But a stylish, modern front door can have a huge impact on the look of your home. The right door can add value to your home and significantly increase your curb appeal, but how to choose a front door style is the question.

Front doors play a huge role in establishing a strong first impression when people are looking at your home. Modern front doors really serve two purposes: inviting people in and keeping people out.

The design and colour of the door serves to enhance your home’s look and create a focal point as people approach the entryway. While the security features serve to deter burglars.

Here are some tips for how to choose a front door style and material that meets your needs.

Choosing a Front Door that Blends

While you want your front door to make a great impression you don’t want it to stand out for the wrong reasons. Your front door should fit with the style of your home and look like it belongs there. When you’re thinking of how to choose a front door style a great way to get ideas is to look around at houses of similar style to your ownb and see what types of front doors they have and make note of the ones that appeal to you. Also look through magazines and search the web for front door styles.

Front Door Styles

There are dozens of front door styles that you can choose from. We won’t go through them all, but here are some of the more popular options you may want to consider.

1. Modern

The modern front door is characterized by straight, sleek lines and gives a clean, streamlined look. They often use geometric shapes and large panes of glass, plane or frosted.

2. Craftsman

The craftsman style front door is super popular. They are often made from wood, though they can be fibreglass. They feature panes of glass in the upper third of the door separated with trim or molding.

3. Traditional

Traditional doors usually don’t usually feature any glass panes, but have raised panels and patterns.

4. Rustic

Like traditional doors, rustic designs don’t tend to incorporate glass, except for perhaps very small windows at the top of the door. They are characterized by real or faux woodwork and oversized hardware.

5. Ornate

Ornate front doors grab attention with detailed, decorative glass in the centre panel of the door. They often incorporate detailed metal work over top of the glass.

Choosing the Right Material for Your Front Door

There are a number of material choices when you’re looking at how to choose a front door style.

Fibreglass Front Doors

Fibreglass is a popular material for doors in Canada. They are both affordable and durable, requiring little maintenance. Fibreglass does not conduct heat well, making it a good choice for our cold winters. Added to the fact that most fibreglass doors have foam core insulation, they are the most insulating of your door options. They often mimic the look of wood and take a coat of paint well making them versatile.

Wooden Front Doors

You can’t beat the look of a wooden door and wood will never go out of style. Whether you leave the natural grain showing through or paint your door, wood looks great. The downside to wood is the cost and the maintenance. Wood can warp in extreme temperatures and you need to check the door every year for signs of warping. Most modern wood doors are a sandwich of veneers over a compressed wood or steel core. This is done to keep costs down and minimize warping, but you can get solid wood doors (for a cost).

Steel Front Doors

Steel front doors are great for security. They are the strongest of our door types. They won’t crack or warp and require little maintenance. Steel doors often have a baked-on polyester finish or a vinyl coating on premium doors. You can even find some that have a wood veneer that can be painted or stained. They can also be one of the cheaper options. The trade-off is that, while they won’t warp or crack, they can dent, and depending on the size of the dent, it may require replacement. They also have a shorter lifespan than other types of doors and are not a good choice if your front door gets a lot of direct sunlight (they can get hot). 

Ultimately, how to choose a front door style will depend a lot on your personal style. Keep these ideas in mind as you explore your options to make sure you’ll choose a door that you’ll be happy with for years to come.