When we renovate and alter our homes, we’re not only maintaining a valuable asset, we’re adding to its value. A home that’s been properly maintained with fresh, up-to-date fixtures looks more attractive to potential buyers and potential renters, not to mention neighbors and company. And if your home is in need of a redeux, the front entryway is a great place to start.

Your entryway is visible from passing cars and by pedestrians strolling the sidewalk. It’s like the eye of your house — it’s a focal point. A lukewarm entryway will be forgettable, and ultimately make your house seem forgettable. A dramatic, striking entryway will hold attention and make an impression that sticks, elevating what might be an otherwise bland-looking property. So how can we add some excitement and drama to our front entryways? Here are a few ideas:

Decorative and Revealing Glass

A glass door, or a wooden door with a decorative glass window, is a great way to spice up your entryway. At ETO Doors, you’ll find a wide selection of glass and windowed doors, including some visually commanding glass doors with decorative iron grills. Doors made entirely or partially of glass are status symbols in their own right, and they proclaim to the neighborhood that you don’t mind being on display. And if you do mind being on display, there’s always frosted glass, which lets in plenty of uplifting natural light while maintaining privacy.

Exterior light fixtures are well known to improve the appearance of a house’s entryway, but, if you’re thinking about getting a glass door or windowed door, consider a new interior entryway light fixture, like a chandelier. At night, any eye-catching interior light will shine through your glass front door, a welcoming and enviable sight to onlookers.

Add Livable Furniture

If you’re trying to make your place look immediately attractive to buyers or renters, it’s a good idea to show the maximum livable potential of all of the home’s spaces, including the exterior front entryway. If you have the space, use it. 

• Two chair and a bistro table. An inviting scene that welcomes a neighbor for a visit, or encourages you to develop a morning coffee ritual that involves some fresh air.
• Full outdoor sofa or recliners. Splurge on thick cushions to indulge in maximum coziness
• Bench swing. Improve on the traditional porch swing by adding a cushion and pillows.
• Chair swings. There’s a diverse assortment on the market today, ranging from the teardrop style to egg shape. Hang it chair height or lounge level, solo or as a pair.
• Hammocks. Take a cue from trendy resort hotels and Silicon Valley corporate campuses and install a hammock or two. Even if you only lay in it once or twice, you just know the whole block is going to want their turn.

Unorthodox Colors

While nobody can argue against a subdued stain or a tastefully nude wood grain, sometimes it pays off to be ostentatious. That’s why we’ve been noticing more and more homeowners ordering our primed paint grade doors and slapping bright, eye-grabbing, even out-of-place colors on them. Call it a postmodern twist on the front door. While a front door traditionally complements the general color palette of a home’s facade, there’s a rising trend of colorful doors that simply demand attention.

It’s a little ridiculous and a little rebellious, but undeniably effective. While postmodern domestic architecture is no stranger to bright, pastel colors, the practice of highlighting only the front door in vivid color while maintaining an otherwise austere facade is its own unique phenomenon… and we like it!

Live Foliage Placement Ideas

If you want to spice up your entryway, sometimes it’s not the door you should worry about, but the door’s surroundings. Even a high-quality, solid core mahogany door in a modern style and featuring a column of rectangular frosted glass windows will look a little barren without some garnish. You can add sconces to the mix, or even an overhead light fixture. You can throw in a decorative welcome mat. But nothing makes your entryway look alive like some live plants.

Depending on the placement of your door and surrounding walls, there are different angles you can take with the placement of potted plants. A traditionalist would recommend two identical, large plants on either side of the door. This produces a symmetrical presentation that emphasizes the door, framing it evenly. However, asymmetry is in; consider one tall potted plant that reaches the height of the door frame, like a Madagascar dragon tree, and a few smaller, squat plants on the opposite side allowing access to the doorbell. If you’re up for some regular maintenance, a climbing plant that envelopes the wall around a front door would make for a stunning entryway.

Double Up

Finally, we shouldn’t leave out one of the tried and true entryway alterations that will be sure to introduce some grandeur to your home’s facade: double doors. Whether you’re talking two modest, low profile doors, two big barn-style doors, or two extra wide, arched monsters with iron grill-supported glass, double doors will make a statement few can ignore. Double doors hark back to medieval gates and instill a sense of authority and security. You’ll find an excellent selection of double doors, including arched double doors, at ETO Doors, and we’ll be happy to help you answer any questions you might have.