Sprucing Up A Front Door

It has been said that our eyes are the windows to our soul – well could our doors come under the same category? As far as first impressions go, there is nothing like your front door. It indicates the type of person who might own the house, how much care they take of their home and if you are an individual, what better place to make your mark?

You might decide to simply paint your door in a standard British colour such as red, blue or green and think that you have made a good effort, but these days the options are many when it comes to making even the oldest and most boring front door into something special, that you really can push out the boat.

All doors need three things: the door handle and locks, the letter box and a door number. You can buy sets of these which will mean that they are all in the same material and in approximately the same style. This traditional look might do if you own a traditional style home, but for more modern types – what are the options?

Door furniture comes in all types of metal, wood and even hard plastics or resin. If you home is from a particular era such as Georgian or Art Deco you can choose door furniture to match. Designers are now introducing door furniture which is little more interesting and more fitting for a modern home.

Door Knobs

Front doors will generally need a large knob to allow the door to be pulled closed. These can come in all metals from brass to stainless steel and are general rounded. However for the more adventurous, a squared knob is possible to find.

Letter plates

The letter plates refers to the part of the letter box which is seen outside your front door. They can be the usual rectangular flap type which open outwards or a flap which opens inwards and is on a spring. Others are quite ornate and can even include space for a house name to be placed.

Door Numbers

Fonts for door numbers are about as numerous as you might find on your computer. You can have mixtures of letters and numbers and these can be screwed or stuck to the door. If you are the type to advertise yourself then a super large door number can really show off your expressive side.

Door Knockers

Whether it is the plain old knocker ring or the ring in lion's mouth type, a knocker has a more traditional feel than a doorbell. If you have enough space left on your door after you have added everything else then an ornate door knocker is perfect.

The rest

Add to the above a door bell, a viewer, a door pull and all the usual locks and you can see that your door might end up looking a little overcrowded. If you want your door to look sophisticated, simply keep the door furniture to a minimum. Fun and funky types might want to choose brighter colours and more interesting designs.

Finally choose a colour which will represent what sort of person you are. Yellow for a bright and inviting home or red for vibrant and artistic. A blue door indicates a calm home and green is perfect for an environmentalist. A black door might be best left to politicians and serious types!