11 Ways to Create a Welcoming Front Entrance for Under $100

Published: November 5, 2012 on Houselogic.com

Wouldn’t it be nice to approach your home’s entrance with a grin instead of a grimace? One way to do that is by installing a new front door from Lifetime Windows and Doors! Take our tips for beating a clear, safe, and stylish path to your front door.

1. Clear the way for curb appeal. The path to your front door should be at least 3 feet wide so people can walk shoulder-to-shoulder, with an unobstructed view and no stumbling hazards. So get out those loppers and cut back any overhanging branches or encroaching shrubs.

2. Light the route. Landscape lighting makes it easy to get around at night. Solar-powered LED lights you can just stick in the ground, requiring no wiring, are suprisingly inexpensive. $45 for a pack of 8, lowes.com.

3. Go glossy. Borrow inspiration from London’s lovely row houses, whose owners assert their individuality by painting their doors in high-gloss colors. The reflective sheen of a royal blue, deep green, crimson, or whatever color you like will ensure your house stands out from the pack. If you choose one of Plastpro’s fiberglass doors they can be easily painted or stained but also comes with a door weather seal that protects from moisture. This will increase the lifespan on your door. Consult Bonnie Rosser Krims’ book, The Perfectly Painted House, for additional ideas. You could also check out https://www.industrialdoorcompany.com/ for more information about upgrading your front door.

4. Pretty up the view. A door with lots of glass is a plus for letting light into the front hall — but if you also want privacy and a bit of decor, check out decorative window film. It’s removable and re-positionable, and comes in innumerable styles and motifs. About $5.25 per running foot, decorativefilm.com.

An less expensive way to get the look of stained glass without doing custom work or buying a whole new door: Mount a decorative panel on the inside of the door behind an existing glass insert, $92 for an Arts and Crafts-style panel 20″ high by 11″ wide.

5. Replace door hardware. While you’re at it, polish up the handle on the big front door, or better yet, replace it with a shiny new brass lockset with a secure deadbolt, $57.

6. Please knock. Doorbells may be the norm, but a hefty knocker is a classic that will never run out of battery life, and another opportunity to express yourself (whatever your favorite animal or insect is, there’s a door-knocker in its image). $39, potterybarn.com.

7. Ever-greenery. Boxwoods are always tidy-looking, the definition of easy upkeep. A pair on either side of the door is traditional, but a singleton is good, too. About $25 at garden centers. In cold climates, make sure pots are frost-proof (polyethylene urns and boxes mimic terracotta and wood to perfection). $80, frontera.com.

8. Numbers game. Is your house number clearly visible? That’s of prime importance if you want your guests to arrive and your pizza to be hot. Stick-on vinyl numbers in a variety of fonts make it easy, starting at about $4 per digit.

9. Foot traffic. A hardworking mat for wiping muddy feet is a must. A thick coir mat can be had at the hardware store for less than $20, or spring for something fancier, like this decorative half-round that promises weather and mildew resistance, $45, frontgate.com.

10. Go for the glow. Fumbling for keys in the dark isn’t fun. Consider doubling up on porch lights with a pair of lanterns, one on each side of the door, for symmetry and twice the illumination. $69 each, shadesoflight.com. Don’t forget that once in your home you need somewhere to put your keys so you don’t lose them, I am not fond of key hooks and always prefer something more stylish such as a wooden key bowl however remember one important rule don’t place the bowl too close to the door as this is very unsafe if you have a letterbox in your front door that leads into your hallway, thieves have been known to undo a metal coat hanger and feed it through a letterbox and hook any keys either on a table or key hook close by, so rule of thumb if you can’t reach it from the door neither can anyone else.

11. Snail mail. Mailboxes run the gamut from kitschy roadside novelties masquerading as dogs, fish, or what-have-you to sober black lockboxes mounted alongside the front door. Whichever way you go, make sure yours is standing or hanging straight, with a secure closure, and no dings or dents. The mail carrier will thank you.