Your front door is the entryway to your home and one of the easiest ways to add an instant dose of curb appeal. A new, beautiful front door offers an instant return on your investment and can genuinely transform the exterior of your home. One way to upgrade your front door is simply by painting it a bold or unique color to create an eye-catching statement.
But if it's time to pick out an entirely new entryway, there are plenty of front door ideas. The type of exterior door best for you depends on your house's design and your personal preference.
Here are popular front door styles and some of the best front door trends to consider, whether you're into a rustic, farmhouse-inspired look or searching for something more modern.
Types of Front Door Materials
How do you choose a front door style? Consider several factors, such as materials, durability, home design, personal style, and budget. Here are some of the more common front door materials to consider:
- Wood: Naturally energy-efficient; most common material for doors; can be used in a variety of home styles; can be solid, engineered wood, paneled, or include glass panels; many types of wood, including oak, elm, mahogany, beech, sycamore, and more; solid wood is costly
- Steel: Strong, durable; solid panel; inner frame usually made of steel, wood, or foam; easy to paint; won't crack or warp; more affordable
- Fiberglass: Tough, maintenance-free, stands up to humidity; can mimic wood; more affordable
- Aluminum: Custom-ordered; aluminum sheet over inner wooden or foam core; never needs painting; doesn't rust; expensive
- Wrought iron: Decorative, ornate; traditional and contemporary styles; sturdy; usually incorporate glass; many are custom; can be pricey
- Composite: Made of a variety of materials, like UPVC, foam, wood, and glass-reinforced plastic; weatherproof; moderately priced
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Barn Door
makemineaspritzer / Instagram
Want to give your home a bit of modern country charm? Check out this lovely barn door from makemineaspritzer. Add a coat of teal paint, and you have a front door sure to draw attention.
These doors originated in the countryside of the Netherlands, their design making its way to colonial America with Dutch immigrants. They are also called dairy, stable, double-hung, split, and half doors. This front door style allows you to keep the top part of the front door open for a breeze while the bottom keeps furry animals inside.
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Wood Paneled
homeattheheart / Instagram
This front door from homeattheheart is a little rustic while maintaining an overall modern feel. The vertical wood paneling offers a lot of visual interest while playing well with the overall chalet-like style of this home. This texture is best in rustic homes but can also be made modern or contemporary with the right fixtures.
You can get horizontal panels that offer a contemporary front door style that works best with modern houses. Wood paneled doors also work nicely with homes with wood paneling on the facade.
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Modern
tarynwhiteaker_designs / Instagram
Whether your home is midcentury modern or just contemporary, this modern front door from tarynwhiteaker_designs is a great inspiration. The geometric details and large panes of glass allow light to filter in. The black and tan color scheme is perfect for neutral, modern homes, but you could also experiment with a vivid hue instead.
Bold hues like pink, royal blue, black, and yellow are hot, modern front door colors. Other current trends include oversized doors and experimenting with non-traditional hardware for handles.
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Etched Glass
colorful_kimmes / Instagram
It's hard to decide what to love more about this front door from colorful_kimmes: the fun pop of neon pink or the etched-glass design. This door is pretty and unique. Opting for an etched or frosted glass door is a great way to bring in loads of light without sacrificing privacy.
Eye-popping front door colors and etched or frosted glass designs make a statement and bring a dose of originality to your home.
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Modern Farmhouse
lemonleafhomeinteriors / Instagram
If you can't get enough of that "fixer-upper" modern farmhouse style, this chic front door from lemonleafhomeinteriors is the one for you. This double front door style allows for maximum light and easy access when you need to bring in large items. A simple black or gray is an excellent way to keep the look neutral when opting for a modern farmhouse door.
Unlike rustic or traditional farmhouses, the modern farmhouse aesthetic builds upon the comfortable farmhouse style, giving it modern accents, such as bolder neutral colors, sleeker lines, and more sophisticated hardware.
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Craftsman
onceupona1912 / Instagram
A typical craftsman door has decorative molding and a top panel of windows in the upper third part of the door. This example features a dentil shelf, a decorative tooth-like feature that gives it visual interest and a rustic appearance.
This lovely mint green craftsman door from onceupona1912 incorporates the shelf and displays how impactful the color is and how well it works with a bungalow or craftsman-style home.
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Traditional With Side Glass
houseofmurphy / Instagram
If you are looking for a more traditional-style front door, check out this front door idea from houseofmurphy. This version with sidelights is a mix of traditional and farmhouse and is an excellent choice for nearly any home style. This front door uses a classic wood stain, but the style would also work well with a bolder color.
Sidelights are vertical pieces of glass or windows that are placed on each side of the front entry door. You can find many front door styles with sidelights offering a lot of variety. You can get full light sidelights, spanning the entire door height, letting in the most light or craftsman-style, offering partial window panels for more privacy.
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Ornate Style With Glass
13_is_home / Instagram
If you want a front door with a little more visual interest, look at this ornate style from 13_is_home. Considering your exterior is critical when picking your front door, as you want the designs to complement rather than clash.
Stained glass windows can bolster the style of a home, particularly craftsman homes that marry well with Tiffany-style panes of glass or this traditional front door embellished with decorative glass panels. This home's brick exterior and special glasswork make an elegant statement.
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Arch Top Front Door
alibuddinteriors / Instagram
Check out this stunning front door from alibuddinteriors. This one fits the bill if you want a front door that makes a big statement. The eye-raising arched top, the decorative paneling, and the double doors give it a stately appearance that's both modern and traditional.
You can choose from many types of arched doors, such as classical arches or elliptical (flatter arches that curve down at the sides). Do you fancy double doors or single, different types of wood, windows, or wrought iron work? Arched doorways are unique styles you can customize to handle many front door styles.
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Contemporary With Glass
spinnakerwdc / Instagram
Contemporary homes work well with a modern front door style, such as this one from spinnakerwdc that features a semi-circle glass top. Modern front door styles with glass are a common choice for a contemporary, sleek look, usually featuring geometric-shaped insets. The half-moon shapes allow light to come in and give you a peek outside while providing a distinctive look and feel for the front doorway.
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Steel
danabensonconstruction / Instagram
Here's a modern front door idea that's a bit out of the box and incredibly stunning. Courtesy of danabensonconstruction, this particular door is made of glass and steel, giving it an industrial look that is perfect for letting the sunshine into your entryway.
Steel is one of the strongest materials for a front door, surpassing wood in strength and durability. They will last for years. Steel resists weathering when wood can warp or rot with temperature and moisture.