How to pick an external door for your home

If you want to give your home exterior a big refresh, one of the best things you can do to create maximum impact is to replace your external door with a new style. With so many choices available, you can make your front door as individual as the family that live in the house behind it. Sometimes however, having so much choice is more of a hindrance than a help because it can be overwhelming, so here’s our advice on how to pick an external door for your home that you’ll love. 

Decide on the style of front door that would suit your house style so that there is synergy with the two designs and neither looks out of place. If you have a traditional home style, with a brick exterior, this cottage style door would be a good fit. Alternatively, a modern home that uses a lot of stone and glass in the design, would be perfectly complemented by a contemporary style door like this one which matches the modern look and feel. Then, you need to decide if you would like solid doors with no windows, a partly glazed front door or large glazed panels with side lights. Think about how important privacy is versus how much light you want to add to your hallway before making a decision. 

When it comes to colours for your exterior doors, the world is really your oyster. Paint, stain or varnish an untreated door to the colour of your choice, or alternatively, choose from GRP (Glass Reinforced Plastic) doors which are readily available in colours from black to blue to yellow – simply pick your favourite. When it comes to traditional colours, black and red doors are very popular, with navy seeing an increase in popularity in recent years too. Tudor style homes suit darker colours which match the dark painted lines on the half-timbered section of the house, so something like this mahogany cottage style door would be perfect. 

You’ve found a style you love, and picked the perfect colour – now, what material would you prefer? Mahogany doors are really unsurpassed for adding a classic and sophisticated feel to your home from the outset. They are secure, solid and very durable making them an ideal choice. Alternatively, a GRP door are just as secure with a wide range of finishes available and require very little maintenance after installation. Which would you prefer? 

Now that you’ve found the perfect door for you, what about adding a little something extra, like a mailbox so that you don’t ruin the overall look of your door with a letter slot (not to mention letting out valuable heating). You can also impress any guests arriving at your front door by adding colourful potted plants or hanging baskets to brighten this area and of course, what new front door transformation would be complete without a brand new ‘welcome’ mat to go with it?