How much thought have you given to your front door? Is it your pride and joy — primped, preened and always pristine? An untackled design project? Or a work of art? Because one thing’s for sure: it makes a hell of a first impression. A front door is more than just a gateway between the outside world and the place you call home. It’s a preview of what lies ahead, a public-facing expression of your style and taste.
So what does your front door say about you? And how can you make the most of this often overlooked feature? We asked five design experts for their approach to making a grand entrance.
‘There’s more where this came from’
If you are working with an interior palette, why not use an accent colour on the front door to introduce it? This is what interior designers Pringle & Pringle did at a house in Chiswick, where a bold teal door sets off a hallway lined with pale green grasscloth. ‘This front door was designed to feel connected to the wider scheme of the house,’ says founder Sophie Pringle. According to the landscape designer Joanna Archer, the palette was carried through every detail of the approach. The door itself is painted in Little Greene’s Harley Green, while the railings and gate are finished in the slightly different Card Room Green by Farrow & Ball, repeated on the bike and bin stores. Each element has been designed to work whether the door is shut or open, revealing the flashes of green within. ‘It’s the greens that hold it all together and give the whole frontage that sense of being rooted and restful without being predictable,’ says Archer.
‘I am not swayed by fashion’
In the midst of trends in colour and style, there’s a lot to be said for keeping an entrance straightforward — you have to look at it every day, after all. If simple elegance works for you, there are plenty of ways to do cool in a classic way. Soft, subtle blues are ideal if you steer clear of a shade that feels too cold or formal, says Claire Sa, co-founder of architecture and interior design studio De Rosee Sa. ‘Blue-grey paintwork evokes a sense of reassurance and permanence,’ she says. ‘It can help a house feel settled and inviting rather than imposing.’ At a three-storey house in St John’s Wood, the practice chose a dark-grey door with blue undertones to add understated drama to the red-brick façade and complement the architectural features. A front door is about much more than an aesthetic, says Sa. ‘It’s the backdrop to everyday rituals and significant life moments,’ she says. ‘A front door is the emotional starting point of a home.’
‘Perfection is a myth’
At a moment when rustic, lived-in charm is considered aspirational, don’t be afraid to embrace the laid-back nonchalance of a gnarled old doorway — particularly if you live outside the city. ‘A country door is about atmosphere and authenticity,’ says Lindsay Cuthill, co-founder of the Blue Book Agency and Savills’ former head of country houses. ‘Weathered oak beneath wisteria, a creaky latch, a worn stone step. It is charm over perfection, history over shine.’ There is a difference, though, between authentic and unkempt. A neglected front door complete with flaking paint, rusted fittings and cracked glazing sets the wrong tone. As do modern video doorbells, adds Cuthill. At Fountain House, a Grade II-listed former rectory in Somerset, glossy black paint provides a strong counterpoint to both the imposing Tuscan porch and the dramatic entrance hall, featuring stained-glass windows and mahogany stair rails.
‘I live for my art’
View this post on Instagram
People travel out of their way to look at the front door of artist Emily Powell, stopping to take photos of the hand-painted flowers. The door is just a hint of what’s inside the five-bedroom property, which is covered in Powell’s work from floor to ceiling, inside and out. She says she never intended to extend her artwork onto her home exterior, in the small fishing port of Brixham, Devon. ‘I had always planned to keep the outside of the house looking pretty normal,’ she says. ‘But one day I was working on the porch, and the paint just gravitated out onto the front door. I thought, “One flower won’t hurt,” and then before I knew it the whole thing was covered.’ She has no regrets. She believes the door is part of a house that feels generous, particularly on a grey day. ‘I can’t bear sadness,’ she says. ‘I lost my dad when I was very young, and since then I can’t stand a white wall or door. After a day of meetings and a long train ride home, that flowery front door gives me such an uplifting sense of pride in my nest.’
‘Natural light sustains me’
A glazed frontage can transform both the exterior and interior of a home, breaking up a solid façade while bringing light and warmth inside. Introduce stained glass and the effect becomes richer still: a subtle, intricate pop of colour on the outside and washes of natural light within. At a Wandsworth townhouse designed by Blank Slate, an olive-green front door featuring a mosaic-style stained-glass pane opens into a hallway where natural materials sit alongside a traditional-style dot-and-diamond floor. The layering of old and new, says Blank Slate founder Bari Jerauld, ‘brings character and individuality. A curated mix of carefully sourced vintage pieces and bespoke designs created in house ensures the home feels collected rather than decorated.’ The door sets the tone for the rest of the house as a glowing combination of classic and modern.
