DON'T MISS A THING

Have you ever walked down a street or driven down a road and every house had a different color or kind of door? 

It gives the whole street a feeling of a bookshelf, and each house is a novel you want to read. I was on a recent visit to Europe, and the doors of the Georgian homes are famous in Ireland and the UK. Their grand doors and entrance ways set each property apart, making it feel special.

I never gave it much thought back home, but it really is true. A Front door, or entryway to a home, is like the cover of a book, piquing curiosity and making you want to go in, look further into the design, and experience the feel of the home. 

You hear people talk about the ‘curb appeal’ of their home, and of course, a well-made door is appreciated as it adds to the overall aesthetic. 

In fact, a handcrafted door or unique entryway is just the spine of the book. Colors, plants, gardens, all give it a cover that entices me to knock on the door(I don’t, but I wanna) and ask if I can read the pages of their book.

This inspires me to think of ideas we could use on our homes to help our front doors and entryways tell our own home’s story.

The Prologue

The front door is part of your house’s curb appeal, it’s what keeps you safe, and your gateway into your sanctuary, or out into the world – it has great meaning, great purpose, and it’s important.

And while the principles of good design are universal, the execution is often tied to local values. Your front door will oftentimes be at least of a similar type to what your neighborhood has. 

Here’s a comparison example of the most common doors in Indiana vs California. 

The most commonly used entry doors in Indiana are steel because of their strength/durability, low maintenance, plus they’re pretty affordable. Fiberglass doors are also very popular, especially if they mimic wood grain. Craftsman-style doors and Shaker-style doors are often used in suburban areas and bungalows. 

California, on the other hand, has quite a different climate from Indiana, plus parts of California are extremely wealthy (Palisades, Bel Air, Hollywood Hills, Malibu, etc.), which also changes which entry doors are most luxurious at this time, since they’re treated more like architectural statements instead of entries to the house. 

So what you’ll see in California are oversized pivot doors (and these can get really HUGE). Frameless full-glass doors and steel/Glass combos are also quite popular. Other popular door types are custom-crafted doors made from a solid piece of wood (slab). But other than that, fiberglass doors are also great since they resist warping and cracking from the intense heat, but minimalist/modern flush doors seem to be very popular in neighborhoods.

So, it really can differ depending on where in the U.S. (or in the world) you live. But if you aren’t sure, you can always inspect your neighbors. Just make sure you don’t look like a burglar casing their houses.

Years ago, my Mom wanted to replace the front door to our house. I found this kind of exciting cause I was always an artsy kid and let my imagination soar. But Mom took so loooonnnggg to make a decision. She had a whole philosophy behind her decision:

• It has to complement the rest of the house.
• It has to be beautiful.
• It has to be practical.
• It has to provide safety.
• It has to handle the bitter winters and hot summers.

It could have a carving of a moose on the front, or birds? 

She laughed and said that would make an interesting door too, but she had a penchant for glass, so it ended up being a very solid, heavy glass door, and it certainly changed the way the front of the house looked. 

Ultimately, the front door, or entryway, is an investment in this first chapter of your home’s story. 

She let the outside world know a little about her style, her character, and people who came in, respected her, and always complimented her door.

The First Chapter

When you turn the page of your ‘book’, you find that people have taken the time to appreciate the iron knocker on the door, the light fixtures that illuminate the front walkway, running their hands over the surface of the door, appreciating the quality of the wood, or the intricate design of the wrought iron. 

Then they step into your home with a first impression that continues throughout. There is a foyer where there is an old wrought iron coat rack, an iron cricket to wipe your muddy boots over, and a quality Monks bench just inside the door where you can sit to remove your shoes. 

The outside design carries the style of the front door, and the elements of iron give it an industrial feel as well. 

A place that is secure, intentional, and made for living in.

The Body

After your eyes have feasted upon the beautiful entryway, the door closes, and you are enveloped in what feels like a secure, safe, warm hug. 

Your body feels completely relaxed, and you know you’re in a sanctuary that caters to the feelings you feel.  

You see thoughtful spots where you can read a book, do a puzzle, or chat with friends and family. Cosy pillows and welcoming lap blankets reveal this space as a sanctuary for peace for whoever enters here—intentional spaces offering something for everyone to relax and make themselves at home.

In the kitchen, the energy changes a little bit, and there is a work station for baking, marble surfaces for rolling out pie dough, or making cookies with the kids.

A real ‘cooks kitchen’ that offers lots of seating for guests to participate in the fun of creating a meal, or enjoy a nice tipple or cup of coffee while the cooks are busy making bread for the week. Just a you-do-you attitude, from the kitchen. 

Even if you don’t cook, you suddenly want to try!

The Arc

Eco-friendly lighting, reduce, reuse, recycle bins set up strategically in the kitchen and hallways. 

This reveals the arc of the characters in the book. A small kitchen sill garden, live plants you can eat, and proof that the occupants live in a way that helps benefit the earth. 

The decor around each room looks like clever thrift makeovers, and you know this home is full of creative thoughts and eco-friendly living. Making the world a better place one little step at a time.

Wrapping Up

The home is like a never-ending story. 

People change, trends change, and sometimes things need to be shaken up and moved around. But at the heart of it all, you have a safe, timeless entryway with a fine-crafted door that might get a few licks of paint over the years but stands the test of time. 

There’ll be sequels to your book, there’ll be personal growth and happy chapters, and maybe some sad ones, but that is what life is about. You create safe places for people to come home to, for people to feel confident to leave to spread their wings and create their own sanctuaries. 

The circle of life.

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