Do you ever think it’s funny that we’re told not to “judge a book by its cover” and “it’s what’s inside that counts” and yet when it comes to our homes, curb appeal is everything? I am THAT person that will choose a more attractive looking house from the street, regardless of what wonders it holds inside and that may well make me fickle.
Transforming the front of our home from ugly duckling to glorious swan is still one of my favourite home transformations and whilst we would still like the “dream” front door, it’s amazing how a few simple touches mean that I love stepping through our current front door every day. Here I’m going to share 6 ideas for a front door makeover.
Front Door Makeover – Paint
Ok, it’s an obvious one, right? But just like with everything else, paint is SO transformative. Our front door is probably the original 1930s one and so made of wood which makes it a no-brainer to paint. It was a faded cream/white when we moved in so we stripped off the old paint, sanded and then used an external primer before painting with Dulux Gallant Grey* for external wood. It was 4 years ago, I haven’t had to repaint it since but it does tend to expand and contract a bit through the seasons. The frame was painted in a Dulux exterior paint suitable for wood*.
If you have uPVC or composite front door, you can still paint them you just need to source the appropriate paint. I’ve painted our back kitchen door which is uPVC in the Al Fresco range from Frenchic*.
Front Door Makeover – New Door Furniture
Once you’ve painted your new door, then replacing the door furniture is the next obvious step. Why go to all that effort of painting just to replace with the tatty old originals (unless of course they can be refurbished). We changed ours to a brushed steel/chrome including letterbox, knocker, knob and door bell and honestly it just elevates the whole look.
Front Door Makeover – Lighting
There are so many ways to get creative with lighting these days that there’s no excuse for a poor show. We have an electric socket to the right of our front door which had a pretty ugly, broken old-fashioned lantern when we moved in and it’s been replaced with an up-down lighter from B&Q which has done a pretty good job over the years. It looks clean, matches our door furniture and is motion sensored so especially as you come home in winter it lights up automatically.
You could also think about things like inlaying lighting into steps and sills beneath the door or in any plinths or shelters above it for a more subtle, hidden look.
Front Door Makeover – Change The Glass
Depending on the era of your home you may have a lot or a little glass in and around the door. As styles change so too do what we think looks aesethetically pleasing. We have a large glass panel to the left of our front door as you look at it and when we moved in, this was a privacy glass in quite an old-fashioned autumn leaf pattern, along with the diamond leading like all the windows in our home.
Since we would still love to ultimately replace the front door at some point, we didn’t get this panel replaced completely but opted for a simple more modern stippled effect privacy glass. This makes a world of difference, not just to how the house looks from the outside, but also how much light has been let into the hallway as a result.
Front Door Makeover – Foliage
Now this is where we fall down sadly. Our home would originally have had a lovely big, deep front garden with a path leading up to the front door. At some earlier point, previous owners ripped out the entire thing and put a brick driveway in. One the one hand it’s super convenient to have off-street parking but it does mean that it’s a bit of a stark welcome.
So far we have faux laurel trees either side of the front door just to add a bit of interest, I’ve TRIED twice with real trees but killed them each time and I don’t want to keep being responsible for that. I bought the faux trees and pots from Blooming Artificial maybe two years ago now and they’re still going strong despite winter weather and all sorts.
I’d love to eventually train something across the front like a wisteria, and utilise more pots and hanging baskets as well as reclaiming a little bit of the front drive for a modest garden. Long term plans those ones but important to really add the extra curb appeal.
Front Door Makeover – Wreaths
Rejoice for wreaths are not just for Christmas! I have faux wreaths for spring, summer and autumn (we normally get a real one for winter) and I LOVE them. Again it just adds a bit of interest and we often hear people stop to say how much they like them as they walk past. I’ve had all mine for two if not three years and they look just as good as new.
Now for the finishing embellishments, here is the front door of our dreams that we came across right when we very first moved in, were all good to go on and then, poof the company vanished in a puff of smoke overnight taking many unfortunate people’s deposits with them. But I have a picture and I have our drawings and one day, we’ll get on it.
For now though, we’re so content with how our front door looks and it just goes to show you can achieve a really impressive front door makeover with not too much effort and on a budget too!
This post contains affiliate links marked by a *. What this means is that if you make a purchase I will receive a small commission. This does not affect your price and I do not know what you have purchased.
Source List:
Dulux Weather Shield Gallant Grey*
Dulux Weathershield Preservative Primer*
Painting upvc with Frenchic*
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I think a front door makeover makes so much difference, yours looks great x
https://www.katescloset.uk/
Author
Thank you! It’s definitely a helpful budget update and looks so mcuh better than before X
Great ideas! Thanks for sharing!
Author
You’re very welcome!
thank you so much! this really inspired me and gave me the push I needed to refresh my front door. Made a million percent difference and can’t believe I hadn’t done it sooner!! Hugs x
Author
Ahh amazing Lucy so glad you’re pleased! X
I found the article “6 Ideas for a Front Door Makeover and My Dream Door” by Boo and Maddie to be an informative and inspiring read. The writer offers a variety of creative ideas for updating the front door of your home, from painting it a bold color to adding decorative hardware.
I particularly appreciated the writer’s emphasis on the importance of a welcoming front door and the impact it can have on the overall curb appeal of your home. The personal touch of sharing the writer’s own dream door and the reasons behind their choice was a nice addition and made the article feel more relatable.
Overall, if you’re looking for inspiration to update the front entrance of your home, this article is definitely worth a read. It offers practical ideas and helpful tips to make your front door stand out and make a great first impression.
Amazing content written. Highly recommend that article
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