Your front door can be a real standout design element, whether it is a colour pop invigorating a plain façade or a striking statement piece whose design or material gives an inkling as to your chosen interior style. When it comes to front door ideas, most people tend to choose a door that resonates with their home’s existing style. For example, having a traditional door on a period home, but you might also decide to go for something unexpected –like adding a contemporary door instead.
With your front door, you’re not only thinking of aesthetic preferences but also security, so you’ll be looking at its design and structure too—solid core doors being the stronger door option over hollow core models. But don’t rule out fully glazed doors, as experts believe glazing can actually be a deterrent to someone breaking in, due to the noise involved. Some people may still prefer to add a strong steel mesh security screen door but luckily these days there are many designs to choose from. Making sure your lock system is modern is also imperative (eg. with deadbolts and digital locks). And it’s a good idea to install something like a Ring camera too.
Here, I’ve collected 28 front door ideas that feature everything from doors painted gorgeous unusual colours to ones with stunning architectural details. Let’s take a look.
Arches are always classic and doors are the perfect way to introduce the pleasing rounded form into your home. Contemporary arched front doors are often elegantly glazed and steel-framed, with the geometric black steel adding a modern feel. If you don’t have an arched doorway, you can still incorporate arches into the door design, as we’ll see further down.
Another contemporary look is minimal timber front doors with unusual, oversized knobs. A timber door seems to really suit a home that’s been built to complement a beautiful natural setting. For inspo, check out the front door at Eaglemont Residence, designed by Kennedy Nolan.
Another updated classic look is to have beautiful leadlight detailing in side panels and above a traditional timber door. Add to the air of sophistication with a gorgeous crystal chandelier.
If a minimal look is for you, grey is a lovely soft neutral which will still pop nicely against most house exteriors. Extend the colour onto the porch, and add an oversized black pendant lamp as a good accent to tonally balance the grey.
The modern organic coastal aesthetic lends itself perfectly to a soft pale timber door, such as a gorgeous rosewood one with custom brass doorknob. Light timber contrasts beautifully if you have tile on your landing and also complements a timber veranda. Just add a statement potplant and you have a serene and tranquil front door setting.
Restored vintage wooden doors add so much character to a home. They’re not only a beautiful feature to admire from the exterior but they also add plenty of charm to the interior of a hallway.
A pivoting steel door is a great idea for those who want to feel super secure. A slim-profile, streamlined black doorframe with glazed panels gives a strong contemporary feel.
Planning on a painted front door? For front door colour ideas, apart from the usual bold hues that people often choose for a striking front door—like postbox red, electric blue and sunflower yellow—you might like to consider a softer pastel like sweet mint. A softer shade will be less ‘in your face’ while still allowing you to make a style statement with a saturated colour.
Gaining in popularity in recent years is the Dutch door, which suits farmhouse, Hamptons and coastal looks. These are usually enjoyed for their practicality, so easy to keep kids and pets safely indoors while letting in the breeze. And they also bring that olde worlde charm to your home’s façade. A muted pastel usually works well, such as light blue.
A sleek, matte black double door makes a stylish entrance for a modern home, especially when paired with streamlined contemporary lights and modern planters.
If your home has a strong natural materials palette in warm, muted tones, a natural timber front door will be suitable and will signal your interior style. Then add a contrasting black door handle as a tiny accent, for a striking minimal look.
There’s nothing more gorgeous than a period-style door with decorative stained glass panels. Lovingly restored and painted a high gloss black, a heritage front door can have a modern edge.
For a truly unique front entrance, if you have the budget, consider having custom leadlight decorative panels made. As you are involved in the design process you could ensure the design has special significance to your family. Bespoke stained glass door panels are another opportunity to showcase your personality and create something absolutely unique.
For a bold contemporary home that features a gorgeous dark exterior palette, a black timber door works beautifully. You can add a contrasting timber door handle to link up outside and inside.
For a contemporary but timeless front entrance, geometric patterned steel and glass doors like X pattern double doors make a bold impression. Doors with lots of glazing are also ideal for letting large amounts of light infuse your hallway.
Feeling the ‘grandmillennial’ vibe lately? Satisfy that yearning for nostalgic flavoured décor that recalls simpler times with a timber Dutch door painted in a pastel sorbet colour like soft pink. Add simple organic décor and throw in a floral cushion to really drive home the sweet vintage feels. It makes for a lovely front entrance and if you want to see more stunning examples, here are more fabulous front porch ideas.
Double timber front doors are a lovely way to embrace nature and connect the outdoors with the indoors. Look for doors with a beautiful grain to add texture and interest.
Go for Spanish revival feels with a double arched door in a brick facade. Painting the brick white will add even more sizzling Mediterranean flavour, while copper and brass accents in the knocker, handle and light fittings will add timeless character.
Simple, minimalist timber doors really suit contemporary homes, especially those which emphasise natural coastal materials like faded and whitewashed timbers. Opt for a Scandi style white wood door, maybe featuring a highly contemporary stacked round door handle.
For a classic Palm Springs aesthetic, you really have to have brightly painted doors, even better double doors in an oversized sculptural frame. Yellow is much-loved as a front door colour because of its happy vibes, and it also speaks of desert heat.
For a modern farmhouse entrance, go for a sage green painted front door. Add large pewter vats full of lavender, a metal pendant and a cute welcome mat. For front door colour ideas, sage is a classic nature-inspired favourite.
Your house number is another chance to express yourself—ever thought of spelling out the number on your door in a script rather than numerals?
If you love a monochrome look, keep it from looking flat by playing with the texture. For example, contrast a velvety-soft looking, matte black double door with a home’s white stucco exterior.
Another option for a pivoting door is to go for a rusted Corten steel one. Perfect if you love an industrial look and it also looks and feels as safe as a bank vault!
When you think about your home’s front entrance think about contrasting tactile materials—timber, steel, glass, concrete, slate, gravel, etc. Native plants add texture to a setting too—for more inspo see also our front garden ideas.
Love a bold coloured front door? Yellow is definitely a standout door colour that has its ardent fans. It can look especially lovely against soft sky blue cladding and flowering vines. Consider a Dutch door so you can halve the dose of yellow if you wish. Dutch doors are popular for front doors thanks to their versatility—they basically become a hybrid door/window—as well as their inherent nostalgic charm.
For something unique, how about a stunning carved wooden door? It’s striking and unique and is sure to make a statement both inside and outside your home. If you have a door that is decorative on both sides, go for an all-white interior hallway. This allows the focus to remain firmly on the sculptural door.
If you’ve inherited a front door with a colour that you’re not super fond of, you can always get someone to strip the paint and start over with a new colour!
From baby pink to magenta, pink is a perennial favourite for coloured front doors. If you’re not afraid of going girly with candy colours, turn your doorway into a confection for the eyes, such as with a lolly pink one. Adding grey as an accent always matures the palette, and brings continuity if you also have a grey hallway.
A Hamptons style beach house deserves a gorgeous but simple wooden door. Pale natural timber looks lovely with all the sandy whites and natural stone. You can also add a black steel awning to balance the light palette.
A simple door is transformed into a statement design element by the choice of materials. More people are experimenting with shou sugi ban (charred wood) timber doors. It’s a striking look and looks amazing contrasted with the pale timbers and organic materials typical of a coastal style dwelling.
Have a blinding white exterior? Give it a little definition with a burst of aqua blue paint on your front door, with silver metal fixtures for accents.
Having your front door painted your favourite colour is an easy way to add cheer to your life. Teal is a beautiful and uncommon colour to consider. Against an all-white interior, a painted door acts as a mini-feature wall and natural focal point.
Signpost your artistic side with a vibrant front door even–or especially–if it has a traditional, historic silhouette. Yellow is a proven knockout front door colour, and is a quirky choice for a heritage style door. It looks especially pleasing paired with a soft grey façade.
Reverse the coloured door concept–keep your door white and paint your home exterior an appealing shade instead. A simple, clean white door with metallic fixtures looks the goods.
Mixing black and white always makes for a striking façade—just whitewash your ornate Victorian terrace and add in a punchy black door for oodles of street appeal. Keep the stained glass panels and add a minimalist security screen that doesn’t detract from the door’s aesthetic.
Peach is a gorgeous and unexpected colour for a front door. It works so well for a calm, neutral toned home. It’s a colour that looks stunning against dark green plants so make sure to add a few healthy specimens in containers next to the front door.
A wide Dutch door has traditional character that suits a modern farmhouse aesthetic. Dutch doors let you have fun with your colour palette—just paint each side a different colour and you can bring in the other colour in different ways depending on how you latch the door.
Finally, if you’re looking for beautiful front door colour ideas, make sure you check out the hashtag #parisdoors on Pinterest and Instagram for inspo. Parisian front doors are renowned around the world for their unique style, and the colours are typically stunning, such as a metallic teal against a soft grey building façade.
So that’s a wrap on my pick of gorgeous front door ideas for how to make a huge style statement with your home’s entry—which is your favourite front door? Let me know in the comments! And don’t forget you can find someone locally to expertly hang your doors or handle any door repairs you need.
This post was last modified on
Airtasker unveils changing labour force trends and the professionals leading the charge.
Get a peek into how busy parents juggle multiple tasks.
Airtasker’s latest trends report spills the beans on what tasks Aussies have been up to…