Doors aren’t typically your number one concern when you start renovating or redecorating your home. In fact the general rule of thumb is that if they shut and lock then they should be left alone! Understandably doors will be pretty far down the design pecking order when you first start your work, but this doesn’t mean they should remain there.

Your front door is the gateway to your home, probably the first thing anyone notices when they look at your house; so why not make a feature out of it? Or at least spend the same amount of creative energy on it that you would other aspects of the home. What is always overlooked is how as simple a thing as a front door can transform the overall look of a property.

The aim of this article is to try and get you to think differently about your front door and also pass on some design hints to transform almost any door into a vintage design piece.

Mindset
The first thing we need to do is start looking at our front doors in a different way, to treat them more as pieces of furniture and less as functional objects. In doing so; you will be able to plan your door’s role in the overall look and feel of your property. Whether you want your front door to be a focal point or take more of a subtle supporting role.

Period doors

Some front doors are unfortunately unsuited to being modified, newer UPVC doors and those built from cheaper blended wood types tend to be extremely difficult to modify. The best results typically come from solid wood doors, especially period or period style variations. This is simply because the angular and elaborate features accommodate distressed finishes and work better under focused lighting.

Stripping

If you own a solid wooden door and want to create more of a vintage feel but aren’t the world’s most creative soul then simply stripping wood might be the way to go. Stripping the door of paint will reveal the natural grain and also undoubtedly a lighter colour. If you do like us love the look of a natural door be sure to seal it prior to it coming into contact with nature. Natural untreated wood will warp when in direct contact with water or even in extreme humidity.

Distressing

Distressing is the act of giving an item of furniture (in this case a door) the ‘shabby chic’ look. By intentionally wearing the paint and finish on the door you will end up with a vintage looking door which your friends will be envious of.

Distressing won’t work with the look and feel of every home, it takes a more relaxed design ethos and a not so modern home design. The process I typically follow to distress a front door is strip > paint first coat colour > paint second coat colour > distress using different sandpaper grades and any other object you like.

Lighting

Like with any other part of the home; lighting can have a dramatic effect on the look and feel of your front door. Up-lighters and more focal lighting can really show off the angular lines found in older period door designs, whilst more subtle lighting sources can help bring the doorway together and complete the look and feel of the entry area.

The above design ideas were brought to you by Yale Composite front Doors. Yale Door manufactures period style front doors. Not only does every Yale composite door look great; each door is manufactured to adhere to strict security standards set by the Met Police.