Your front door decor can set the tone for the exterior of your home, creating a warm welcome for both yourself, your neighbors, and your guests. Although front door decorations are often limited to the holiday season, they don’t have to be. Winter, spring, summer or fall, show your door some love with these simple ideas for decorating your front door.
Incorporate a Stylish Light
Lighting for front doors is essential to illuminate your entrance, and can be just the right accessory to bring continuity or contrast to your entryway. Many designs can be mixed and matched with various colors, materials, and textures to solidify your style, whether it be modern, traditional, or somewhere in between. Here are three front door lighting ideas to start.
1. Simple Sconces
Show off your design expertise with a bespoke wall sconce—they’re the perfect accent piece that won’t sacrifice function. This style presents the opportunity to switch up styles; a modern outdoor sconce might make a traditional home feel more transitional or contemporary. Or, embrace a classic colonial look with elegant lanterns. Sconces are typically placed to the right and left of the doorway, at about eye level.
2. Statement Pendants
Pendant lights come in a variety of styles and heights to accommodate various porch sizes. Best suited for grand entryways, pendants typically hang from the center of the porch in front of the door, which can create a stunning focal point.
3. Foyer Chandeliers
Looking for something really unique? Take some cues from these homeowners who used their large modern doors to their advantage. With a modern door design that features generous window space, they chose to decorate their foyer with a dazzling chandelier that shines brightly from inside, accompanied by a beautiful abstract painting.
4. Unique Flush Mounts
Perfect for the minimalist entryway, flush mounts can provide lighting for your front door without taking attention away from its design. They sit flat against the ceiling, usually encased in glass housing that allows light to spread evenly throughout a space. Similar to pendants, flush mounts are typically centered above the door. With this style, you don’t have to worry about finding the right height.
Add Greenery
5. Boxwood Topiaries
Elegant and sophisticated, boxwood topiaries are clean, low maintenance, and grow in their shape. Common topiary shapes include balls, cones, spirals, and obelisks. These plants are a favorite of gardeners because of their slow-growing nature and uniform leaf pattern.
6. Ferns and Fiddle Figs
Wanting a less manicured look? Whether hanging or potted, ferns are a classic way to add some greenery to your front porch. Just as captivating are the bold and beautiful fiddle leaf figs, which have grown in popularity over the years as the go-to plant to contrast modern interior and exterior spaces. During the hot summer months, we recommend moving your fiddle fig inside.
7. Seasonal Wreaths
Wreaths can be used to celebrate any holiday or event, and their simple design means they can be adapted to fit any style. Of course, Christmas wreaths are traditional, but dried botanical wreaths are becoming popular during other times of the year. For example, a seasonal spring wreath could feature small white flowers, ribbon, and a touch of lavender. There are endless ways to get creative!
Personalize Your Entryway
8. Cozy Seating Area
Depending on the time of year, the front porch can be a great place to enjoy some time outside. Make yours comfortable by adding a place or two to sit, read, or chat with your family. Front porch swings or benches with pillows are just the beginning.
9. Friendly Doormat
Welcome guests with a custom door mat that features your last name or monogram. Keep in mind that the scale of your mat should match that of your door. Another style we recommend is layering mats where a large, printed mat lies underneath a more practical mat. This can help with scale and also give texture and pattern to your entryway.
10. Spell Out House Numbers
For a personalized statement, consider spelling out your address as words, instead of using numerals. This can be a playful and refined way of differentiating your home from others on your street. And, there are hundreds of fonts to choose from—one pairing we’ve found flattering for modern homes is a traditional serif font in all uppercase letters. Take for instance this home on Lake Norman with a Clark Hall modern door.
Choosing the right details for your door takes intentionality. Visit our project galleries or Instagram @clarkhalldoors for more inspiration. If you liked one of the photos above and are interested in learning more about designing a custom iron door of your own, contact us to schedule a consultation. And, before you connect, be sure to check out the right details to design your custom door for more inspiration.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you illuminate a front door?
Make sure the lighting for your entryway provides adequate ambient light around your doors for safety and aesthetic purposes. You can achieve this with outdoor flush or semi-flush fixtures, pendants, lanterns, or sconces—or a combination of two types of entrance lighting.
What light is best for the front door?
Generally warm LED light bulbs are the best lighting for front doors, as they are the most energy efficient choice. And, warm light creates a warm, cozy atmosphere, ideal for areas where you’ll spend time with friends and family, or are winding down for the night.
How do I make my door look inviting?
There are many things you can do to make your entrance more inviting, but here are five quick steps:
- Get rid of any overgrowth like hanging branches or encroaching shrubs
- Light the pathway and porch
- Replace door hardware
- Add a welcoming door mat
- Sprinkle in a few new, well-kept plants
