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When your home has a historic flare, choosing the right front door style can seem difficult. You’ll need to understand your home’s original style, consider its proportions, use landscaping as a buffer, and perhaps install modern smart home amenities.
Since maintaining curb appeal balance is crucial for homeowners, our team at Pella Windows & Doors of Omaha and Lincoln is here to help. We’ve put together this easy guide to show you how to pair vintage with modern without losing the timeless charm of the original design.
Understand Your Home’s Style
The first step to figuring out which front door to choose is to take the time to figure out what kind of historic Eastern Nebraska architecture you’re working with. Nebraska doesn’t have a single style that dominates the area, but the most common home styles include:
- Traditional Farmhouse
- Craftsman
- Ranch
- Two-story Colonials
- Contemporary
By researching the history of your home beforehand, you’re making all future design choices easier. Plus, this kind of research can help you learn more about your home and find plenty of inspiration for future upgrades.
Consider Building Proportions
Another vital aspect to consider is the proportions of your home. Does it have a gabled roof? Are the windows large and open or long and skinny?
Using these details to guide your front door design can ensure your exterior remains cohesive.
For example, if you want glass featured in your front door design, consider using similar proportions to the rest of the home. Playing with the proportions can be useful to create a bold design, but it can be easy to overdo it. Getting advice from an experienced company like Pella can go a long way in finding the right kind of proportional balance.
Pair Contemporary Material with Historic Design
If you love the look of your current door but still want to upgrade it, talk to your local door retailer about how to install a similar traditional door style that uses the strength of modern materials. It’s possible that there are ways to pair both contemporary materials with the vintage design of your home.
A modern interpretation like this can maintain the exact exterior design you love while helping your home step into the present.
Use Landscaping and Lighting to Blend Traditional with Modern
Although the front door is one of the main features of your home’s exterior, it’s important to also consider the landscaping and lighting. Since landscaping features are a softer aspect of a building’s exterior, they can work perfectly as a way to help blend your traditional and modern design elements when they would otherwise clash.
For instance, changing the outdoor lighting can help guide the eye to the places you want it to go, helping mask areas that might have contrasting elements. Including planting beds or hedges can also help to soften the transition between traditional and modern.
Choose a Bold Color
Sometimes the best way to help your new front door look at home in Dundee or other Omaha neighborhoods is to lean away from the standard – make it stand out.
A bold door color can make a huge statement when paired with a vintage building design. Choosing a rich color that complements the material of the rest of your home can make that statement without clashing.
This makes the door the star of your home’s design, which allows you to have a little more wiggle room in choosing a design that you love. As the star, your door doesn’t need to follow many rules to still look cohesive.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Are the Different Types of Front Doors?
When considering mixing architectural elements, it’s good to have an overview of all the types of front doors you can choose from. The most common types of front doors include:
- Single door
- Double door
- Entry door with Sidelights
Depending on the space available, your choices may be limited. Here at Pella, we are more than happy to help accommodate your dream design elements.
What Is the Most Popular Front Door Style?
The most broadly popular choice is a transitional front door—a clean, paneled design that blends traditional and modern elements, often with glass in the upper portion. It looks great when paired with both modern and historic homes, but can still make a statement. It allows for improved security features without taking away from its style.
What Is the Most Welcoming Front Door Color?
Although bold colors can awe passersby, sometimes homeowners want something a little more subtle. Colors that many consider to be more welcoming in transitional front door designs include:
- Warm yellows
- Soft blues
- Bright reds
- Earthy greens
Find Inspirational Front Door Styles with Pella
Now that you’ve learned more about pairing history with modern design, it’s time to look more closely at front door styles for your home. The key is to choose a trusted name that’s willing to work with you every step of the way.
At Pella Windows & Doors of Omaha and Lincoln, we’ve been helping families reimagine their homes for over 60 years. For those in Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa, and everyone in between, we offer the Pella Promise to ensure you get high-quality materials and a unique finish that’ll last for years to come.
Looking to update your home’s entry today? Take a look at our collection of front doors to find unlimited inspiration!
