Deciding to purchase a new entrance door is no simple task and it often takes great consideration to finalize the price point, quality, material, design, and timing for the project. Nowadays, homeowners and designers can select from a wide variety of material, style, and hardware to create their ideal front door. In this guide you can learn about different types and popular styles of front doors, so you can make the right choice for your next project.

Front Door Material

The most common materials for front door are steel, fiberglass and wood. Each material has its own pros and cons and might meet the distinct objectives you have for your project. When comparing the material options, you should consider their durability, security, cost, design and size limitations, eco-friendliness, energy efficiency, and maintenance.

As far as aesthetic look, no other material can beat solid wood. Wood doors are naturally warm and inviting. One of the many attractions of a wood door is that every door is completely unique; from their unlimited flexibility in design to their natural grain patterns, no two wood doors are ever the same.

In traditional home building, wood has always been the number one choice of material for front doors. Not only is wood a strong material, but it can also be cut to custom sizes to fit almost any doorway.

Front Door Types

Front doors fall into one of the following categories: single doors, single doors with one sidelight, single doors with two sidelights, double doors, and double doors with two sidelights. Sidelights are fixed windows that are attached to the sides of a front door. Not only they are architecturally beautiful, but they also invite in more natural light to your home. Generally speaking, the price of the front door increases in the same order of this list.

Nonetheless, you would need to consider that the opening width comes first when deciding on t type of the door that best suits your home.

Popular Front Door Styles

Modern Front Door

Contemporary and modern doors feature the most popular aspects of modern design. Modern doors tend to simplicity and straightness and are designed to enhance today’s contemporary home with simple, clean lines. Sleek silhouettes and minimal details are the key components in modern doors. The addition of glass panels or sidelights not only adds up to the beauty but also it can flood your home’s interior with maximum natural light.

Contemporary stains add a modern finish to our premium wood front entry doors and modern hardware including concealed hinges and modern key activated multipoint system adjacent to a contemporary pull handle set complements your home’s architectural style.

Traditional Front Doors

Traditional doors are made with stiles and rails that provide details that cannot be found in any alternative products. All components of traditional entry doors including rich detailing and European inspired accents are joined together to create a variety of interesting custom designs.

Traditional doors can be customized by the addition of clear, textured, and decorative glass panels and handcrafted iron. Exquisite wrought iron designs surely add luxury to your door. Whether you are choosing a solid traditional door or one with glass or iron, consider adding sidelights or a transom to invite in more natural light to your home.

Pivot Front Doors

Pivot front doors allow for higher and wider doors than traditional hinged doors. A pivot door is a swinging door that rotates on a vertical axis, a spindle. Pivot doors’ hinges are mounted on the top and bottom side of the door, instead of on the sides. When the hinge is placed a few inches from the side of the door, it creates the pivot door’s tail.

This tail will swing inward for an outward swinging door and outward for an inward swinging door which allows for a contemporary look and a beautiful and elegant door movement. Pivot front doors are a great way to make a grand impressive entrance.

Craftsman Front Doors

The craftsman era relied on having as much wood as the architects could put in place and returning to hand-made pieces. Today, craftsman style door is perhaps one of the most beautiful and artistically done addition to cottages and bungalows. Most craftsman doors incorporate decorative glass panels along the top quarter of the door. Using decorative wrought iron nails and rustic hinges helps achieving a handcrafted look.

Selecting the Finish

When selecting the finish for your front door, it is specifically important to take inspiration from your home’s architecture, style, materials, and existing color palette. When choosing between stain and paint you would need to consider that paint is the go-to option to drastically change the color of the wood, but it covers the natural grains of the wood.

Stain on the other hand, is absorbed by the wood and maintains the natural grains and texture of the wood. Whichever color you go for, you need to look at how it would work with your existing exterior and interior design. If you are planning to offer your home in the market, it is essential to choose a color for your front door that is appealing to the highest number of potential buyers.

Deciding on Iron and Glass

Glass panels are used on many front doors, and different types of glass can be utilized to adjust the privacy level as well as to manipulate how direct or indirect sunlight enters the home. For instance, clear glass does not limit visibility and allows natural light into the home, while frosted glass provides a level of privacy and lets in subdued light. When glass is used on front doors it gives the exterior space a modern, clean look. Wrought iron and gauge metal can also be used on front doors to add to the beauty and security.

Choosing the Right Hardware

Even though door hardware seems to be a small design detail, a wise choice can effortlessly elevate the overall aesthetic of your front door. From hardware style to finish, the handle set you put your hands on every day can make a personal design statement. In both traditional and modern architecture, lever set is always a go-to, with pull bars being increasingly used as a statement option on modern front doors. Rustic black or oil rubbed bronze hardware enhance the handcrafted look of wood front doors, while a nickel or brass finish creates a bold contrast to the door.

Conclusion

No matter the type, design, wood species and extras you’re looking for your front door Arista offers the highest quality options, and a member of our team would be glad to assist you select the perfect door for your home. Contact us today or visit our showroom in North York, Ontario.