How to Choose the Right Front Door for Your Home’s Architecture

Choosing a new front door for your home can be an overwhelming decision. Color, material, accessories – there are so many things to consider that homeowners often feel like their head is spinning. 

But while these things are all important, one of the most critical things you’ll need to do is select a door that matches your home’s architecture. This is the only way to ensure that your new front door “fits” your house and helps compliment its overall aesthetic appeal. 

Don’t worry – we’ll share some key tips for picking a door that matches your home below. 

Home Architecture Pro Tip: There are dozens of different architectural styles that have been popular throughout history. If you’re not sure what style your home is, you can consult this resource from the Mississippi Heritage Trust or this resource from the National Association of Realtors.  

Picking a Front Door That Matches Your Home’s Architecture: Things to Think About

Picking a front door that matches your home’s architecture will help provide the best possible results and yield a home that you’re proud to call your own. Just keep the following pointers in mind, and you’ll be well on your way to a first-rate entryway!

Door Styles That Work with Different Architectural Styles and Eras

To start, you’ll want to consider the kinds of doors that are commonly incorporated into popular architectural styles. This will help give your home the deliberate, cohesive feel you want. 

• Colonial / Georgian: Classic six-panel wooden doors often work well with Colonial or Georgian homes, especially when painted in bold traditional colors like red, black, or navy.
• Craftsman / Bungalow: Most craftsman and bungalow-style homes pair well with 3-panel doors featuring small, square windows at the top and finished in natural wood or earth-tone paints.
• Modern / Contemporary: Modern homes look best with boldly colored, minimalistic doors that feature things like horizontal glass inserts or metal accents.  
• Farmhouse: Rustic wood doors in neutral shades work best with farmhouse-style homes. You may also want to consider adding decorative accents, such as dentil shelves to help add even more charm to the door. 
• Tudor / Gothic Revival: Tudor and gothic revival homes look fanatic with richly painted or stained arched wood doors, featuring a lot of wrought iron accents.  
• Mid-Century Modern: Match your mid-century modern home’s quirky aesthetic with a flat, unembellished door. Retro-inspired paint colors, such as orange or teal, work well in these situations.

Match Your Door’s Materials to Your Home’s Trim

In addition to picking a type of door that is well-suited for your home’s architectural style, it is also helpful to select one that matches or compliments its trim and accents. 

This means considering things like the window style and shape. If you have lots of round windows, you should probably select a door that features round (or semi-circular) glass inserts or decorations. 

It’s also wise to match the molding, trim, and shutters to your front door. You don’t, for example, want to install a metal door in a home with wooden trim. Instead, opt for an all-wood door or a fiberglass door that’s designed to resemble wood (many are nearly indistinguishable from wood). 

It’s even a good idea to consider things like your home’s exterior lighting. If you have charming, antique-style lighting, you should probably select a traditional door. But if your home features lots of sleek, modern lights, a contemporary door would be the better choice. 

Color and Finish

Choosing the right color and finish for your front door can make all the difference when trying to match it to your home’s style. While there aren’t any clear-cut rules in this regard, a few of the best choices for different home styles include:

• Colonial: Classic colors, such as black, deep red, forest green, and navy blue with a glossy or satin finish for a polished and formal look.
• Bungalow: Bungalows usually look great with earth-tone colors, such as chocolate brown, sage, olive green, and burnt orange in a matte or satin finish. These types of homes also look great when stained, as it helps show off the natural wood grain. 
• Modern: Modern homes often look great with doors painted in bold, contrasting colors. Bright reds, light-colored charcoal, lime green, and teal are all popular choices. Glossy or matte finishes can work, depending on how much you’d like the door to pop.
• Farmhouse: Matte front doors in butter yellow, seafoam, powder blue, and other soft, welcoming, pastel tones look natural when paired with farmhouse-style homes.  
• Gothic: Bold and dramatic hues are the norm for gothic homes, including burgundy, dark green, navy blue, and black. You can also use natural-looking wood stains. Just be sure to avoid glossy finishes; they don’t look right with gothic-style houses. 

Hardware Considerations

One of the final things you’ll want to think about is the hardware you choose for your door. But just because it is one of the last things you’ll want to consider doesn’t mean it isn’t important. In fact, selecting the proper hardware for your front door can help add that final bit of polish that really makes your door pop.

There are essentially three primary things to consider when selecting door hardware that matches your home’s architecture. 

The Type of Hardware

The type of hardware your door features should be matched to your house style. For example, smart locks look perfectly natural when installed in modern homes, but they may look out of place when installed in a gothic or tudor home. Conversely, decorative knockers naturally pair well with gothic doors, yet they may look out of place on a modern home. 

It’s also wise to consider the shape of the hardware. For example, farmhouses often look great with round or oval-shaped handlesets, while bungalows tend to look better with square or rectangular handlesets. 

Style

Gothic and tudor homes will usually look best with dramatic, heavy hardware, while modern houses will work better with sleek, minimalistic hardware. Meanwhile, both farmhouse and mid-century modern homes should have retro-inspired hardware, though there are key differences. Opt for understated versions for the former style, but mid-century modern homes will look perfect with “groovier” options that have a bit more personality. 

Material and Finish

Bronze, aged iron, and other rustic materials are a great choice for bungalows, while colonial homes typically look best with brass or oil-rubbed bronze hardware. Brushed nickel and chrome are leading choices for contemporary homes, while wrought iron pairs perfectly with tudor and gothic-style homes. 

A variety of materials can work well for mid-century modern homes, but metals are the most popular options. 

Don’t Be Afraid to Buck the Trends: It’s YOUR Front Door

We’ve outlined some of the door styles, colors, and materials that are commonly paired with homes built in different architectural styles. However, it is important to remember that these are trends and guidelines, rather than strict rules. 

If you’d like to add a chartreuse door with square windows to your gothic home, you certainly can! Your front door and entryway should always reflect your personality, and creativity is to be applauded. 

Just understand that unusual pairings may not appeal to the vast majority of buyers. So, unusual choices may cause challenges when it is time to sell your home. 

No Matter the Style You Choose, Insist on Quality

Picking out a new front door entails a lot of thought, research, and contemplation. Just make sure that you don’t waste all of that time and effort by selecting a substandard door. Now matter how well you match your home’s architectural style, low-quality doors never look good. 

Instead, select a high-quality, US-made Knockety door when it is time for an upgrade.

Check out our inventory now, or stop by our Houston showroom to see them in person!