Define Your Home with a Modern Front Entry

by Rachel Lyon, Editorial Director for Direct from the Designers

Modern front doors are a lot more flexible than you might think! Not only are they the natural choice for everything from mid-century to contemporary design, but many homeowners use modern entries to update their homes and give their curb appeal a boost. Explore the many different aspects of modern doors to see if this is the finish your façade needs!

Consider Natural Light

Modern architecture is known for having large windows, and there’s nothing quite like a naturally bright foyer to offer a warm welcome home. Most modern entries include lites of some kind whether they’re in the door itself, on the side, or overhead in a transom. Once you know the dimensions you have to work with, take a look at the configurations that will fit. You don’t need to fill the whole breadth, but having more space gives you more options. For example, some prefer doorlites and others like adding a sidelite or two instead; each sidelite adds width to the entry system and will require a broader foyer. And don’t forget to account for height if you have your eyes on a transom window!

Of course, if privacy is a concern or your design is bright enough already, you don’t have to include lites in your entry. There are a number of solid door styles that don’t rely on glass to strike a modern tone. They are in the minority, but they still give you a variety of looks to consider.

Add a Pattern to the Façade

There are so many ways to incorporate a pattern in your entry. First, consider any lites themselves—they can be all sorts of rectangular shapes and come in numbers big and small. So, would you prefer a few large lites or multiple smaller ones? Are you drawn to symmetrical or asymmetrical layouts? There are full lite doors with all sorts of divided lite patterns as well as nearly solid doors with smaller lite cutouts that can be arranged in a variety of ways, so this is a great way to set your door apart from others on the street.

If the pattern of your lites isn’t enough or you don’t like the divided lite look to begin with, check out glass options. Decorative glass is comprised of different types of glass, bevels, and caming to create a design, and it offers another way to make your entry pop. Modern glass styles are usually linear and/or geometric, but you can also find some with chic curves that are a bit more eclectic.

Are there no lites to speak of? No worries—you can still strike a pattern with a solid door! Recessed panel designs come in similar looks to popular full-width lite patterns. Flush doors—i.e., those without raised or recessed panels—can also be defined with lines carved into the surface. These are some of the most visually distinct possibilities around, and they make a wonderful complement when you really want to keep things clean and simple.

Try Texture for Interest

When you simplify shapes and lines like modern schemes so often do, designs can sometimes fall flat. That’s why it’s a good idea to add some variety to your home’s exterior. If you aren’t drawn to any decorative glass patterns for your front door, take a look at privacy glass instead. From cubic Geometric glass, to coarse Granite glass, to pearlescent Satin Etch glass and beyond, this special category of glass is perfect for adding nuance to a modern entry.

The surface of the door itself can also add interest to the façade. A smooth door against smooth siding can look a bit odd depending on the color, so many people look for woodgrain texture to clearly set off the entry. Exterior schemes that incorporate mixed materials—think painted siding along with stone details and a natural wood-look door—are some of the most attractive because they keep the eye moving. If your modern home doesn’t incorporate wood elsewhere on the exterior, the front door is an easy highlight to add.

Decide on a Fitting Color

Modern design uses color very deliberately, but that doesn’t mean you’re locked into anything in particular. For example, you’ll find tons of schemes that make a statement with strong contrast as well as many that are subtle to focus on the simpler, more natural aspect of organic design. Whether you go with a bold paint color that pops or a wood tone that complements a nature-inspired palette, another aspect of the door—lite pattern, glass, etc.—should underscore the modern vibe you want. Take a step back to look at the façade as a whole and you’ll see that you can’t rely on color alone!

Whatever sort of front entry you have in mind, Therma-Tru® has tons of beautiful options to help you outfit your home to perfection. From door styles to suit every type of architecture, to decorative and privacy glass to add light and style how you want, to long-lasting factory finishes in a range of hues, they offer the unique opportunity to design the exact entryway you want. Find a local dealer to start navigating the possibilities today!