Many people spend hours deciding what kinds of floors they want, what color paint, and what type of carpet inside their home, but don’t spend much time at all thinking about their exterior door. If you are looking for a way to instantly improve the appearance of your home’s exterior, a new front door is a great option. Take some time to consider all the choices you have and create the ideal door to welcome guests to your home.

Choosing a Material

There are three materials that are most often used for exterior doors:

• Steel – sturdy and economical, this is a good choice for someone looking for a quality door without spending a lot of money. It is also the strongest against potential intruders, although the difference is not significant.
• Fiberglass – there are dozens of styles to choose from, allowing you to mimic the look of more expensive wood doors, or find the perfect color to complement your home’s overall look and style. It’s usually a mid-range price between wood and steel, and offers good protection against breach.
• Wood – this is the most expensive material of the three options, but it can give any home a high-end luxury look. With a variety of wood options and stains, it can be customized to get exactly what you want.

Adding Window Accents

Once you’ve decided on the best material for the door, the next step is to determine whether you want to add any windows. Doors today can come with a wide range of window options, including windows in the door itself, sidelight windows, and smaller curved windows above the door. Adding glass inside or to the sides of the door can help brighten your entryway and add a touch of artistic beauty to your front door. Some homeowners today are even deciding to install a French door—more traditionally used as a back or side door—for their entry door on the front.

Selecting the Ideal Color and Design

Fiberglass and steel doors come in just about any color you can imagine, and both hold color well. Wood can also be painted, but in most cases if you’re planning to get a wood door you will cover it with stain to bring out the natural look of the wood, rather than covering it in paint.

Wood doors do have a distinct advantage in the area of details, though. You can get raised panels, intricate carving, and other small things that can make your door really stand out.

To check out all your front door options, and start designing your own home’s front door, check out the door design tool at Price’s Doors website today.