Dear Nisha

I don’t want to clutter my doorway with artefacts but.

Designing the front door of your home looks like an easy task but I’ve found that it’s all about cramming the style of the entire home in this one element. It sets the tone for the rest of the home. First impressions are often last impressions. But I’d like to first mention the pointers of what you shouldn’t go out of the way to do.

Let me start with what you shouldn’t do. Don’t make the mistake of creating a fussy front door that clutters the look of your entrance. It is after all a door that is of a width of approximately three feet by seven and a half or eight feet in height. So, making it busy with too much carving and relief design work will ruin the door. Instead, one can play with the entrance area. The experience that guests have while walking up to your home and knocking on your front door is the first introduction to your home and its style.

Having a cluttered porch or if you have a yard then a busy front yard, and chipping exterior paint would set a poor impression. I’d say, it is even worse to having a clean entry — one that makes no impact.

Address the surrounding area first. An aesthetic front door area with architectural detailing gives depth to the space and allows you to take a simple approach to the door itself.

A canopy above the door that is under-lit lends cheer and drama to your entrance. A door with a dramatic light above also gives you a glimpse of what awaits you inside. Also, install outdoor sconces to make your front entry well-lit.