Transform the entrance to your home

Text Tamsin Oxford, Featured image Nic Baleta

The front door is the gateway to your home. It is the first thing friends see and it is the mood that inspires and the moment that makes people wonder, “What other marvels does this home hide?” It is also often overlooked. A security loophole that needs to be filled with sturdy wood and bland metal doors. Here’s how you can take the bland and the boring and turn it into something stunning with just a little thought and a lot of ideas…

1. Make it shine

“Whether you choose an aluminium or wooden front door, glass panelling is becoming increasingly sought after,” says Cobus Lourens, Swartland. “Front doors with oversized glass inserts, surrounding panels, decorative glass inserts, sidelights and transoms are more and more popular due to the extra light they let into the home.”

Glass not only looks good, it offers security, solar and sound control, UV protection and insulation.

2. Create a spectacular feature

“Front doors are one of the most important features of the home and they must make you feel welcome so choose a design that matches the architecture and enhances the character of your home,” says Neels Cornelissen, Hortus Wrought Iron. “We recently added two gates to a front door that swing both ways, adding a stunning feature to the door whether they are open or closed.”

3. Double up on awesome

“Consider a two-in-one solution that has the security built into the door,” says Tertius Joubert, Fort Security Doors. “We have a steel reinforced door cladded with wooden decoration panels so it looks upmarket, but it is impenetrable.”

There’s no reason you should only have security or only have beauty. Thanks to modern engineering, you can create an extraordinary entryway to your home without compromising on your sense of style.

4. Add accessories

“Just like fashion accessories can make or break an entire outfit, so can these seemingly minor features give your front door that wow factor,” says Lourens. “You can choose from ornate knockers, door handles or hinges, through to pediment sets, door pilasters, door mantels and overlays, keystones and dentil strips.”

These little accoutrements are the zing that will take the ordinary and turn it into something extraordinary. With a deft touch here and a hint there, you can utterly transform your entryway into something you love.