8 Ways to Spruce up Your Home’s Front Entrance

With the warmer weather of Spring, here are eight easy ways to spruce up the front entrance to your home. It doesn’t take much to freshen up and create a more welcoming space. Is your entry pleasant? Appealing to the eye? Easy to find? Does your entrance say welcome to my home? Is it a reflection of you?

1. A Good Deep Cleaning

A simple, good deep clean goes a long way. We often battle cobwebs, dust and tree debris by our doors. Having a bumpy textured plaster exterior also traps dirt, and makes great places for mud daubers to make their nests.

A fun fact: Do you know why the exterior is textured this way on our 110 year old home? Before air conditioning, the shadows created by the bumps keeps the house cooler. So ingenious, right? Often we need to spray the exterior with a pressure hose to get all the nooks and crannies clean. And something this simple does make a refreshing difference.

On either side of our front door, there are 6 side lights with old glass. Keeping the glass clean and clear, makes a subtle, yet effective impact. Does your front door have windows? Do you have sidelights? Having a tidy space will always make your home look better.

2. Change up the Color of your Front Door

We are fortunate to have a large original front door to our historic home. Over the years, I continue to change the paint color and am currently loving the shade of blue (Sherwin Williams 6479 Drizzle) it is today. Two years ago, I deliberated over which color to use. If you are not sure, please read this post on the tools available to help you select the right paint color.

What is nice about paint is that it is affordable and if you don’t like it, just paint over it. When selecting a paint color, I generally put up a sample and watch how it changes during the different light of the day. Since our front door is under cover, part of the day is has direct sun and is in shadows the rest of the time. The color changes are significant. Also manufacturers make it easy to test various colors with their small sample sizes.

3. Do You Have the Right Hardware?

Our historic home would not support contemporary hardware and luckily I believe we have the original brass door handle and hinges. Every few years, we remove the hardware and give it a good polishing.

Do you have a doorbell? I know many people now have the Ring Video doorbell, however, if not, there are some fun options in door bell decor. In retrospect, our doorbell is a bit too Victorian looking for the age of our home. But at the time, I did like its curlycue details.

Is your mailbox near your front door or out at the street? Ours is at the street, but the condition of the mailbox is an important element. Above is a photo of the mailbox (and exterior light) on our guest cottage. After a bit of paint and gold accents, here is how the mailbox looks now. To see the mailbox transformation, click here.

4. How is Your Lighting? Is it adequate?

I am often stumped with selecting the right style of lighting. But if you like the lines of your lights but not the finish, it is rather easy to change it. On our guest cottage, as you can see from the above photos, the light fixture had dulled and lost its luster over time. This easy DIY can be done at home with a can of your favorite spray paint in less than a day. See it here.

Remember to be extra safe working around any electricity. Currently I am evaluating the lighting on our front porch. My husband is experimenting with those light bulbs that flicker and look like flames. I’m not a fan but haven’t taken the time to focus on a good solution yet.

Also, make sure your lighting is adequate and safe for nighttime use.

5. Plants, Flowers and Animals

One of the BEST things I ever did for our front porch is invest in a few faux plants. Real plants live most of the year when our climate is more temperate, but during the summers all plants near the front door fry in the heat.

These two 5 foot artificial topiary cedar trees are worth every penny. Now two years later, these plants look as fabulous as they did when they arrived. No one can tell they are artificial and they look like the real thing year round. Watering? Not necessary! Maintenance? None, and they look great flanking the front door. You can find them here.

Seasonally I will change out the flower type and color. Pinks for spring and oranges and burgundy for fall. The fresh flowering plants provide another layer of texture and color.

A few concrete bunnies and chickens, as well as two galvanized ducks add a bit of whimsy to the front entrance. A simple ribbon can dress them up for the holidays.

6. Welcome Mat

There are so many welcome mat styles and designs available. Function is important because everyone needs a place to wipe their shoes before entering the house. This sisal mat provides a great surface to clean your feet and is an elegant addition to the front door. You can find it here on Wayfair.

7. A Place to Sit

If you have the room, having a place to sit or gather adds to your front entrance’s ambiance. We have an iron bench to the left of the front door, which is fun to decorate seasonally. It is also a good place to place deliveries. This pretty blush throw I found at Target. You can find a similar one here and in different colors.

We also have two rocking chairs which is a great spot for coffee in the morning. To see more about this porch update, click here.

8. A Seasonal Wreath or Door Decoration

I love a pretty wreath on a gorgeous door. If you are not someone who makes wreaths, there are so many great resources. Recently I received the Balsam Hill catalog and they have such an incredible selection. And I once bought a stunning autumn wreath through Etsy. Lots of choices and price points.

If you cannot find exactly what you are looking for, you can make your own, which is rather easy. See how I made this tulip wreath here.

Check out this 22″ pink hydrangea one from Nordstrom Rack for $109.97

With the weather getting warmer, hopefully more guests and family will be visiting. This is definitely the time to spruce up your home’s front entrance.

I hope you find these tips inspiring and I would love to hear all about your front doors, porches and entrances. Have a terrific Wednesday!

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