There is a continuing trend towards larger and more visually impressive front doors. A beautiful wood front door can add a strong architectural statement to a home. Wood front doors are available in a wide variety of styles, ranging from large and elaborate doors, classic door designs, contemporary styling, or those with rustic charm.

Wood as a High End Choice
Beautifully finished wood has always been perceived as a high end building material for doors. Wood doors are increasingly becoming available in custom finishes, some of which have been designed to create old world appeal, or an antique look. Because of the fact that front entryway design trends are leaning more towards dressy and formal looks, wood can be a great way of achieving this effect.

Design Elements
Doors with arched tops, often accented by windows, are an increasingly popular trend. These types of arches are not only beautiful, but also add to the overall perceived size of the door, which can create a lot more drama and eye-appeal than a normal sized door. Side light panels are also very popular, again often with windows, or even with enclosed blinds that can be opened or closed. These window accents are often embellished with etching, beveled edges, or other types of intricate detailing, for an even more elegant look. Double French doors are also very popular as a choice for a home’s front door. Whatever style is selected, there is an emphasis on beauty and craftsmanship, and solid wood front doors are becoming the popular choice for replacing more utilitarian steel doors.

Door Size Trends
Oversized doors are becoming increasingly popular as a way of adding additional drama to the home. Doors that are taller than normal are extremely popular, as are doors that are wider, such as double doors or those with coordinating side light panels. The trend towards thicker doors is also increasing, especially with doors that are taller than eight feet.

Popular Wood Types
Doors with a deep rich finish are currently very popular and in demand. Popular hardwood choices include mahogany, cherry, maple, oak and teak. Hardwood is often the best choice for a front door, because of its weather resistance and durability, but there are also doors made from popular softwoods such as pine, fir and cedar. There are natural colorations within these wood species, as well as grain types. Mahogany is a fine-grained wood, which ranges from red to brown, and creates a very dramatic looking front door, which looks beautiful when paired with brass door hardware. Mahogany is currently the most popular wood selected for front doors. Oak is a lighter wood, ranging from a light yellow to a medium brown, with its distinctive grain pattern. While oak was traditionally a popular choice for doors, it has lost this advantage in more recent years. Walnut is ranges from light-brown to medium-brown, with a dense and distinctively distressed grain. Regardless of the type of wood that is chosen, a homeowner should expect to refinish a wood door every two to five years, to keep it beautiful and in good condition.

Author Bio: Alyssa Davis, who writes exclusively for Metal-Wall-Art.com, offers many suggestions for creating bold interiors with large wall art sculptures and butterflies metal wall decor.

Category: Home Management
Keywords: entrance, wood, front door, home, decor, remodel, improvement