Shut the front door: Design ideas ramp up your street appeal

Your front door can be a great canvas for embracing a pop of colour. For a cheerful approach, choose ‘sunshine’ colours such as bright yellow or orange, such as on this coastal home by Bonnifait+Associates Architects, which instantly impart a friendly and welcoming vibe. Nature-inspired hues, such as coastal blue and forest green, can be accessorised with natural fibres — a jute or coir door mat, for example — as well as fresh greenery to create a calming feel.

At the other end of the scale, darker shades, such as navy blue, can be teamed with matte black door hardware and sconce-style lighting for a sleek and polished look. Another style is the tone-on-tone look. Choose a façade colour and then paint your front door either a few shades lighter or a few shades darker to create a monochromatic aesthetic.

While front door design tends to lean towards timber, steel and aluminium options as the default, one material that is being increasingly embraced, is glass — a popular choice due its versatility and architectural adaptability.

Glass front doors offer a comprehensive array of design options, from the sleekly contemporary, such as this at The White House by Bossley Architects, through to the intricately etched or burnished, allowing you to create a unique expression of your personality.

No door style is better suited to contemporary architecture than the invisible door — designed to blend into the surrounding façade to create the impression of there being no front door at all.

While this may seem like the complete antithesis to creating a good first impression, the invisible door invites, nay demands, you to take a second look and leaves a lasting impression. Wayfinding cues, such as the portico and the potted plants alert us to the fact that there is more than meets the eye to this house, the 2024 City Home of the Year, designed by Nic Owen Architects.

Few colour schemes evoke an emotional response quite like the classic black-and-white arrangement. The embodiment of ‘opposites attract’, the convergence of black and white is the design example of how the sum of two divergent colours is more powerful when they’re brought together than when they’re on their own.

Teamed with the equally powerful element of symmetry, the black and white palette of this home by Narley Construction borders on design perfection.

Villas and bungalows are amongst some of the more predominant architectural styles in all of New Zealand, and while they suffer from some period-era shortcomings when it comes to modern-day life, there are several reasons as to why they remain so popular.

One of which is the time-honoured craftsmanship that went into their design and construction. Elements such as decorative fretwork and stained-glass transoms were aimed at making a good first impression — and a century later, we’re all still impressed.

In many philosophies, colour plays an integral part in our wellbeing. One of the more popular philosophies is Feng Shui, an ancient Chinese geomancy that strives to create balance between ourselves and the natural world.

In Feng Shui, the colour red is considered most auspicious, representing as it does good luck, protection, prosperity and fire energy — which is believed to attract inspiration and wealth. It’s safe to say that few doors come redder than the one incorporated into the house pictured above, Folded Roof Home by South Architects.