Choosing the right door for your home is not simply about choosing a slab of wood or metal to fit an opening. Doors are a critical component in establishing functionality, security, and style for your home. However, while doors can be critical architectural and design elements, there are still many pitfalls homeowners can find themselves in, despite the importance of doors.
This blog will dive into the 5 common mistakes people make when choosing doors, and how to avoid them. Whether you are trying to decide how to choose a color for front door, or asking yourself how to choose doors for your home, this post will help inform your decision making.
1. Not Considering the Purpose of the Door
One of the largest mistakes people make when choosing a door is not considering the purpose that specific door should serve. Every door in your home has a different purpose. The front door needs to be welcoming and secure; the bathroom door needs to provide privacy, and the bedroom door needs to be quiet and comfortable.
When people begin to choose a door for their home, they tend to think only about looks or budget, but not functionality, and that is usually regretted later.
Always think about:
- Privacy needs
- Sound insulation
- Security needs
- Ventilation and light with glass doors
If you think about these items instead of only style you should be inclined to choose a good interior door.
2. Material Quality
Door material is not only aesthetic, it has to do with how long it will last, how tough it will be, and basic maintenance. A door composed of an inappropriate material could warp, swell, or deteriorate more quickly than anticipated. When you begin learning about how to choose doors for your home, consider evaluating the material based on:
- Weather conditions (especially if you need entrance doors)
- Daily usage
- Required strength and sturdiness
For example, solid wood doors are beautiful and timeless; however, they might not be ideal in high humidity areas. In those cases, engineered wood provides better durability and low maintenance. This becomes even more crucial when figuring out how to choose a color for front door compared to other doors because they each absorb and reflect paints and stains differently from each other.
3. Not Taking Door Color into Account
Another common mistake happens when people consider door colors separated from the overall design and color palette of the house. Your door color either enhances or disrupts your home’s appearance. Understanding how to choose a color for front door is not just about your choice, it’s about being in harmony with your exterior wall paint, trim, windows, and landscaping.
Here are a few things to think about:
- Contrast the door color with the rest of the house so the door is a focal point.
- Warmer tones tend to make your home feel more inviting.
- Dark colors have a modern aesthetic.
Using the wrong color might make the finest quality door look out of sync with the rest of the house or even dated. When you are trying to determine how to choose a color for front door, make sure that you compare samples in natural light and against your home’s exterior finishes.
4. Only Considering the Front Door
While the front door is a big part of establishing your home’s style, to only focus on the front door while ignoring your interior doors can be a misstep. Your home’s interior doors can be an important design element for continuity and functionality.
When you are thinking to select interior door styles, take into account what colors, styles, and finishes go along with your flooring, walls, and possibly your furniture. For example, if your interior doors are mismatched, it can create a confused, cluttered look. On the other hand, a complementary interior door will elevate the design of your home, while serving the functional purpose it was installed for.
If you consider how to choose doors for your home, also be sure to consider the interior doors offer the functionality of privacy, sound isolation, and ease of use, depending on what room it is in.
5. Dismissing Hardware and Finishing Touches
A beautifully made door can easily lose charm with the wrong handle, knob, or even hinges. A lot of people will decide on this hardware at the very end of their project, like it is an add-on.
However, the hardware is both functional and decorative. If you are thinking of how to choose a color for front door, then you should also be thinking of what kinds of handles, door locks, and hinges coordinate with it. An out-of-place handle, or low quality lock could be jarring in a space you intended to look welcoming and elegant!
Quality hardware matters, not only for use, but peace of mind about safety issues. Finally, when it comes to the finish, matte black, polished chrome, antique brass, you should consider what works best with the style of the door and even the color of the door.
Final Notes
Choosing doors involves selection of style, material, functional, and finishing touches. Whether you are thinking of how to choose a color for the front door or know how to choose doors for your home, it is still best to take all factors holistically first.
You can easily avoid any potential phenomenon of inconsistencies with aesthetics, functionality, and possible future maintenance issues by avoiding these common mistakes, or ask an expert, i.e. Wesmarc doors, who can offer beautiful, well-manufactured doors or hardware with style that align with your choice of architecture and lifestyle.
Let your doors serve more purpose than just opening and closing – let them create an atmosphere about your space – to be used intelligently, carefully, and purposefully.
