Adore your door
Five tips for unlocking a welcoming fall entryway
A welcome mat isn’t the only thing that greets guests at your front door. Your entire porch area, including the door itself, can rise up to meet everyone who enters.
“Your front porch can be an extension of the interior of your home, so think of it as added square footage or an outdoor room,” said Tamara Menges, owner and lead designer of boutique floral and design firm Tamara Menges Designs (tamaramenges.com). “Put as much care and thought into your front porch as you do the inside of your home, and you will not only create a cozy space to welcome guests but also have a place to enjoy the fall temperatures.”
Houston interior designers agreed on these five keys to creating an inviting pre-entrance space:
1. Keep it clean: When in doubt, give your porch a dusting.
“It’s amazing how just a good cleaning can transform a front porch,” said Ashley Rose, founder and editor of Sugar And Cloth. com. “Front doors are definitely something that goes unnoticed on weekend chores, but remembering to wipe down outdoor elements is super important when making a ‘wow’ factor for visitors.”
Even if your house is a mess and you haven’t hit everything on your to-do list, a clean entry can have a calming effect — and no one has to know about whatever disarray is behind closed doors.
“A tidy porch sets the tone when you come home from a long day,” said Maggie Bailey, lead designer and owner of Bramble & Bee floral design studio (brambleandbee.com). “At least this one thing is organized and helps keep up appearances,” she said.
What to do: Sweep, including dusting off and washing away cobwebs, dust or pollen that’s accumulated on exterior surfaces like the door, siding or stair railings. Keep
glass clean and free of fingerprints. For stubborn stains like mildew, power washing will make a vast improvement. “A little bucket of soap and water will make a huge difference on your porch, your mood and your holiday,” said Houston interior designer Seneca Cantrelle of Seneca Cantrelle Designs.
2. Hang a wreath: They’re not just for Christmas.
“It’s a very organic and natural way to warm up the porch, and it doesn’t need to be watered, tended, adjusted — or even season-specific,” said Bailey, who is hosting a free wreath-making workshop at the Highland Village Anthropologie next month. “You can forage for currently blooming greenery in your own backyard to make a fresh wreath that will live forever,” she said. Many natural materials (like grapevine, thistle berries, leaves, pinecones, twigs, moss, magnolias, ivy, eucalyptus, fern, feathers and cotton) will dry well and stay fresh-looking. And you can often find them while wandering your own neighborhood or a public park.
What to do: To make your own, buy a wire wreath form in any size and 20-gauge crafting wire at a hobby store, then use your outdoor finds to create small bunches that you can then stagger around the wreath form and secure with wire. Graphic ribbons are a nice accent and make for easy displaying. For hanging, consider removable wall hooks like Command Brand, which come in clear, bronze and gold finishes and won’t hurt your door. “A good rule of thumb is making the wreath centered around the doorknocker or apartment number or centered to the average eye height,” Rose said.
3. Accessorize in threes: If you’re grouping anything — pumpkins, gourds, plants or other seasonal items — have fun mixing it up with varying sizes and textures, but when in doubt, a trio is the way to go.
“I always defer to the rule of three,” Cantrelle said. “Working with sets of three keeps your eyes moving and looking around.”
She recommends placing larger, darker objects at the bottom or in the back of the lighter, more colorful objects. And perfection is overrated. How much is enough? “If it’s hard to navigate, see the house numbers or requires a lot of agility for people to get to your door, it’s too much.”
4. Mind the details: The little things, like a splash of fresh paint, hardware and a welcome mat can make a big impact. “Beautiful door hardware is the perfect jewelry for any door, in any season,” Cantrelle said, and “you never know whose feet may be stepping on your mat as they ring your doorbell.”
“House numbers or a new doorknocker are a great place to show some personality, too,” she said. And a new color is every designer’s answer for a simple update: “Paint is so easy to change out, and you only need a small pint,” she added. Vibrant colors, such as teal and yellow, feel fresh and unexpected, while red is said to bring good luck. “When you work to make improvements, you take pride in it and get excited about what you made happen, and from others’ perspective, it says ‘welcome.’ and ‘we love our home!’ ”
5. Let there be light: Last, but not least, make sure your porch light works, emitting a warm, inviting glow. Lanterns look good paired with other objects and make a charming addition to any porch, Menges said. Solar lighting is another, energyefficient option. “The front door definitely sets the tone of a welcoming atmosphere for dinner parties, holidays and weekend guests right from the getgo,” Rose added. “It’s a lot like judging a hotel by the lobby.”