New Front Door - Therma-Tru Fiberglass

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Out with the old and in with the new (front door)

We’ve known that our front door needed to be replaced since the day we moved into the house. It was one of those things that kept being pushed to the back of the to-do list until recently. I added molding to the entryway and painted it white which brightened up my entryway, but made my old door look, well, old.

That’s when replacing the front door shot to the top of the priority list. The insulation in the glass sidelites was coming out and it now looked dingy against the bright white walls. The hallway needed some contrast and a black door was just the thing. I looked for inspiration online and played around with Photoshop to try and picture a black door in that space. I posted the photoshopped rendition on Instagram and got very positive feedback. It’s amazing how much different my hallway looks!

And here is the real-life result:

Entryway with black interior door, staircase, lantern style light fixture, and console table.

The more light the better

I won’t get into every possible option available when searching for a new exterior door, but I’ll share a bit of my thought process when I was hunting for mine. I knew I wanted a more modern front door but I wasn’t sure exactly which one to choose. There are so many front door designs out there! Even though the old door had sidelites and the entryway walls were white, I thought getting a new one with door lites (little windows) was the way to go. The more light the better! I don’t particularly care for the decorative etched glass panes with scrolling designs. Instead, I prefer the simple look of rectangular panes. Are you surprised? Door lites are double-pane glass inserts with options to have the grilles between the panes or on the outside of the glass. Mine are on the outside; I think it looks a little more authentic. Some even have removable grilles so you can change the look of your front door with ease.

black interior of front door with door lites and sidelines. Wicker pedestal with dried hydrangeas.

Wicker urn and pedestal set | Rug

There wasn’t an option for privacy glass at the time I designed my door which was fine with me. However, if you have privacy concerns, you can add an after-market adhesive film that is simple to apply.

Tap the image to shop…the reeded glass look is my favorite!

Color of my dreams

I intended to have both sides of the new front door painted a standard black by the manufacturer. It would create a little drama on the interior and it would be so pretty with the brick on the exterior of my home. However, my dreams were crushed when I learned that it’s not recommended to have a dark fiberglass composite door that will be exposed to direct sunlight and heat. The dark colors will absorb heat which could cause the door to warp, especially the thin window grilles. We don’t have a covered porch so I ended up going with white. It’s still a classic choice and contrasts the red bricks and bluestone porch perfectly.

front view of brick home with white front door, white hydrangeas, and bluestone patio

Outdoor lanterns | House numbers

Can you handle it?

Choosing a door handle is a big decision! You’ve taken the time to select the perfect front door so don’t put any old handleset on it. Find one that complements your door and makes it stand out! I went with a simple and modern satin nickel handleset by Baldwin. The finish won’t wear and fingerprints won’t be an issue. It had everything I was looking for and didn’t break the bank.

close up of black door with satin nickel handle

corner view of entry with black door, console table with vase a fresh cut hydrangeas

Door handleset | Console table| Mirror | Rug

Here are a few other options for door handlesets:

My new front door

After doing some research on composite front doors and narrowing down my design choices, I ended up choosing the Smooth-Star single-panel fiberglass door by Therma-Tru. You can visit the Therma-Tru website to design your very own custom door! The foam core, fiberglass composite, and more provide a high level of energy efficiency as well as the style I was looking for. It goes with my entry decor, no matter the season! I really love to decorate my front porch for fall and my new door makes it all look so beautiful!