The Top 5 Front Door Colour Trends of 2019

It’s usually encouraged to look beyond the external; it’s what inside that really counts, right? Yet, when it comes to home aesthetics, experts say it’s all about first impressions.

A stylish bespoke front door has the power to transform the overall look and feel of the front of your house, whilst immediately putting you in a good mood as soon as you get home.

One of the biggest factors in this is colour, and with the end of the year quickly approaching, we thought we’d revisit some of the most popular trending colours for front doors in 2019, and take a look at possible trends to expect in 2020.

1. Bright Yellow

Bright and bold colours on the London front doors were a major player over the summer months, adding pizzazz and vibrancy to your home’s exterior. Yellow, in particular, was a popular choice, and it’s easy to see why. The colour creates a warm and sunny look, greeting guests in a cheery fashion. And even though a bold yellow may not be a go-to choice for most, it can create a truly elegant look when used well. Think vivid pastel yellows to accompany white trims, or muted down tones to complement darker trims.

2. Sky Blue

From rich cobalt blues to more pastel tones, blue has always been a popular colour for homeowners trying to move away from traditional blacks, whites and greys. Whilst vivid royal blues have a tendency to be a timeless colour choice throughout any season, we have come to love this sky blue tone, creating a brand new form of livelihood whilst maintaining a calm and collected vibe.

3. Classic Hardwood

It would be wrong to overlook the classics, that being traditional hardwood finishes. A hardwood door brings natural warmth to your home’s exterior, creating that much-loved feeling of home-sweet-home. Not to mention, it suits any exterior paints and can’t be mismatched throughout the changing seasons.

4. Natural Tones

The love for more natural and subtle colour choices hasn’t got anywhere. Browns, blacks, greys and soft washed-out whites are still a massive trend after this year, especially when complemented with some greenery on the doorstep to really bring them alive. It’s the perfect choice if you’re opting for a more sophisticated and elegant look, and of course an easy choice for any colour palette.

5. Christmas Red

As you’d imagine, a red Victorian front door is a massive hit if you’re looking to celebrate the festivities in style, especially when decorated with Christmas essentials like holly leaves or a wreath. But don’t be fooled, this colour makes any door a real show-stopper no matter the time of year, symbolising hospitality and a warm welcome!

It’s easy to see that 2019 oversaw a mixture of style and character when it came to enhancing that curb appeal, and apparently, it’s expected to be no different in 2020.

As we venture into next year, many creative homeowners are turning to natural shades of sage greens, olive and coral tones to complement their home exteriors – and with the unique and quirky results, it’s easy to see why.

The Parts of Your House You Definitely Want to Check After This Winter

The winters and snow are not fans of your house. Both of them can do some serious damage to your house. Harsh winters can affect all kinds of buildings apart from humans and animals. The cold wind is a source of precipitation which can cause water sources to freeze, and put a strain on your house. As unforgiving as winters are, they can bring a world of trouble for you when they finally end.

There are several problems caused by winters, mainly to the foundation of the house, roofs, etc.

Here are some parts of your house that may be potentially damaged by the cold and should definitely be checked out.

The Foundation

The foundation of the house is the most important part of the house because it is what your house rests on. A strong foundation means a strong house. However, the cold breeze of winter can cause some serious damage to foundations which could ultimately turn your house into a hazard.

Winters can freeze the soil under your house, making it extremely hard instead of soft and supportive. This freezing of soil can cause irreparable damage to the foundation of your house if left unattended. Hairline fractures in the concrete can develop into cracks, causing structural issues which could next affect the walls of the house

Therefore, it is best to hire a professional to check for frost heave, and if found, attend to it timely.

The Pipes

The piping of your house is also an integral part that needs to be regularly checked, especially during and after winters.

Low temperatures can cause water to freeze quickly, especially drainage systems. When this happens, the incoming flow of water increases in pressure and puts a strain on the pipes. This additional pressure and force significantly increase the chances of the bursting of pipes. What’s more, the pipes themselves can freeze up or break due to the cold. Hence, it is a must to check the whole discharge system for any damage at the hands of winter.

Front doors

All kinds of doors, be it interior or exterior, are damaged by winter. However, the front doors bear the brunt of the harsh winters, especially in London.

London front doors bear the brunt of nature’s harshest breeze and cold. If not protected, the cold winds or moisture-laden fog can cause period front doors to contract as well as crack. What’s more, Victorian front doors can absorb rain and precipitation and be damaged internally which is why your front doors need the proper protection to handle everything nature throws at you.

The Roof

Roofs face a greater threat than front doors during the winter season. They face the harshest challenges in the form of wind, rain and the cold. The harsh winters can do a lot of damage, cause cracks as well as weaken the structure of the house as well as absorb drizzle and precipitation. Hence, it is important to protect your ceilings to the utmost.

Some Simple Ways of Protecting Your Front Door from Extreme Weather

Your house’s exterior has to face everything that the environment can throw at it. Whereas walls and roofs have sufficient protection due the nature of their construction, it’s the front door that has to deal with the worst, and mostly without protection.

You might already know multiple ways of protecting your London front door from the murky weather. Expensive paints and good wood treatments are useful without a doubt. However, both these can make for a big dent in your bank account, while not providing enough protection in front of extreme weather. Instead, some simpler methods might just prove to be more effective.

Some of these alternative yet simple methods include:

Installing a Porch in Front of the Door

A porch makes for a very pretty addition to house. More than that, it’s also effective. First of all, the porch can be quite helpful for providing shade. The overhang of a porch protects everything beneath it from sunlight and rain, while also giving you a great place to sit beneath and relax.

While you may not bask in the shade of the porch every day, your Victorian front door will. It gets the protection it needs from the harmful UV rays and the moisture that’s so common here in London.

After all, sunlight is quite harmful for front doors. It discolours paint, which makes it weaken and sustain damage. Once the paint has been removed due to the damage, the wood beneath is exposed to heat, the UV rays, and moisture that could seep into it.

Hence, a porch provides effective protection to your front door. It might not be the first choice when it comes to considering protection for the door, but it is one of the most effective options. Its shade is going to keep your London front door from facing both sunlight and rain. It’s simple and effective protection.

A Storm Door

Another simple method of providing extra protection to your bespoke front door is through a storm door. You do not need to coat the door with multiple layers of paint or treatments. Just get another door that sits in front of your London front door; a storm door.

A storm door helps you keep your bespoke front door from having to face the extreme weather. Instead, the storm door faces them all on its own. Whether its strong winds, rain, sunlight, or anything else, the storm door takes it all. While it may not offer complete protection, the amount it does is considerable.

Choose a Lighter Colour

Your front door is regularly absorbing heat from the environment. The heat makes it expand, and this holds true for both wood and steal. The expansion can cause major problems. It can cause the paint to crack and the wood to splinter. Hence, people often use expensive wood treatments on their front doors. Instead of that, a simpler approach would be to paint the front door in lighter colours. Light colours absorb less sunlight and less heat, providing automatic protection.

Aspects of Front Door Security: Part 1

The security of a home is highly dependent on the front door. After all, it is the front door that acts as the point of entry and exit. Someone looking to break into your property is initially going to take the front door into consideration. If they find it to be weak, they are bound to take advantage of its weakness and make sure that they get what they want. Hence, your front door is a measure of security that you have to consider at all times. Your front door needs to be as secure as possible. To understand its importance, the security of a front door can be considered to be just as good as the weakest link in the door.

A mortice deadlock should be fitted at knee-height

You might have a brand new bespoke front door developed by the sturdiest material protecting your home, but having a break-in is still quite possible. A bespoke front door that’s fitted with weak or flimsy locks is just as good as a door without them. No matter how hard the wood or how well-fitted the front door may be, all it is going to take is a little force. A single big kick and the lock’s fixing screws will very well give in to the force and break, leaving your entire house unprotected.

To help understand the importance of a strong lock, let’s consider another scenario. Rather than going for a sturdy Accoya wood door, you might like something more antique, but a big, strong lock will provide you with the protection you crave. Similarly, you could have a modern sturdy door fitted inside a Victorian door frame, but your door still will not go with a strong lock. Hence, no matter what kind of door you get and how you fit it, the lock makes a huge difference, one that you cannot ignore.

Nothing lasts forever! A Victorian front door in St. Leonards- on- Sea

However, you can’t ignore the quality of the door you get either. You might have the best lock in the business, but an old and dilapidated door will simply fall to pieces if struck with great force. Therefore, your door needs to be developed with the right material and the correct amount of care. If you go for something old, or something that has weakened, you will end up having your property’s security breached and its integrity compromised. Hence, when it comes to your home’s protection, each aspect needs to be given the right amount of care it deserves.

Each part of your front door needs to be robust, strong, and trustworthy for you to get the very best out of it. If there’s a single weak link in the chain, it will be your security that is compromised. Hence, making sure that each part does its job well is what you need to take care of when having your front door designed and built. If you relax in any single part, what you will get is a compromised door that can cause you problems.

Spicing up your plain front door

Does your front door, by any chance, need some sprucing up, but the idea of spending a boatload of money on a door isn’t that appealing? Look no further than this article, where we will elucidate the many ways you can make simple changes to your plain front door, which will go a long way in increasing its curb appeal.

If you’re redecorating the interior of your home, sprucing up your plain Victorian front door won’t hurt. Granted, doors generally fade in the background, deemed unimportant, but that’s not true. A door is an important part of the overall image of your home. Having a cozy, and beautiful interior won’t amount to anything if you have a shabby, or plain door, which delivers the first impression of your home.

 

Ways to spice up your door

 

In this article, we will elaborate on some of the ways you can add value to your door. You can also keep up with the latest trends or keep an eye on what the people around you are doing with their doors, instead of spending a fortune on a door.

Redecorating the door

Fresh Christmas Wreath Concept of live christmas wreaths

Redecorating the door is time-saving and gets the job done. You can use holiday decorations, for example, Christmas wreaths, shiny baubles, flowers, and pine cones to make your bespoke front door more appealing. The same decorations can be used for holiday decorations, or whatever the occasion calls for, saving time, and money, all the while getting the job done. You can even make wreaths from leaves which will add some much-needed colour to your plain door. This method is especially beneficial if you don’t have a lot of space at the front of your house, and want to limit the decorations to the door itself.

If that doesn’t gel with you, you can also change the knobs of your door, switching up from a simple doorknob to strike plates, knobs or locksets with different finishes, for example, brushed nickel, polished chrome, or antique brass.

Such a simple thing as a doorknob can change the overall appearance of your door.

 

Dress it up

Another way you can make your door appealing is by dressing it up. The door is your canvas. One way to go is by painting it with an eye-popping colour that makes it contrast with your surroundings. Not only is it eye-catching, but it also makes your door stand out.

Plain doors can also be framed to spice them up.

 

Art

You can improve the face-value of your door by adding beautiful filigree, art, or sun catchers. As afore-mentioned, wreaths are another option.

 

Garden statues

Though garden statues don’t contribute to your door directly, they do add curb appeal. You can choose unique sculptures, or have them crafted. Be it doves, owls, or the standard garden gnomes, they go a long way in helping you bring something unique to your door.

Lighting and decoration

Though slightly tricky, landscape lighting is also an option, though it is best to hire a professional for this particular job. Landscape lighting at the base of your steps can spice up your door.

Moreover, if you have a lot of space in front of your door, you can consider using decorative pots, sculptures, or anything unique, and eye-catching.

Determining the cost of a new front door

Are you looking to get a new front door and want an estimate? Unfortunately, there is no set rule to determine how much it will cost until you have determined the model, project, and mode of installation. Everyone has a budget, and it isn’t exactly peachy that you will have to mould the idea in your head according to said budget.

Though it is difficult to estimate the exact cost of the installation of a new door, certain factors will help you get to determine the cost of your door.

Factors contributing to calculating

an estimate

In this article, we will break down the ways that will allow you to make an estimate.

1. Installation

If you want your London front door to be installed perfectly, and professionally, hiring a professional service is the best way to go about it. Irrespective of how much the door itself costs itself, getting it professionally installed is integral, as it ensures the safety and performance of your door. The alternative means that you’re just burning money. However, professional installation doesn’t come cheap, and the specifics of your door also count towards the final price. The fancier your door is, that is the more arched tops, unusual shapes, and elaborate designs adorning your door, the more it is going to cost.

2. Aesthetic appeal

Aesthetic appeal factor also helps in estimating the cost of your front door. The more aesthetic appeal you strive for, by that we mean glass and ornate hardware, the more it is going to cost you. The size and the extent of how elaborate the design is, for example, a double door, arched tops, or unusual shapes, all contribute to the ultimate cost.

If you are working on a tight budget, we advise you to tone down the elaborate designs because they play a significant determining factor.

3. Security and Hardware Features

There is paraphernalia of additional hardware and security features you can choose from to inundate your front door with. It is important to remember that these additional features are optional and don’t necessarily have to be embodied by your front door. However, they do play a significant part in the application of your front door.

You can choose highly advanced security systems, for example, motion sensors, a multi-point lock system, and a variety of others. These features ensure your safety from several points. However, they cost a pretty penny, depending on how advanced they are technologically and the installation costs. If you want top-notch security, these features are integral.

4. Material

It is a fact that the material making up the door plays a significant part in the final cost. It won’t be wrong to say that it is the most important determining factor. You have a variety to choose from, fiberglass, wood, glass, steel, Accoya timber, wood and a multitude of others, each having its value. The more ornate the door is, the more it is going to cost you.

5 Reasons Why We Use Accoya Wood for Front Doors

When it comes to selecting the kind of wood for your front door, you need to get the best material. If you’re looking for something high-performance that also proves to be an environment friendly choice, then Accoya wood is what you need.

Accoya wood is acetylated and originates from Radiata Pine. The Radiata is harvested and undergoes an acetylation process which modifies the pine to its very core. Moreover, it’s an environment friendly process.

Moreover, Accoya is an incredibly diverse and beautiful piece of wood. Its quality surpasses any hardwood, while its beauty is sure to turn heads towards your front door. Furthermore, Accoya wood’s durability makes it a highly in-demand material for doors, windows, and objects that have to stick around for long. It does not split, warp, twist, or bow – making it a good material for decking. Furthermore, it is also ideal for use in cladding and siding due to its performance and sustainability, along with its natural beauty.

We at Bespoke Front Doors use Accoya Wood as our choice material for making front doors. Here’s why:

Corrosiveness

Accoya is used both internally and externally in cases that have to deal with dampness. Since water corrodes various metals and causes material deterioration, Accoya wood has to be used along with high-quality brass fixings or stainless steel to limit corrosion and maximize durability. Hence, you need to make sure that you are selecting the right material to be used with Accoya wood.

Weight

Accoya is an exceptionally lightweight material. This particular feature makes it ideal for usage in structures along with external applications such as windows and doors. The average weight of Accoya wood stands at 512kg/m³.

Durability

This particular property of Accoya wood is what sets it apart from all other tropical hardwood front door options. The acetylation process does have a part to play here as it removes the wood’s ability to absorb water, making it more durable. Moreover, the wood also becomes indigestive and far more stable. The good thing about acetylation is the fact that it utilizes no toxic or harmful chemicals, making it an environment friendly process. The process involves diluted vinegar or acetic acid to alter the timber, both safe to use materials.

Certification

Accoya wood is made with Radiata Pine as the raw material. That particular tree usually grows in New Zealand. Radiata Pine grows quite quickly and is evergreen – making it accessible and safe to use all around the year. Hence, fresh timber is always ready at hand. This makes Accoya favourable to most hardwoods which are only available at a certain time of the year. Bespoke Front Doors make sure that all of our Accoya wood comes from legally harvested timber.

Beauty and Environment-Friendliness

Accoya wood possesses a natural beauty that makes it great to use for siding, windows, and, especially, Victorian front doors. Furthermore, Accoya wood is a sustainable option that reduces the usage of hardwood resources while also being more carbon efficient. It’s an environment friendly solution that offers fantastic performance.