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entry doors help

4 years ago

I have double (1 faux) entry doors that i hate. Want mid century doors that will complete this house!

Comments (56)

  • 4 years ago

    measure carefully to see what size you need. Look on craigslist, offer up, Restore, or any place that carries archetectural salvage. People often remove these old doors and unload them for next to nothing.

    a good cleaning, sanding, staining/or painting will fix them up like new.

    I'd also paint that garage door a darker color until you can replace it.






    These are all colors that should work w/the yellow brick










  • 4 years ago

    When we bought this house in Seattle it had yellow trim and two different brown woods on the front and garage doors. We couldn’t afford to paint the whole house but painted the trim taupe and the front door bright turquoise, and it turned out great!

  • PRO
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    I would keep the double doors because it fits the style of the home.



    If I was forced to change them, the door should be solid and you can have narrow sidelights on either side of it.


  • 4 years ago

    Double doors are very mid century cool. Whoever designed your house was completing that look but working within the confines of the floor plan. The peak of the roof and the pendant light are in the center of the two doors. If you remove one of the doors, then you'll upset the balance of the asymmetry. The facade under the peaked roof seems to be split in thirds, one third stone (never ever paint or remove that stone), one third door, one third windows. If you remove one of the doors, the asymmetric balance will be off and it will not look appealing.

    This detail is likely original. Too bad it's not larger to really add to the look as the door is in one of Beverly's examples above.



    There's lots of mid century style doors out there. Do you want glass in the door or a full panel door?

  • 4 years ago

    Can you just take the storm doors off?

  • PRO
    4 years ago

    You do not need staorm doors and if you get a good steel door or in this case double doors there is no need for a storm door this is one of many . When spring gets here start on the landscaping by 1 st removing the hedges . This is an inspiration I use often for MCM home landscaping take note of the garage door and the front door too



  • 4 years ago

    Double doors are correct on that house. Take @Beth H’s advice and scour the places where you can find a double door that fits your house’s style. Learning how to sand and paint are critical homeowner skills and this project can be much less money than you think if you can roll up your sleeves and renovate someone else’s old door.

  • 4 years ago

    A rectangular window on your front door would work well with your existing windows on the left side of your home and moving to a similar garage door style in the future would tie in both your windows and door style. I agree that changing to a vertical siding would draw the eye up to the peak of the entry and increasing the size of the molding above would help emphasize that horizontal line. It would also be good to change the door swing so it opens into the wall next to it rather than into the open room. The vertical siding in the last photo next to the rectangular window style is interesting and makes more sense than replacing a non functioning door.







  • 4 years ago

    Congrats on your beautiful new home! Budget for maintenance and unexpected repairs and changes, live in the house a few months and list what is not working for your lifestyle, and plan for long and short term changes.

  • PRO
    4 years ago

    If I am viewing this door set up correctly, you really only have one door entry. This is a bit challenging. It doesn’t look like there is space inside where the faux door is on outside to actually accommodate a true double door? With current limited budget, start with removing metal doors and paint outside in bright green color. To replace a door is not simple especially if you have no experience with home improvements. Baby steps.

  • 4 years ago

    Who knows what is behind the faux door. Remove the screens or paint them with a paint formulated for metal the same color as the doors so they will be less prominent. I would lean into the coloring of the stone.


  • PRO
    4 years ago

    Here is inspiration. I would add contrasting brown paint in porch area and to garage door. Add MCM light to front porch. Then, cleverly change front entry. I don’t think you have room to change to real two door, but you might be able to do a 36” wide MCM style door and add a side light panel. But great care needs to be taken with specific measurements and fittings.

  • PRO
    4 years ago

    When you can paint trim, go with creamy taupe tone on trim and soffit. Trim all shrubbery to same low height in spring. Or remove and add low maintenance shrubs across front. Might even consider building long narrow planter across front and plant hardy green plants.

  • PRO
    4 years ago

    This is rough but tried eliminating snow (haha) and streamlined landscaping. Here are some additional ideas.

  • 4 years ago

    Oh my gosh this is DREAMY! Yes I am in Wisconsin.. thanks for taking the snow out

  • PRO
    4 years ago

    I thought you’d like that! The walkway from the driveway to the front door can be cement slabs placed in a curved way for giving guests a nice direction to your front door. 🙂

  • 4 years ago

    I got the dang bars open lol. Don’t mind my grass is out of control for “no Mow May” for our pollinators out whole neighborhood looks terrible but the bees will be happy. So IF I take these dang bad doors off for now, leave the doors but paint them what color?

  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    you need to replace your door knobs w/these (Retro Renovation has them. or just search 'mcm atomic door knobs)


    This is exactly what you need. light too







    also called starburst door knob










    try this French Horn color


    or one of these. hard to see the color of your stone




    then find a cool pendant and address numbers






    be on the lookout for doors like this, OR, see if you can add some trim molding to your doors before you paint them


  • 4 years ago

    Oh my gosh the wheels are turning people! Thanks so much!

  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    I edited and added more pics. take another look. photoshopped the second pic

  • 4 years ago

    Beth girl you are hired ❤️👏👏

  • PRO
    4 years ago

    This color palette would be a great choice with your stone and overall look.

  • 4 years ago

    The lime green is a knockout color, but looking at your full photo of the house, I’m voting for a dramatic orange.

    Do yourself a favor and get some Samplize pieces in the colors you’re considering. @Beth H gave you a ton of fabulous examples, but consider the overall color scheme of your home. There is a soft beige feel to yours and I think turquoise or orange will look better.

    Get some samples,and you’ll know better.

  • 4 years ago

    The starburst door knob Beth posted is awesome, but if you keep the current doors please measure to make sure it fits within the awesome carved grate feature around the door knob.

  • 4 years ago

    I like the idea of going with a darker brown-gray on the house itself, then painting the doors themselves in a deeper orange. Love Beth’s ideas for door knobs, too.

  • 4 years ago

    Many of the 1950s-1970s colors are popular again (see photos). Start with the stonework orange-beige color that isn’t changing and pick compatible colors that you personally love together. I see these paintable surfaces…wood porch trim and beams, metal gutters and downspouts, vertical siding above front door, wood underside of porch roof, front door, garage door, trim around window and front door and garage door.

  • PRO
    4 years ago

    I think the stone is main color driver. And, contrast is important to bringing it to life. A pop of color on the door(s) gets my vote but figure out your whole color palette so at the end, everything works cohesively.

  • 4 years ago


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    When you get to the yard, check out the projects by these Wisconsin landscape architects & designers

  • 4 years ago

    So here are better pictures of my stone and siding

  • 4 years ago

    First steps complete! I actually scraped all the paint off the original escutcheons around door knobs and sanded them down. They are pretty cool! Going to take off the bar doors and get matching door knobs.

  • 4 years ago

    Great door color you chose and the elbow grease is worth it! Your house is loving that you are restoring the entry.

  • 4 years ago

    Roth the effort. Those are amazing.

  • 4 years ago

    *worth

  • 4 years ago

    What color now for garage? Feels unbalanced. I won’t have any more in my budget after having garage painted…

  • 4 years ago

    (it's a small garage. can't you paint it yourself?)

    since the trim and windows are white, I'd just leave it, or You could paint it the same color as the siding above the door if you like. If you do that, I'd spend money on getting the fascia trim redone too.

    I'd rather you save up or spend the money on landscaping of those flower beds. those mushroom hedges aren't doing anything postive for your exterior

  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    Looks really great, so glad you kept the doors. You said you wanted mid century doors and just like the Wizard of Oz told Dorothy, they were there all along.

    Try to paint the garage door a color that blends with the brick or you could use the siding color that's over the door. This would easily be a DIY project with just the cost of paint, probably $80 at most using the best exterior paint. Keep all the trim white for now. Or, leave it white and focus on the landscaping.

  • 4 years ago

    The house doesn’t feel unbalanced - what feels unbalanced is the pendant disproportionately tiny over the gorgeous double door and the overgrown bushes with crew cuts. I would wash the garage door and keep it white, wash the siding above the front door, hang a wet-rated pendant about 16” height by 20” wide (maybe white globe?) over your double front door, replace some of the high maintenance lawn with MCM hardscape and landscape to complete the vibe.

  • 4 years ago

    Slowly but surely.. painted the garage . Faxing a problem though! My super cool brass escutcheons are dripping green tarnish on my doors every time it rains. not sure what to do. They brassiness that was there is definitely freaking out from the elements…

  • 4 years ago

    you could try spraying them w/a clear coat meant for brass. it keeps them from tarnishing.

  • 4 years ago

    Looking so good!

  • 4 years ago

    Of all the so-called experts on internet, I trust Bob Villa knows what to do. First step every expert says is use a magnet on the escutcheon - if it sticks you have real solid brass, if it doesn’t - you have brass plate. Once you know that, follow these steps https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-clean-brass/

  • 3 years ago

    So the big bushes are coming out tomorrow. No clue what to do with the front . Ideas ? This is wisconsin… and i need it to be on a budget.

  • 3 years ago

    Looks so good!

  • 3 years ago

    Looks so nice. I suggest you start a new thread with Landscape Design as a topic. Or maybe @Dig Doug's Designs will see this and weigh in with one of his always elegantly simple ideas.

    Can you post a picture from farther back so we can see the entire yard?

  • PRO
    3 years ago

    Here are a few suggestions:


  • 3 years ago

    Yes!!! Here they are out…

  • 3 years ago

    Done! Thanks for everyone’s help!

  • 3 years ago

    The house looks great!

    For the front landscaping consider dwarf varieties under the windows. I have dwarf arborvitae in front of my low porch, and they’re wonderful. Where you have the stone, a colorful rhododendron can add interest. I also have hydrangeas which are lovely.

    In the fall, a burning bush or two will give you amazing color. All of these should flourish in your Zone.

    Dwarf arborvitae:

  • 3 years ago

    A burning bush would look amazing with all the yellow tones in the door and stone.

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