Exterior Doors: How to Ensure an Aesthetic Finish for Your Front Door?

Exterior doors have a simple purpose: to protect the home from uninvited guests and unwanted external factors, such as cold and noise. However, an entry door should not only be sturdy and functional, but also aesthetically pleasing. After all, it serves as the face of a house or apartment, so it must be pleasing to the eye of both residents and guests.

Modern exterior doors finished with glass and stone

The visual appeal of exterior doors is determined primarily by their finish. This finish consists of three components:

• plywood,
• color,
• decorative elements.

Only a successful, well-thought-out combination of these components allows for an attractive final result.

>>See also: Which exterior doors should you choose for your home?

Plywood for door finishing—how to choose it?

The first step in planning the finish for an entry door is choosing the plywood. To clarify: plywood is simply a panel made of thin layers of wood (in the Barański door lineup: oak) glued together and applied to the door frame.

For paneled doors, straight-grained plywood is used as standard. Panel doors offer a wider selection. The Barański door collection offers three types of plywood for this type of construction:

• plain oak—the standard option; the plywood features the natural structure of straight, longitudinal oak panels,
• made of flader oak—the plywood clearly displays the floral patterns of natural growth rings, which take on unique shapes,
• knotty oak – plywood with an even more interesting appearance, “adorned” with oak knots.

The last two types of plywood achieve the best aesthetic effect when paired with light colors, such as natural oak. Light colors emphasize the material’s natural appearance and the beauty of the veneer.

Knotty oak plywood gives doors a natural look

An additional factor to consider when planning the finish for exterior doors is the way the plywood is laid out. However, this applies only to panel doors (for paneled doors, the only available option is plain plywood laid lengthwise). There are two possible options:

• vertical orientation,
• horizontal orientation.

The former is offered as standard. The latter is an option worth seriously considering if you’re looking for original and visually appealing solutions. Some door models (e.g., Maverick 601) with a horizontal finish look truly great.

>>See also: Exterior doors with a transom

Transparent or colored: what kind of paint should you use on exterior doors?

The next step is choosing a color. We match it to both the appearance of the facade and the type of plywood. Of course, there are no strict guidelines in this regard, only suggestions—the choice of color depends largely on the customer’s preferences. Broadly speaking, there are two options:

• transparent paints,
• opaque paints.

At Barański, we use a four-coat system, which involves impregnating the doors in a separate process and then applying at least three coats of varnish. For select colors, we apply an additional coat of varnish. In the case of transparent paint, the doors are coated with wood stains available in thirteen colors. The advantage of this solution is that it preserves the wood’s grain, which highlights its natural beauty.

With opaque paint, the grain will not be as visible. The advantage of this solution, however, is the unique door color tailored to individual preferences. The selection is very wide. Doors can be finished in any color from the RAL palette, which in its standard version includes as many as 194 shades. Barański Drzwi customers most often opt for shades of green, navy blue, or gray, which typically blend well with the home’s exterior.

Stainless steel, stone, glass. Decorative elements for exterior doors

Decorative elements also play a key role in the final look of an entry door. These are various types of accents that primarily serve an aesthetic purpose, such as:

• “stainless steel accents,”
• stone,
• glass.

Stainless steel inlays are growing in popularity in contemporary design. They offer a simple way to give doors a modern yet elegant look. In Barański’s product line, inox accents are used in the Modern Plus and Simple Inox door collections. You can choose the shape of the accents.

Stainless steel is the solution for fans of modern aesthetics

Another interesting and aesthetically pleasing option is stone trim. We use it in the Prestige Kamień line. Customers can choose from five types of material, differing, among other things, in color (including sand gray, rusty brown, and golden patina). Combining the right stone with a carefully selected paint can result in an outstanding visual effect.

Glass also serves decorative purposes. This is a solution we use in the Prestige Glass line. Like stainless steel, it gives doors a modern, elegant character and allows for a unique look.

With such a wide range of available options and combinations, finishing exterior doors in a style that complements the aesthetics of the interior, facade, or stairwell can be quite a challenge. However, Barański Drzwi customers are not left to fend for themselves—our specialists are happy to advise you on how to choose the best solution for your home.