Reader Maureen’s lovely ranch home in the woods is in need of a front door makeover. She’s looked at all her options locally and decided that none of the available doors styles would complement her house like a mid century door from Crestview Doors. She has decided on a few styles and color choices, but needs our help to narrow them down and pick a winner.
Maureen writes:
I have been in my house 2 1/2 years. It is nestled in the woods on a dead-end street. The exterior was a jolting pumpkin/rust. Now it is painted a soft gray. I couldn’t decide on trim color (a darker gray?) or what to include in trim. So I left it white for now. I have simple window boxes to try to help those 2 awful little windows (I removed the unsuitable little shutters). I love the big bay window!
I need a good-looking door, full lite or 3/4 lite. I have seen the trend toward bright colors for doors, but I thought I would like something more serene. Maybe charcoal, black, or a lilac which is more the color of my birdbath. The ones available locally are more suitable for victorian, colonial or craftsman. Milano Doors are nice, but pricey! But I came across Crestview Doors and think these Mid-Century Modern styles might work! I like The Burbank, The Fortuna, and especially The Carlysle. I am thinking I would like contemporary/modern door hardware.
My style inside is a mix of antiques (buffet and round dining table) mixed with modern mirrors and accessories. Tables in the living room are slabs of marble on Ikea bases. My chairs are slipper chairs recovered in brick red leather. Sofa is dog-friendly khaki microsuede with burgundy piping. I guess I like a casual elegance!
Please help me with ideas for entry door style and color and hardware.
Thanks!
Using Crestview’s* very fun Door-O-Vision tool, I was able to apply all three styles of door to Maureen’s house — in the purple color she wanted. Maureen, I think you are absolutely right — you have a mid century ranch that is in need of a mid century style door. I also agree with you, that of the three Crestview door styles you mentioned, the Carlysle is best suited to your house. Since most of your windows — especially your front bay window — are more square than rectangle shaped — the square windows on the Carlysle door will repeat this square motif and make sense with the style of your house. However, they all look good — and it will be fun to see how readers weigh in, when they take our poll, below. *Note: Crestview is a longtime advertiser here on Retro Renovation, however, this story is not part of the deal or anything. See Pam’s disclosures on how we make money on the blog.
As far as door colors go — you mentioned painting your new door lilac. I think pale lilac would be too light and not create a focal point on the front of your house. Since you painted the house a light gray, and the trim is white, I would add some contrast and go dark for the front door. A charcoal gray door might be too blah — why not stick with the purple idea — how about a deep eggplant shade of purple. When you add the window boxes under your windows, you can then plant purple flowers (like petunias or pansies) in the window boxes to repeat the purple in other areas around the front of your house.
I also looked at Sherwin William’s Suburban Modern paint palette suggestions and found a color palette that may work for you — though you would have to reverse the Westchester (darker gray) with the lighter Chelsea Gray on the palette — since the bulk of your house is already light gray. Using this historically accurate paint palette, you could paint your trim Westchester gray (or leave it white) and your door Stratford Blue.
Regarding door harware, Maureen mentioned she wanted something contemporary and modern. This handset by Baldwin — with a squared off design — would be a great modern touch to her new mid century front door. I would choose the Venetian Bronze finish (which almost looks black) so it will coordinate well with the black mailbox and metal porch railings.
So there you have it Maureen, I hope this helps you in your quest to find the perfect configuration of front door, paint color and hardware.
Readers — which door would you recommend for Maureen’s house?
Now it’s time to vote:
I think the Burbank door works well with the vertical trim on the house. The off-center design also works with the asymmetrical facade of the house, I just think it brings out a different character which suits the house and will help make it more lively.
I’m not really wedded to either blue or purple for the color, but would be tempted to do one of the following:
1. Try a completely new color scheme. Consider a medium green in there, and a bold trim.
2. Take a nod to the “jolting” color scheme and try them (or similar shades) as minor trim colors to keep something of the original flavor (although that flavor may just be too distasteful, it still deserves consideration before dismissal)
3. Use a bold color door/trim over the existing grey. Midcentury often stands out and that gray seems so quiet, especially when you look at the vertical details in the trim…this house seems to have been built for strong colors. Maybe not JOLTING strong, but a two-tone with all the vertical stripes and trim in, say, the Westchester grey above; then the front door and garage door in the Stratford blue. Also, consider a garage door with windows (or paint dark blocks to match the windows in the front door).
Whatever you choose–make sure you enjoy it, it’s the house you get to come home to every day, if it’s not special it’s not worth it!
Whoops–commented about what we did with our garage door before reading your post, Ben–you beat me to the idea! We love the illusion of windows in our garage door. I concur with the color suggestions too–give it some POP!
I concur 100% on the Burbank. I love the Carlysle door, but I think it’s too vertical with the siding, and the square windows just don’t “fit” with the rest of the rectangular motif. Burbank keeps the rectangles while lengthening the house horizontally.
Er, I mean the vertical of the Fortuna!
d’oh! I’d meant the vertical of the Fortuna too! I hope I didn’t vote for the wrong door as well as typing it…need to have coffee BEFORE I comment!
I really like the Burbank and the blue a lot. The door hardware is perfect as well.
I think the eggplant is a great choice for this house. I like the Burbank door because it repeats the look of the vertical siding. Hardware choice is attractive too and would go with the vertical lines.
The Carlysle relates to the bay window and Lynda is right– the Burbank relates to the siding.
I love all of them but the Burbank is my choice (which is really Fortuna on Crestview’s site) both colors are beautiful. Fun to look at doors with my first cup o’ joe!
You are right. The Burbank is the Fortuna on the Crestview website.
Don’t want to confuse anyone!
Thanks for pointing that out — I’ve just fixed it!
*reading this after my second post above* …maybe it WASN’T lack of coffee that made me mix the doors up?
Nope, it wasn’t you Ben — it was my lack of coffee! So sorry for the confusion!
Love the Carlysle door. The three window panels balance the weight of the Bay window. Visualy the bay window pulls the eye. To help make the door the focal point, try adding wide side trim painted in dark charcoal. The eggplant door will have a high contrast from the side trim, door handle and porch railing. Then your eye will be drawn to the door. To finish the look add a mid century modern porch light. I hope this helps.
I went with the Carlysle. I liked the other two better but thought the Carlysle was a contrast to the siding and went better with the square panes in the bow window. If it is a matter of more privacy, it is not the best choice. I do like the eggplant or similar hue a bit darker might work too. I have been seeking out the doors on fifties houses around here and am amazed at some of them I have found. I literally want to knock on these doors and ask them to call me if they ever replace them. Such a shame they are no longer made!
She has a mid-century ranch, but I wouldn’t call it modern and all those door styles seem more MCM to me. I don’t think any of them work that well with her house, which is more cottage-style. As for the color, I really like the eggplant.
Our 60′s brick ranch that is not MCM has an original front door like the Carlisle. I see quite few in our neighborhood and also the Fortuna style.
Re-did my door a la crestview way but instead had my local glass company make the little double paned window boxes and still installed them into the door myself. This option proved much cheaper and I really could get a custom look. Dimensions are then up to you my local glass place had more textured glass options as well.
Great idea! We have some great glass companies here in Portland, ME
Also… I really wanted the cool escutcheons of the era so I fabricated my own. I have double doors in the front so I had a local metals place cut me a circle in half, so each half goes on its own door (spraypainted bronze) then used cool long vertical appliance pulls that had a vintage flair to them as handles. The door is only really locked with the deadbolt. It’s not the most practical doors because it’s either unlocked and swings open or it’s shut and locked… But geez does it look awesome! Also the doors are painted pale orange and the walls under the porch are covered in mosaic tile (some gold!) My neighbors jaws dropped when we unveiled the end result. People drive by and the almost get whiplash turning their heads to see it ! Lol
I’m finally compelled to comment on this blog! We just installed Crestview lights in an old 42-inch-wide entry door on our ’58 ranch (Allandale, for our very horizontal home), and we love it. I voted for the Burbank because of the vertical flow of the siding battens, and think you need a BANG of color–so the blue works best for me. Eggplant (at least in these renderings) seems too muted.
We also used a lockset VERY similar to the one you’re considering, and like it a lot (but we did brushed metal on the exterior, and antique bronze on the inside). We painted our door a really vibrant green on the outside, then a very dark brown inside–the dark lockset is almost invisible–but when you view the door/apertures from the INSIDE, all you see are these glowing windows of light. The dark door disappears.
Don’t forget how the house will look from the outside at night (entertainment- and guest-time), too, with those door choices. Your main window muntins are very square, and the Carlysle might look better at night repeating those.
For what it’s worth, we also did something else fun. We took our slab garage door, painted dark gray rectangles that mimicked–in proportion–our Allandale windows, and then applied molding and plexi over the gray. It looks like we have the same type of Alandale windows in our garage door–without cutting any holes in it. The plexi gives it the final shiny-reflection illusion, and balances the main door’s special-ness.
See my composite comments re your great ideas
Adorable house! At first, I went with the Carlisle because of the window shape and the extra lighting, but after further consideration, I changed to the Burbank. It just weaves in with the look of the whole house better than the Carlisle. Also, after I looked at the Carlisle again, together with the bow window it made that half of the house seem ‘heavier’ than the other half.
Of the two colors, I prefer the eggplant, but would really like to see a very dark navy so brighter colors could be added seasonally with decoration.
Lots of houses have windows with squarish panes. Few houses have interesting vertical stripes. I hadn’t even paid attention to the stripes until the Burbank door echoed them and created that nice rhythm.
The next door neighbors where I grew up had the Carlyle style near a similar bow window on their house. The siding was horizontal boards painted about the same shade of gray as Maureen’s house. Their house had less trim than yours, and I don’t remember what color it was. White or a darker shade of gray, I think. They painted the door a rich red. It was gorgeous. And your black metal hardware would be stunning with red.
The blue is an unpleasant shade. It’s difficult to imagine any setting where I’d care to see that particular blue. The eggplant is very nice against the gray. Easy decision.
The door has to be either the Fortuna (#1) or the Carlylsle (#3) The Burbank (#2) is an unfortunate looking door with the 3rd window placed too low. The 3 windows above the knob, each a little farther to the left might have been a good way to use the gun-slit windows. As it is the bottom window looks like a glassed in off center mail slot.
Carlysle picks up the shape of the bay windows and is not a bad choice, but there is something particularly elegant about the Fortuna. So, Fortuna, eggplant.
I like “The Fortuna” design for the door. I feel it’s somehow fitting with the current settings of the house. Also, at first I wanted the door color “stratford blue”. But later on, I found out that it’s more classy to have that “eggplant” color as the door color.
I voted for the Carlysle. I love the squares that echo the window, and the vertical line of squares echoes the vertical stripes on the house.
As for color – i voted for the eggplant, but if it were my house i would go with a different front door color. I love the look of a bright red door, with black hardware. It would really pop against the gray. Other fun choices would be a bright lemony yellow (yellow and gray look so good together) or a bright orange.
If you don’t like bright bold colors, a soft pink or mauve would be cute and feminine.
What a cute house and fun (for us) style dilemma! I agree with Kate—the Carlysle is my favorite on your house. It repeats the square-ish bay-window panes, will allow a lot of light into the house, and overall seems to “fit” the house.
Second choice for me is the Burbank. The horizontal elements contrast nicely with the vertical siding on the house.
That vertical siding (which I love) is the reason I don’t care as much for the Fortuna. Somehow it’s too much of the same thing, not doing any favors for either the door or the siding…I think a moderate contrast with the siding is in order.
I LOVE the choice of a deepish, grounded shade of plum or eggplant. (Not a fan of that blue, it jars for me.) The plum shades that Kate shows pick up the colors in your brick stoop, as well, and makes a very harmonious whole. It’s a “wow” but a subtle “wow” if that makes sense. Harmony. Looks like it’s always been there.
The right shade of deep “British red” could also be stunning. A classic color with gray. But I like the plum/eggplant idea better for your house, and it’s a bit more unexpected.
Have fun with your new door—your house is adorable!
Thanks for your kind comments and ideas. I love the vertical siding alsoI have since added black to my option list.
Agree about the Carlysle shapes, assuming no screen door.
What are those steps made of? Are they brick? Can you find a more magenta-ish color for the door to pick up the step colors? It would also warm it up a bit.
Also, as it appears you have shade all the time, and depending on what color you paint the white trim, and because the windows will read dark, I’d prefer a lighter color on the door. Not so muddy and dark as the eggplant. The blue is not quite right with that grey.
I agree with the Fortuna/Eggplant crowd. How about leaving the window trim white, but painting both under the eaves and the visible concrete foundation a dark grey? I think that would give the grounding the house needs to be painted such a light color. Would also bring out the pretty bricks on the stoop. You also might want to paint the downspout to match the grey of the siding — that’s not a design element you need to draw attention to, and it takes away from the great bay window. I like the hardware choice, but Baldwin is very expensive. I think you could do a less-pricey, more traditional handleset. That would go great with the wrought iron railings — choose black or very dark. Finally, a beefier porch light would be very nice.
Your garden is beautiful! Maybe at some point you can get a large planter for either side of the stoop. Olive or dark acid green would complement the eggplant door. Plant with dark foliage & purple flowers.
I love my garden!!: Bergenias and sedges, heucheras , hostas, and viburnums. I am so fortunate to have found this house, not .5 miles to downtown, but with woods and ledge abounding!!
You hit on my garden color theme: burgundy to coral pops ( including a burgundy gazing ball out of sight in pix), I add New Guinea Impatiens and caladium as annuals.
This is not a modern home… it is a rustic-ish (most likely originally painted a brown or green) mid century… I’d go with a door in the same vein… like a door on some of those storybook ranch homes.
Absolutely, it is a 70, ranch, but my aim is to make it more elegant and avoid cute. And it was an awful rust color last year!!
The Carlysle is the ONLY door which relates to the big front window. The blue is highly unpleasant as someone else noted! The eggplant is okay, but go for a darker deeper shade of it, like Benjamin Moore C2 6446 Wicked.
As an architect, I would also consider redesigning the (too small) porch, steps and railings. That, IMHO, is a much much bigger factor than the door!
Love the Carlyle. Paint the door in the style of a Cliff May ranch house with an orange-y or coral color. Keep the walls the gray color and paint the trim white.
Great home, Maureen. Thanks for letting us play house with you.
Fortuna because the up/down windows mimic the vertical lines of the home…
I LOVE the look of the Fortuna in the Eggplant color. I find that the vertical door lights pick up on the vertical board and batten siding, which is the strongest design element on the front of her house in my opinion. I think that I like the Carlysle the least because it competes with her amazing bow front window too much.
What great comments!!! Thank you! I would like to add the choice of black onto the list.
I have since painted the foundation to ground the house, ordered
another sconce for the door ( yes I should have gotten a bigger fixture!), and house numbers in Mission Style from Atlas Hardware ((great looking #’s).
Love the “fake” window idea for the garage!
Stoop is brick, as is my chimney. ( I love chimney’s heft and shape). I am bleaching the green stuff off them.
Yes to he big pots by the stoop…maybe burgundy coleus. Notice No Lawn!!!!
I have an original version of the Carlyle door on my ’73 ranch home. I got it at the local ReStore in a fantastic coral pink which I intended to repaint, but later decided that I love. My house is white with a dark charcoal trim color (formerly hunter green, yuck!) and the pink really pops on the front door! Go with the Carlyle!
I like the vertical Fortuna…I don’t think it has to be so matchy with the bay window like the Carlysle and the Fortuna looks the most vintage to me.
We have an original door similar to the carlysle. As much as I love it, its privacy is lacking. We have a storm door in front so that helps a bit. just worth thinking about!
We also have a storm door, and I did put removable window film over our glass. I would love to leave it nekkid, but we are in an urban neighborhood, so no way.
http://i336.photobucket.com/albums/n321/gsciencechick/Exterior/exterior_view.jpg
I voted on the Carlyle. I think the square windows mirror the shape of the bay window and the small square windows the best.
I’m not really feeling the blue or the eggplant for your door or trim, though. I think that since you’re in a wooded setting you should use a color complimentary to your surroundings. The eggplant isn’t a bad idea but looks a bit blah – maybe a slightly more vibrant shade of dark purple? I think the purple would contrast nicely with all your surrounding greenery. I also really like yellow and gray together. Maybe do the trim a darker gray than your siding, and the door a nice rich bright gold.
Oooh, and one more thing. Your entry way wants a more mod sconce light.
Kate,
How did you get the door size to match?? On my Door-o-Visions, the doors are overlarge and there is no way I can see to reduce size.
I like how the Carlysle windows work with and highlights the bay window with its mullions
I like the Carlysle best of the three, also because of the square lights in it’s relationship to the front windows and would definitely pick the eggplant over the blue. What I am seeing is not enough contrast between the roof and the body of the house, they are more or less the same level of gray. I would suggest that the house be painted a deeper shade of gray, say 2 shades deeper to give the contrast. I also think painting the body of the house a different color, say a green or a dusty yellow would be nice and work very well with the eggplant door and the trim could be painted a creamy kind of yellowy white which would give a little more warmth to the palette.
The Fortuna is rad.
Boy, this house screams for a crossbuck style dutch front door, with the board and batten siding and bow window. Think Wilbur Post’s home on Mr. Ed.
Ooh, best idea yet.
Agreed!
I’m on board for the Carlyle. But for color, orange just seems to cry out to me. Not a crazy pumpkin orange but some sort of orange. I know you just got rid of that rust color though so orange may not fly for you. Have fun whichever you choose!
Larry, I thought the same thing. Another site featured a gray house with Pittsburgh paint Carrot Cake (#223-5) on the front door. Not too bright an orange.On my screen it looks similar to the orange in Pam’s Submit Comment button. I am planning to paint my ranch Pittsburgh Fog (517-3) with a Carrot Cake door next year. Oh well, another winter of beige.
About yellow doors, the blog After the Dust Clears, which is linked on Pam’s site, shows a really nice updated house with a bright yellow front door. It is so neat. They purchased the door with the 3 horizontal windows but they didn’t mention the brand name.
This comment made me crave carrot cake!
Woo Hoo…my front door is yellow!
The Carlylse style echoes the proportions of the window panes — the others push the MCM boundaries too much and clash with the home’s natural cottage vibe.
For a handleset similar to the Baldwin, have a look at Schlage’s Century style. I’ve had two and they are well-made, at a fraction of Baldwin’s cost.
The carlysle doesn’t work for me exactly because it matches the other windows. It’s just piling on more of the same. I always loved the Fortuna style doors as a kid, but the Burbank fits the house better (low and narrow).
Anything but the carlylse. Plain even.
I like Fortuna the best but there was no button to vote for it. While I love the blue color, I think the eggplant works best with this door and this house color.
Fortuna, but a burnt orange or yellow.
I like the way the Carlysle continues the shape of the window’s grid. As far as the color, I like the blue but I think the very bright white trim color makes it look off. If the trim were the same color as the picture of the eggplant door it would flow much better. If that is not the reason, then I would choose a little more muted blue.
What a cute house! The Carlysle probably compliments your large front window the best but to me the Fortuna is one that really sparkles and makes your eye want to linger.
I think the eggplant Fortuna would be the best choice. To me, the larger windows of the Carlysle look slightly cartoon-ish, and allow too much visibility into the house. I also prefer the vertical break-up of the Fortuna lines.
I think the Carlyle is the best choice, the lights have a reference with the big window. For color…I like big contrasts on the front door, it’s the place to make a statement on a house. I think a grass green would be fabulous, especially out there in the woods, but as you say you’d like something more serene, maybe a darker green. Benjamin Moore has one called seaweed that I like, or one called, believe it or not, green (yes, no silly name, just “green.”)
I think the issue with the lines of the door(s) is actually with the scale of the mailbox, light fixture and banisters on the square steps. I’d like to see a white envelope style curved bottom mailbox (or whatever the trim color becomes), a curved light fixture without a bulb exposed, wider oblong (perhaps tinted or pebbled) cement steps and a curved slightly weightier banister.
Pick the burbank
I’m an asymmetrical type of girl, so the FORTUNA (above) has my vote. It totally complements the vertical trim on the house, and I find it more aesthetically appealing to my inner artist! The eggplant does not entice the senses enough – it’s too boringly ‘obvious’ as a color choice against the grey. I’d have to go with the STRATFORD – for zing and pizzazz. If the owner could be persuaded to have a door that ‘pop’s, RED tops the bill! I have known people who’ve painted their doors Yellow, and against the grey tone of the house, depending on the shade of Yellow, it could work. But for me, my #1 choice remains RED, followed very closely by #2 TURQUOISE!!
Sorry, but for me, a little grey house, in a little dark wood, there has to be a POP of bright color to lift it from obscurity!
Your home is so charming! I read how you changed the exterior paint color to the soft grey and white. Very nicely done. However, I am not a fan of any of the doors above. The proportions of the windows in the doors are distracting because they do not echo the prominent square windows of the large window. You need to take the que from the square windows and echo that shape in your door. The Carlysle is on the right path–but the 2 lower windows bother me for security reasons. Might I suggest looking into an “Arts and Crafts” style door? I have pinned a door suggestion here for you to consider. Please bear in mind I didn’t do an extensive search. This is Just a suggestion; giving you an idea of a proper proportion for shapes of the windows. The 6 windows that run across the top re square. The Arts & Crafts lights flanking your door might look nice too.
http://www.bz1-img.com/images_customers/02/59/8105067_68449_full.jpg
I like your “Arts & Crafts” style door handle.
Maybe beef up the molding along the sides of the door. How about installing lights like these lights on both sides of your door. The lights are Kathy Ireland Mission Hills Lights and the door was submitted by a home owner: I found these on this site
http://www.buzzillions.com/reviews/kathy-ireland-mission-hills-collection-11-high-outdoor-wall-light-reviews . Good luck to you.
Dear Maureen, I can’t stop thinking about your cute little home–I found another image I liked…
http://st.houzz.com/simgs/fbb1415e002de5f6_15-5274/eclectic-entry.jpg
I like the Crestview Door Company, my parents have one of their 3 pane front doors. It’s a great company and their doors are solid like a rock and very energy efficient — even without a screen door in front of it. Maybe see if they have an Art’s & Crafts style in their inventory along these lines. I remember something about them having a custom design service too. Take care-Sincerely, Shannon Lee
Thanks Shannon!! It is a wonderful house, on a dead end street ..very private yet close to city/ airport/highways..
I have still not chosen a door, but am leaning toward the following to echo the Bow window and the vertical siding.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Craftsman-Prairie-Style-9-Lite-Mahogany-Entry-Door-w-3-lite-Sidelights-Free-S-H-/290730550497
Oh …also the 3/4 lite would just approximate the bottom of the bow window