"The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live."
- Flora Whittemore Your front door welcomes all to your home. This declarative statement of your house -- the exclamation point of your home -- needs to sing out your welcoming note. First impressions are not just for guests. Generally, we do not receive as much company as we think we do. We lead such busy lives and simply do not entertain or visit friends often enough. Decorating your home to impress others is not as important as decorating your home for your own pleasure. Create a welcoming and warm retreat in which you feel great joy just to arrive. Do you feel happy when you see your home in the distance? Does your first glimpse of home bring a smile to your face? A problem with many new homes is that developers do not provide a separate walkway to your front door. To make yourself and your guests feel more welcome than a car, provide a separate front walkway from the street to the front door. Don't make guests walk around cars and trip on driveway edges to navigate to the entrance. Feeling Welcome Flowers lining the walkway provide a warm reception. Cheerful flowers in loud colors near the entry tell the world that you care about your home. Extras like water fountains, fishponds, cooing peace doves, and scented vegetation make all feel gladly received. Sing Out the Address Proud address numbers are bold and beautiful. Avoid tacky peel and stick numbers. Brass numbers need to have screw holes in them, not pronged ends that eventually work loose. As in the past, gold-gilded numbers look elegant on glass doors. Gold-gilded vinyl transfer numbers look especially exquisite in transom windows. Welcoming Accessories: Wind chimes add pleasure to our sense of hearing. Potted plants such as soft ferns (shun unfriendly spiked plants and thorns near the doorway). Floral baskets with bright yellow and white flowers show up better at night. A pair of rocking chairs, a double glider, or a porch swing invites neighbors to stop and chat. A doormat that not only saves your floors but also looks welcoming! What Color Should I Paint My Front Door? Unless your front door is a beautiful wood, paint it a joyful color. Your entry door should be a different color than the rest of your house. Warm happy colors include the shades of red and yellow: burgundy, claret, rust, terra cotta, deep amber, and sunny yellow. Cool happy colors of green include apple, sage, and forest green. After spending time and effort creating a wonderful entryway into your home, use it! Why enter from the garage or back door? Treat yourself as well as you treat your guests. Come home through your welcoming front door! (c) Copyright 2004, Jeanette J. Fisher. All rights reserved. |
