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Is there anything as inviting as a great front door?  I use the word great because to my way of thinking it doesn’t have to be a grand door to be welcoming.  A simple door to a country home holds as much appeal for me as an European, hand carved beauty {almost}.  Still, I find that when I pass a home with a pretty front door, I begin to imagine a welcoming interior.  I realize this may be a complete fantasy, but it works for me.  {According to my husband (who I met while working at Disneyland) I live in Fantasyland all of the time, he’s right}

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I love the idea of a screen door to let the cool breeze of summer in, but this screen door is one of the first I’ve seen that looks like it was custom made to enhance this beautiful entry.   In our home we installed a Dutch door to allow the westerly breezes in, fortunately we don’t get too many bugs!

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A stone facade would be pretty terrific.  Unfortunately, here in Southern California, unless you build a custom home, most of the tract homes, even when semi-customized, don’t have stone surrounds.  The other feature I find noteworthy on this pair of doors is the centered door pulls.  The symmetry of the pulls and panels remind me of the doors you see in London.

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I like the contrast of the pretty orange door with the white trim and side lights.  I also love the door knocker.  Notice the boot scraper to the right of the front door?  The side lights and dormer are leaded glass, pretty spectacular, don’t you think?

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If you’ve read my blog for any length of time, you know I lean more towards a cottage over a mansion.  Not that I don’t appreciate a good ol’ historic mansion and would take the opportunity to live in one if offered, preferably in England, please .   The arched door and stone fireplace insist on a cozy interior…could this be Bilbo Baggins home?  I love the roof line.

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This door has the “wow factor” in spades.  From the fresh apple green paint to the pillars flanking the door, highly polished brass essentials, and the arched frame set in a brick facade…yes, please!

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If I had a beach house, this is what the door would look like.  It’s a Dutch door, but I love that it has a doggie door in it as well as great looking door hardware. No doorbell needed, just ring the string of bells tied to the right of the frame.

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Isn’t this amazing?  I imagine this door, and the house mansion attached is located in some incredible, estate-strewn area.  I love the door surround and the subtly of green and white plants.  Curb appeal is taken to an entirely different level in this neighborhood.

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To prove my point about cottage vs. mansion.  I could be content in this Southern Living Cottage of the Year.  I’d have to remove that palm, which doesn’t belong in this yard {in my humble landscape preferences opinion}.

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Pretty vibrant color but I like the details on the surround that ties it all together.  I don’t remember which tumblr I got this image from but I suspect the door is on a home in another country.  I like the address, painted into the stone crest above the beautifully carved doors.

This is the front door to our home, photographed in the winter.  I’m thinking there might be a dark blue or black door in our future.  Should I leave the side lights white or paint the doors and side panels, if and when we paint?