The rustic look is extremely popular right now, and for good reason—or, to be exact, reasons. The rustic aesthetic is a timeless one that harkens back to the days when our lives were more intertwined with nature. This imbues the style with a welcoming sense of homeliness that greets homeowners, family members and visitors each time they experience rustic wood entry doors on a house.
So, how can you achieve a rustic look for your entry door? Luckily, there are ample choices for homeowners looking to add some worn and weathered appeal to their exterior doors.
Rustic Front Doors
A rustic front door begins with an old-world style that celebrates traditional building materials and methods. They’re usually made from solid wood—either mahogany or other knotty alder woods—and require all the upkeep that comes with a wood door. Today, it’s possible to obtain a rustic look while taking advantage of modern materials, like fiberglass.
Components of Rustic Doors and Styles
Giving an entry door the rustic treatment can be done by addressing different aspects of the door’s appearance and presentation.
For example, adding a wood frame—whether clean and neat or constructed from thick beam-like pieces of wood—can instantly add a natural, raw appeal to a home’s entry area.
When focusing on the door itself, rustic exterior doors usually come with panels, metal accents, etched design work, purposeful weathering or some combination of those aspects as a way of adding texture and personality to the entry door. Adding double doors is also a great way to embody the welcoming aspects of a country home. A large entry door paired with the right decorations can also inspire guests to think about other classic country staples, like the barn door.
Tips and Tricks for Making a Door Look Rustic
The rustic look is a versatile look, as evidenced by the many ways to help you take advantage of the style that’ve already been discussed. However, while trim and door size can certainly do their parts, what’ll really bring the look home is the door itself.
Door Accessories
Rustic is by no means plain, and door accessories can help push a rustic door from curbside contender to champion of the entire block.
First is the Clavos which look like rivets in the entry door and come in a variety of geometric shapes. They can be joined by hinge straps which add some straight, bold lines to any door. Dentil shelves can add a third dimension to the door and enhance decorative options, while SDL kits allow homeowners to incorporate glass into their exterior doors.
Another option is the speakeasy, which carries a name that’s indicative of its Prohibition era roots. A speakeasy is what we call the tiny, private window doormen would open to vet customers before letting them inside. They’re usually placed to sit at eye level and, while they may not open into a home, their purpose throughout history is usually clear and understood by most visitors. Adding a speakeasy to a door doesn’t just add character, it adds history. There’s nothing more rustic than that—except maybe wood.
Weathered Paint
Speaking of wood, adding a weathered look to that wood or stained door can do wonders for a rustic appearance. This type of stylization can enhance the character of an entryway without losing heat or maintaining less secure exterior doors—all downsides of doors that are actually weathered.
Staining Solutions
Staining kits can help you apply the desired wooden look to a front door that’s made out of another material, like fiberglass. Wooden doors are classic options, but achieving that classic look doesn’t need to come with the downsides of a wooden door. Fiberglass options keep in more heat, provide better security and withstand the elements better than their wooden counterparts. Staining solutions make sure they can look good while doing it.
Decorate Your Exterior and Porch
Homeowners striving to capture that rustic look for the main entrance of their home have ample options when it comes to exterior doors and their accessories, but the expert utilization of decorations can ramp up the warm factor for any front door.
In keeping with the stylistic theme, decorations should be made from wood or look wooden, though the use of reclaimed metals can also be used to decorate around a rustic home’s wood door and porch. Add chairs and a table for that comfortable, lived-in feel, or focus on art pieces to make a striking statement that carries a lot of curb appeal.
Achieving a Rustic Look with Plastpro
Plastpro’s fiberglass accessories replicate the rustic look while maintaining their ability to withstand the elements, and available stain kits give fiberglass that “broken in” wood look perfect for a rustic-themed entry door. The doormaker also has an entire line dedicated to helping homeowners go classic rustic while staying with modern materials. Click here to find a Plastpro dealer near you and begin your home’s rustic transformation today!
