Every French door brings charm to the space where it’s installed, but just what kind of charm depends on how you’ve configured that door for your home. Door finishes, hardware, curtains, and coverings and other details vary, and each choice you make can impact the appearance of your property, inside and out. Think of your French door as a frame putting your outside on display. What should that frame look like? What works best with your home’s colors and architectural style? What do you prefer, aesthetically?

The choices you make when you’re installing a French door in your home will impact the way your home looks for years to come. This means it’s important to make the right decision for your house. Exploring the options in person and working with a reputable door manufacturer, dealer, and installer is important. By choosing the right door for your home, you can help ensure that your home will reflect your personal style and tastes.

Door Finishes

Choose the door finish that will please you most. If it’s your goal to maintain a light and cheery home, and your wall paint colors are typically lighter overall, then a white, clear anodized or beige door frame is probably best for you. Consider the color of your window frames as well, as the door frame and window frames often echo one another.

On the other hand, a darker door frame like bronze or black can stand out to make your door more striking against the color of your walls and the other features inside your home. Again, if the color of your home’s window frames are darker overall, then a darker door frame may be a more appropriate aesthetic for your home’s interior.

Grids/No Grids

Grid lines break up the window pane inside your French door and create visual interest that might not exist otherwise. Grid lines can come in many different configurations, and each configuration has its own style. If you’re going to choose grids at all, It’s important to choose a configuration that matches your home’s architectural style.

Of course, grids are not a requirement in French doors, and if the view outside your home is especially attractive, grids may not do your view justice. Grids can distract from a perfect view. When you’re considering whether to install grids or no grids in your home’s French doors, ask yourself whether the grids will be getting in the way of the world outside, and whether that’s an outcome that you desire.

Hardware

Hardware is another option to consider when you’re trying to choose French doors that are right for your home. Hardware can vary significantly, and the style that you choose can have a big impact on the way your door looks.

Contemporary style hardware, including a contemporary style door handle, makes your French door look modern and sleek. With minimal details and few flourishes, contemporary style hardware leaves all the focus on the view outside the door. This bare-bones sophistication works well with a gridless French door.

A more traditional style door handle may feature a little flourish on the end, a gentle feminine curve in the middle, and a curly cue shape that charms. All French door hardware is subtle, but traditional door handles are subtly beautiful in a way that can add elegance to your home.

Ultimately, it’s important to choose the hardware that gives your French door the character that you like best. There are other types of door handles – not just contemporary and traditional style. When looking for a handle you love, consider the style of the furnishings and finishes in the room. Choose a metal that matches the finish of the door as well as the other metal finishes nearby. Remember that you can mix and match metal finishes, but it’s important to recognize when you’re combining two metals at once.

Curtains and Coverings

You may not want the view through your French door to always be open and exposed. Curtains and coverings are the solution when it’s privacy that you’re after. When choosing the curtains and coverings, consider the upholstery elsewhere in the room, throw pillows and blankets nearby, the colors of the walls and the style that you’ve decorated the room in.

Curtains can be made from different materials including natural cotton or linen, silk, polyester, rayon, and more. Other coverings like blinds can be made from materials like vinyl or wood. Consider the color as well as the texture of the material, and if there’s a pattern, how well that fits into the space.

Ultimately, the curtains and coverings you choose are changeable. It’s much easier to switch up the type of curtain or blind on your French door than it is to choose a new door finish or grid configuration. Because it’s so easy to choose new curtains, feel free to experiment. Go bold, and choose a curtain or covering that makes you feel excitement. If you decide you don’t like that curtain, you can always change it in the future for something that fits better.

Glass Tints

French doors come with glass that can be tinted in different colors, from blue to green, gray to brown. While a perfectly clear window is the most commonly used option, a glass tint can help soften daylight while also adding a little touch of beauty to your home’s interior and exterior. Don’t be afraid to choose a glass tint like blue, which can add a coolness to the view outside without obstructing the view.

Consider the color of the door frame as you’re choosing the right glass tint for your door. While just about any combination can work, it’s important to recognize how the frame of the door and the glass impact each other. Choosing a glass tint that works just right with the door finish can help ensure that you’ll be happy with your choice for a long time after the door has been installed in your home.

Surrounding Decor

Finally, consider the surrounding decor around your French door. The decor around your door can impact how it looks from the inside and can affect your enjoyment of the door. Your door should be a focus for your home’s interior, but with the right surrounding decor, you can help keep the focus on the door for longer.

Consider a few framed pictures next to the door. Paint the wall around the door in a different color from the rest of the room to create an accent wall. One more suggestion: place a mirror opposite the door to reflect light from the door into the room.

Create the Stylish Gateway

Your French door is a stylish gateway to your backyard. When you’re selecting stylish designs for your French door, do some research. View an online gallery or go to a showroom to help you decide. Consider the many ways that you can make your French door as beautiful as possible, so you can enjoy beautiful views out your door every day.