There is a case for saying that the front door is the most important design feature in any home. 

It is the one door that the whole world sees. The face that you show your community. If you’ve got a bland, boring or tatty frontage to your house, then the world outside will have no option but to assume the inside of your home looks the same.

It is not something people think about very often, how to decorate a front door, but it can be the touch that makes the most difference to the look of your house.

So we thought we’d put together a list of ideas for seasonal door decorations. A few suggestions that you can change up throughout the year to keep your home looking lovely.

How to decorate doors for Christmas

We’ll start with a new take on an old favourite.

Front door decorating for Christmas usually equals front doors wreaths. Hoops of luscious greenery studded with pinecones, baubles or berries. It’s a traditional look, popular since the days of Dickens, and there’s no reason to dismiss a classic.

But a wreath on its own can look a little lonely. Rather than leaving it hanging all on its lonesome, add extra touches to make more of a seasonal statement.

A Christmas garland, similar to a wreath but longer and thicker, will always look wonderful if you have something to drape it across. Perfect wound around a porch or entranceway, you can even fix it directly to the wall if you get some removable hooks.

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You can upscale it to be as big and bold as you want, threading through string lights, holly and ivy. Alternatively, you can get heavy-handed with the baubles, and make a commanding, attention-catching piece.

If you do want to keep it simple, but you want to try your hand at crafting your own front door decor, try a swag of greenery, tied with burlap and ribbons. It’s easier to pull together than a carefully constructed wreath. It still has that did-it-myself satisfaction, and it will leave you in complete control, so you can tailor the size and the colour to suit your own style.

How to decorate your doors for spring

Spring is a season of fresh beginnings, regeneration and new life. The best spring door decorations will celebrate this, using bright flower arrangements to bring a burst of colour to your front door.

Daffodils, tulips and peonies are all stunning spring flowers that will add a splash of vivid, vibrant contrast to your front door. They’ll look wonderful wherever you keep them, but there are a few interesting ways you can use them to decorate your door.

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It might seem a little bit odd to choose to celebrate the drip, drip, drop of April showers. But there’s no arguing that the lush vibrance of rainwashed plants is synonymous with spring. 

Combine this with the eternally adorable sight of a pair of tiny, colourful, child’s wellington boots and you’ll get an unusual, eyecatching front door decoration that is suited to the season as well and is even an environmentally friendly upcycle project.

If you don’t have a pair of small wellies knocking around, you could always try popping your bouquet arrangement in an umbrella instead.

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Pick an umbrella with plenty of vintage charm. A hooked handle and simple patterned fabric are perfect. Something lacey also looks lovely but make sure it’s opaque enough to hide the ‘workings’ of your bouquet.

Pop florist foam in the bottom of the umbrella to give your flowers the strength to stay upright, then wrap contrasting ribbon to hold it half-open and tie it into a big fat bow. This unusual hanging holds a country cottage appeal that would sit right at home on a rustic door. But it would also create a stylish contrast with a sleek composite door on a period property.

How to decorate your doors for summer

Like with our spring suggestions, the key to beautiful summer front door decor is harnessing the wonderful weather. Create something living that can soak up the sunshine and it can keep you in the summer spirit for the whole season.

But living plants generally require soil that is too weighty to be hung on a door. You can invest in a bountiful hanging basket, or bracket your doors with planters to get a flash of natural colour, without risking any damage to your door.

If your heart is set on something fixed to the door itself it is possible to use water tubes in arrangements to keep cut flowers living a little longer. These small tubes will hold the stem of a single flower in a pool of water that will feed them and keep them strong. Set these into a small woven basket, or even a watering can to make an unusual, living, decoration that will keep its colour much longer.

Or, if you want a wreath that will see you through the whole season and beyond, you could consider making a succulent wreath. Planted properly and carefully looked after, these can last for years rather than weeks. Just make sure you bring it inside when the weather starts to turn, as these beautiful plants prefer heat, warmth and restricted rainfall – the exact opposite of what your average UK autumn provides!

How to decorate doors for Halloween

When spooky season descends, it is important to spread your decorations around outside as well. How else will trick or treaters know your cupboards are stocked with sweets to share?

The traditional carved pumpkin by the door is an easy fallback, a simple signal to your neighbours that you’re ready for visitors, but there is so much more you can do. A wreath is another option, but why not add a little more fun or originality by giving your front door its very own costume?

Add some freaky facial features to turn your door into a character all of its own. Or you can wind some chains, biohazard tape or bandages across the front, splash a little fake blood and add a sense of foreboding to your front door.

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And if you want something a little more understated, how about sticking a smattering of bats around a white or bright coloured front door? The contrast is still eyecatching but you won’t have to worry about giving your neighbours a fright. 

Tips for decorating your front door

Hopefully, these ideas will inspire you to add a little seasonal appeal to your doors. Changing it up throughout the year will make sure your door always has the all-important kerb appeal every homeowner craves.

If you do decide to try decorating your front door, here are a couple of things to bear in mind:

• Use command hooks or other temporary solutions
  Whether you’ve got a traditional solid wood front door or an ultra-modern composite door, the last thing you want to do is damage its surface. This is a place where you will struggle to disguise any marks or dents.This means no tape and definitely no nails or screws unless you are ready to commit to designs all year round. Instead, use temporary solutions like adhesive hooks that can be easily removed. They can even be attached to your brickwork if you’d rather keep your door clear.

• Don’t use ‘over the door’ hooks

Try to keep these temporary solutions to the one you attach to the front of the door, rather than hang over the top. Your door is made to fit perfectly in its frame to make sure it’s thermally efficient and fully secure. Wedging a metal bracket round that can risky seriously damage either your frame or the door.  It can even affect the door’s security and leave you vulnerable to intruders.

• Protect against scratches

Many of the door designs we’ve suggested here will have the potential to scratch against your door. While most front doors will have a robust finish to help them stand up to the elements, it’s best to avoid the risk completely.

If you’re hanging a wreath or basket designed to sit flat against the door, pop some wreath pads to the back of your creation. This will give the door some cushioning, and stop a wreath from scratching the door’s surface if it swings or moves about.

If you’ve spent hours carefully curating your interiors to create a charming home that reflects you, it’s a shame to keep your hard work hidden. Adding a flourish to your front door is a perfect way to finish your decor. 

Not just to show the world but to act as a reminder. A reminder from the moment you arrive home, of the happiness that awaits on the other side.