Stylish, Relevant Doors Are Taking Over
As vital as doors and their purpose is within our lives, they’re perhaps one of the most underestimated and overlooked when it comes to design versus function. But a home’s interior and exterior doors undoubtedly make an impact—whether in the positive or negative—and sometimes without homeowners being aware of it.
“Long ago I heard what sounds like a ‘salesy’ cliché, but I think it holds some truth: ‘The front door is like the handshake of your house,’” Tony Romenesko, Account Manager at Zuern Building Products in Appleton, says. “It will be the first thing a visitor touches on your home and often stands in front of while waiting for you to answer.
“Having something beautiful, grand and/or well-kept will make a good first impression in a similar way that a firm handshake, a smile and eye contact will when meeting someone new… it’s always been true that people look to their doors to be eye-catching in either scale or color or to be a warm invitation to their home.”
“A lot of home owners use side or garage entryways most of the time, so the front door is becoming more of an artistic or design focused project, rather than just a functional door and windows,” Joe Williams, Lead Designer at Square Oaks Home Improvement LLC in Appleton, adds. “Colors, materials and artistic details are becoming more relevant to homeowners.”
While the sky is the limit, there is a universal approach to consider in choosing your doors that experts recommend and it is likely here to stay.
“You can do almost anything you want within reason,” Christopher Starszak, Director of Sales for Valley Planing Mill in Appleton says. “What people are doing a lot now is respecting the style of the house when choosing doors. They make that choice, and then they can bring their own personality into the house by picking some really beautiful artwork, or, you know, get a beautiful rug. It’s letting the supporting elements all work together.”
Door Trends: What’s In and Out
It’s all about inviting people in when it comes to doors this year, both literally and figuratively. Warmth is a huge factor, as is fitting the home’s size, especially when it comes to tall ceilings and custom spaces.
The door industry is seeing an increase in overall size, making a statement in itself. While average door height is 6-8 feet, homes are now featuring floor to ceiling doors from up to 8 to 25 feet.
“When the home is larger in scale, picking a door that is taller feels like it fits the space, it belongs,” Starszak explains. “It becomes a whole design theme throughout.”
Glass elements that allow natural light are also big this year, and add an artistic element that isn’t overpowering. Popular options include textured glass for visual interest and frosted or privacy glass that softens light while obscuring views.
“We’re seeing trends toward clean lines, larger sizes, more glass and either dark painted colors or stained doors for front doors to act as an accent color from the rest of the home,” Romenesko shares. “For door styles, we see a lot of two-panel designs with or without glass. 3/4-lite (glass) doors are probably the most popular option for front doors.”
Pops of color have been on the door scene for quite some time, and 2026 proves no different, albeit a shift has occurred regarding which direction. It follows the overall home remodeling theme that has moved toward nature-inspired tones, colors that complement both modern and traditional styles. Experts say these options add depth and personality while remaining timeless and versatile.
“Darker colors and minimalist modern styles are very trendy right now,” Williams says. “Wood grain doors with simplistic modern windows are what has been on the uptick in the last year or two as well. Doors that stand out against the current black windows and white siding trends on new homes is a popular choice.”
“Changing colors is huge,” Starszak says. “There’s a very strong trend in people wanting to paint their doors black. It has a very rich elegant statement to it. There’s also a lot of gray tones, tan, and even one that works well in a very modern interior where the door is painted kind of a rusty orange.”
There’s also a strong emphasis on natural wood, and one in particular. Starszak explains that white oak has also had a strong resurgence lately, but with a unique 2026 twist.
“We’ve been seeing a lot of people that have gotten very interested in white oak,” he says. “There are a lot of good options out there. It’s very elegant. In the past, when somebody would have stained that white oak door, they would have done the white oak trim, and then all of a sudden, everything begins to match, and you go into an overload. You lose the effect of that unique door.
“What we see people doing now is they’ll do this very beautiful three equal panel white oak door, but they paint the trim, and that’s going to make the door stand out more.”
Panels also have a huge impact on the look of the door, purely for aesthetics and style.
Incorporating Stylish Doors Into Your Home
A growing “trend” is simply attention to detail, with homeowners considering the overall history, look and structure of their homes as their guide.
“Homeowners are really paying attention,” Starszak shares. “They’re putting on doors that are appropriate to the style and time period of their house. For example, they are not going and putting a 6-panel door in a house that was built in the ‘50s or ‘60s. They’re putting in something that has a mid century look or a contemporary look because that’s what respects the style of the house.
“We form an impression when we pull into the driveway of somebody’s house and we walk through the front door. Then we start looking at things. They want it all to fit, to complement the house and to look clean. People are now paying attention to the right thing rather than the wrong thing.”
It looks aesthetically pleasing, and may also impact your resell value.
“Entry doors provide an opportunity for personalization perhaps more than any other exterior component of your home,” Romenesko says. “Colors, glass types, panel designs, wood tones versus painted, sidelights, transoms and different hardware choices. Besides being a beautiful expression of your home’s style, studies show that people will form an opinion about a home’s value within 10 seconds of seeing it in person.
“Someday when you go to sell your home, having that first impression as they enter the home being a good one can go a long way toward getting the price you feel it’s worth.”
Although the task in choosing entry and interior doors can feel overwhelming, especially given the options in today’s markets, Williams says to start small with one component to help lessen any stress about the project.
“I suggest taking the time to really think about what is important to you in your door project, and then build it around that,” Williams explains. “Things like choosing the correct privacy glass or storm door are small details that you could use from day to day and factor into the overall satisfaction you have with your front entry way. “There are so many options these days, that you can really customize and completely change the whole look and feel of your home, by just changing your entry way. It should be a fun and exciting experience.”