This Year’s Best Ideas for Custom Doors

If you’re looking to give your home an instant refresh, custom doors are an excellent choice. 

Entry and interior doors alike offer a wide range of aesthetic and functional benefits. A beautiful, sturdy front door enhances curb appeal and provides extra security. Interior doors come in a wide range of styles and pull together your home’s decor. 

But as with other building elements, doors can get worn out as time goes by. They may take on a dated appearance, and entry doors may lose their ability to insulate against extreme temperatures. 

At Mid-City Lumber, we feature a wide assortment of exterior and interior doors for a new build or remodel. We partner with quality manufacturers to give you lots of fantastic options to choose from. And if those options aren’t enough, our custom door shop can create something uniquely yours. To get you started, here are some of this year’s best ideas for selecting the perfect doors for your entryways and interior spaces. 

Custom Exterior Doors

Entry doors should complement the overall facade of your home. You can find a range of styles available from traditional to contemporary, and materials including wood and metal. Here are some of the trends designers are seeing when it comes to choosing front doors.

Bold Color

Traditionally, front doors have been known for neutral colors in varying shades of white, gray, brown or black. More recently, many homeowners have gravitated toward brighter, bolder shades of red, yellow, teal or blue. Colorful entry doors provide an eye-catching visual appeal when paired with a more modest exterior design. 

Wide Entryways

A wide entry gives your home a spacious, luxurious feel. Options include graceful double doors or a wide single door. Larger doors stand out from the curb and also make it easier to move furniture, appliances and other large items in and out of the house. 

Glass Elements

Glass lets in more natural light and gives your entryway a cheerful, inviting atmosphere. Traditionally, the most common options are a small window in the center of the door slab or a sidelight in the door frame. More recent trends include sweeping floor-to-ceiling sidelights and larger glass inserts in the door slab. 

Wood & Wood-Look Materials

The classic beauty of wood looks fabulous with rustic or traditional homes. Whether you opt for natural wood or a synthetic material that resembles wood, look for a stain or finish that complements the rest of your home design. A dark stain tends to stand out from the rest of your facade, while a lighter stain offers a more subtle appearance. You can also choose from a range of paint colors for a more unique sense of style. 

Steel & Fiberglass Doors

Front doors made from steel or fiberglass offer strength, security and durability along with stunning beauty. They are customizable and come in a variety of styles from traditional to modern. Steel is highly durable but may be vulnerable to dents and scratches. Choose a model that’s been powder coated for best protection. Fiberglass is a low-maintenance material that doesn’t require repainting or staining. 

Smart Door Technology

Many homeowners are installing doors equipped with high-tech features including smart locks and security cameras. Depending on the model you choose, features may include automatic locking and unlocking, keyless entry and integration with other smart home capabilities. You can also receive alerts when you’re away from home if a package is delivered, if someone rings the doorbell or if a break-in attempt occurs. 

Custom Interior Doors

Interior doors come in a variety of shapes, sizes, designs and materials, making it easy to find the perfect model to match your decor. You can choose a door that blends in with the rest of your design scheme or one that stands out as an accent.

Folding Doors

A folding door features a slab that folds in half. This versatile, compact design is perfect for smaller spaces. It is an excellent choice for pantries, dressing rooms and closets. Another clever option is to use folding doors to divide larger spaces into smaller zones, such as separating a living room from a home office. 

Sliding Doors

As with folding doors, sliding doors let you create smaller zones within the house or free up more space when you need it. They work well between the living room and kitchen or between a dressing room and a bathroom or bedroom. Different styles include pocket doors, barn doors and classic sliding glass panels.  

Pocket doors feature a slab that is completely hidden when fully opened. They let you instantly convert between open and private spaces and offer good sound insulation. They are a good choice for kitchens, living rooms, bedrooms and bathrooms. 

Barn doors are a good fit for rustic, farmhouse or cottage-style homes. They feature a slab made of solid wood or other sturdy material, along with a metal track and rollers. 

Sliding glass doors may be used as exterior doors, or as an alternative to traditional opaque walls between interior rooms. They may be completely transparent to let in more light or glazed if privacy is desired. 

Big & Tall Doorways

As with entry doors, many homeowners are discovering the appeal of larger doors for interior spaces as well. 

Extra tall doors that go from floor to ceiling make rooms feel bigger and more glamorous. You can choose an elongated door leaf that goes all the way to the ceiling, or install an elegant transom above the door for a graceful sense of style. 

If you’re horizontally minded, interior French doors offer a double door design that fits right in with classic or modern decor. The familiar framed glass panels may be clear to let in more light or frosted for privacy. French doors create an appealing transition between living rooms, dining rooms and hallways. 

Glass Elements

In addition to sliding glass and French doors, there are many other ways to incorporate glass into interior door designs. Slab doors with frosted or clear inserts add a dramatic touch to any living or dining space. If you’re looking for a more creative, historic vibe, custom stained-glass patterns give you loads of visual interest. Choose from a range of unique patterns such as flowers, leaves or abstract geometric shapes. 

Panels & Other Wood Designs

Solid wood doors give you an eco-friendly option that offers strength as well as thermal and sound insulation. 

Panel doors are a preferred style for traditional homes, with an enduring elegance that never goes out of style. Most have a solid core of wood or other sturdy material, which offers durability and noise insulation. Some models include clear glass or mirrored panels. Look for a symmetrical layout with pleasing proportions. The door may be painted in a single, uniform color, or you may choose a different color for the panel borders for contrast.  

Interior Door Colors

Popular shades for interior doors range from versatile neutrals to vivid pops of bright colors.

Natural brown wood tones include oak, walnut, chestnut and elm, while black is great for modern spaces. Gray pairs well with bright whites, yellows, greens, reds and blues. Choose a bold color such as coral or blue to add visual interest to neutral walls. Monochrome designs, in which the door perfectly matches the walls, look fabulous with minimalist decor. Another creative touch is to hire an artist to create a visually intriguing, hand-painted design. 

If you’re looking for guidance when choosing the best door styles for your home, Mid City Lumber has you covered. We offer a wide selection of front doors, patio doors, interior doors and more. You’ll find an assortment of styles ranging from rustic barn doors to elegant French doors, along with functional features like fire-rated and sound-proofing doors. And to top it all off, we’ll also help you stay safe and secure in style with high quality door locks, handles and knobs.

We invite you to visit one of our locations or contact us online today!