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Have you ever been to a house where you had to skirt the gas meter or sidle around garbage cans to get to the front door? Or one where there was such a bewildering array of doors that you weren鈥檛 sure which one to knock at?

The front entrance is seldom high on folks鈥� remodeling priorities. Yet, just like that old saw about first impressions, it鈥檚 a home鈥檚 entrance that people notice first. It鈥檚 practically impossible to rectify a bad impression made at the front door. Tract-house builders have known this for years; even in the cheapest house, they won鈥檛 ever cut corners on the front door. They know that a strong impression of quality here subtly colors a visitor鈥檚 perception of the whole house.

For much of architectural history, front entrances have been a focal point of home design. In colonial New England, for example, the front door often was flanked by sidelights and topped by a pediment, setting it apart from an otherwise austere facade.

The entrance also should be clearly apparent from the street. That doesn鈥檛 mean it has to be glaringly exposed to view 鈥� just that its location should be easily deduced by an unfamiliar passerby. Architects call this principle 鈥渄emarcation.鈥�

There are lots of subtle ways to demarcate a front entrance. The most common is to surround the door with an architectural form such as a pediment or other type of trim. Another traditional strategy places the door in a recess, on a projection, or under a roofed porch. A well-known example of the latter is on the back of a $20 bill.

Here are some thoughts for planning a grand entrance:

鈥� Don鈥檛 place an unsheltered entrance door flush with the front wall of the house; it will create an unwelcoming 鈥渟ide door鈥� or trailer-door effect.

鈥� Don鈥檛 bring the path to the front door past utilities such as gas or electric meters, or past unsightly storage areas for trash or the like. Keep these kinds of features out of visitors鈥� line of sight.

鈥� Don鈥檛 force visitors to walk on a driveway to reach the front door. Provide a separate walking path, or at least set aside a portion of the driveway paving using a different color or texture so it鈥檚 clearly meant only for people on foot.

鈥� If a covered entrance porch is planned, make it at least 6 feet wide 鈥� with enough space for a person to stretch out both arms without touching either wall. Anything less will feel cramped and uncomfortable. Also, make the porch at least 4 feet deep (6 feet is better), or it will feel cramped when more than one person is waiting outside the front door. A cheaper alternative to a projecting porch is to simply recess the front door. Again, make the recess at least 6 feet wide, and not less than 2 feet deep.

鈥� Lastly, if a house has multiple doors facing the street, make sure the front approach directs visitors toward the main entrance.

Arrol Gellner is a California architect, college teacher and syndicated columnist who writes about architectural issues. Follow him on Twitter 鈥� @arrolgellner.

漏2013 Arrol Gellner

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