Easy & Affordable Curb Appeal

I’m a sucker for a pretty, craftsman-style door. I love how they make the exterior of a house look polished yet friendly and I love how they let some natural light into the entryway.

Just look at this one. Dreamy, right?

Inspiration via Better Homes and Gardens

A craftsman-style door can cost a pretty penny, too. Believe me, I’ve been hunting for one since we first put the offer in on this house two years ago. It was complete luck that I happened upon this door at Lowe’s, which was surprisingly an in-stock option at some locations and cost hundreds less than similar doors. What?! I thought. I don’t have to wait weeks for it to ship! Instant gratification? YES, PLEASE.

I asked our friend, Jeff, a contractor, to help install it for me. It only took him part of an afternoon with lots of breaks to answer all of our four-year-old’s questions and requests to be his helper. Right away, I was thrilled with the amount of light the windows let into our cave-like living room. Adding natural light; that alone was worth the money in my opinion.

To finish the look, I painted the door in Web Gray, which comes from HGTV Home’s line by Sherwin Williams, and added an oil-rubbed bronze handleset. The difference is so huge. We basically live out here now!