First impressions are undoubtedly the most important when it comes to your home. The front door can heavily influence guests’ perception of yours, given that it’s the first thing your guests see.
If you want something that strays from the usual wrought iron gate and wooden door combi, here are eleven unique front door designs from retro to Peranakan to draw inspiration from to truly transform the look of your home.
1. Industrial-style gates that resemble old-fashioned lifts
Image credit: Insight.Out
If you’re one to be intrigued by all things old, this industrial-style gate that resembles the metal shutter doors in old fashioned elevators might be it for you. Instead of having accordion-style gates that might not be too practical especially if you’re in and out of the house a lot, go for the modernised option of a swing gate.
Image credit: Insight.Out
Pair the metal gates with a laminated wooden door for an enhanced rustic industrial look that’ll make your home feel reminiscent of a loft apartment straight out of New York.
2. Sleek glass panel for a see-through main door
Image credit: The Local INN.terior
The thing about metal grills is that they can sometimes make you feel like you’re being caged in. If you’re deadset against having an ordinary gate, then opt for a sleek metal and glass swing door instead.
It might not give you the ventilation you’re used to with regular grills, but what you will have is extra soundproofing from the bustle of the street – especially great for those living on those lower floors or above shops or eating houses.
For enhanced privacy, go for frosted or tinted glass over untreated glass. This way, you’ll still let natural light travel into your home.
3. Go bold with a front door in an eye-popping colour
Image credit: The Local INN.terior
For those who want to make a statement through vibrant hues and loud colours, go for a bold coloured door in shades like mustard and pine green. The bright or deep shades give your home a pop of personality and are bound to draw eyeballs from all who pass.
Some of us can’t go without the security of a mild steel gate. If you’re guilty as charged, go for a neutral colour like white to balance out the vibrancy of your front door.
Georgian style front door
Image credit: Etsy
Add embellishments like a metal door knob, mail slot and door knocker to model your front door after a classic Georgian style one. And if you want to go all out, consider using brick patterned wallpaper to decorate the walls next to your front door. Just make sure your decorations are in line with HDB’s regulations and that you can’t paint on the walls directly.
4. Retro metal gates with unique shapes
Image credit: Teetfa
If you’re a sucker for nostalgia and the modern-retro style resonates with you, travel back to yesteryear with a geometric retro front gate for your flat. Choose from a variety of patterns ranging from hexagons to ovals and overlapping squares.
Teetfa, Laminate Door and Liminal are some gate manufacturers you can check out that still specialise in such retro designs. With most gate manufacturers, you’ll also be able to customise the designs to suit the aesthetic of your home.
Image credit: Laminate Door
Place a classic red letterbox outside your home to finish off the look. Though it won’t be functional, it’ll definitely make a difference and evoke nostalgia among guests and neighbours.
5. Dutch doors with a split design
Image credit: Three-D-Conceptwerke
A more unconventional front door design, the Dutch Door, is one that’s divided into two parts that allow you to keep one half of the door open while the other remains closed. This unique split door design is less jarring on the eyes but still maintains some level of privacy and security while letting you ventilate the house as and when you desire.
While the Waterloo street example by Three-D-Conceptwerke above isn’t your regular dutch door, it draws inspiration from the concept, give you a half door with angled slats to facilitate airflow, yet keep wandering eyes and leaves out of the home.
6. Peranakan-inspired doors
Image credit: Yong Fang Doors
Paying homage to the Peranakan heritage, these front doors fitted with Peranakan tiles and patterned glass panels in true Peranakan green, brown and blue can provide a pop of colour even if your home isn’t Peranakan-themed.
If simply splashing a new hue on your door doesn’t do your home justice, you can take things one notch up with a custom-designed Peranakan door by the folks over at Yong Fang Doors.
7. Nostalgic scissors grille gate
Image credit: @threedconceptwerke
These retractable scissors grille gates are synonymous with old-school shops back in the day. While they might have once been seen as unsightly, scissors grille gates are making a comeback and adding that rustic touch of nostalgia in industrial themed homes.
8. Muji-themed
Image credit: D5 Studio Image
At this Muji-inspired jumbo HDB owned by Pei Sze, the main door is just as minimalistic as the interior. Pei Sze and her husband wanted to emulate the look of Japanese homes, which typically comprises practical and simple designs that incorporate natural materials.
As the jumbo flat was formed by combining two HDB units into one, there were originally two front doors. The couple concealed one door – the one at the end of the corridor – behind a green wall, while the other was turned into the main entrance.
The steps leading up to the main door are lined with patterned mosaic tiles, adding visual interest to something that could otherwise be boring. In addition, the homeowners made use of the recessed space once occupied by their now-concealed door, turning it into a place to store their bicycles. A dark green accent wall visually demarcates the area.
To tie the whole look together, they used succulents and leafy plants, wooden Venetian blinds, and a wooden wind chime. The mix of greenery and wood not only match the green wall and wooden front door, but also elevate the living space.
9. Shopfront-themed
Image credit: Vijay Reyes
If you don’t pay attention, you may mistake this HDB front door for the entrance of a hip cafe or restaurant. But no, this is actually someone’s home. The shopfront-themed entryway stands out from its neighbous with just a few tweaks, and you’ll be glad to know that the bulk of the setup can be DIY-ed.
@sandman_1105 Make an impression from the start. #sghomes #sghome#5roomhdb #fyp
A TikTok featuring this unique HDB flat entrance went viral, which naturally piqued the curiosity of viewers. The homeowner, Vijay, explained on TikTok that most of the setup can be done by yourself.
Apart from replacing the typical metal gate with a tempered glass entrance, minimal changes were made the original structure. Vijay added a canopy, some plants, and floor decals to create the illusion of a tiled entrance. The little light box mounted on the wall is solar-powered and lights up once the sun sets.
@sandman_1105 The pathological decorator in me tryna change up the look. #hdbentryway#sghomes #5roomhdb #sghome #topiarytree #cordyline
If you’re concerned about the feasibility of recreating this, Vijay shared that it’s HDB-approved. Once, his MP came by for a residence visit and even praised the setup.
10. Ancient China-themed
Image credit: Dennis Tan
You don’t have to be the protagonist of an isekai (otherworld) novel to be transported back to ancient China. Homeowner Dennis Tan took to Facebook to share the front door of his BTO flat, which was oriental-themed. And the best part? It’s completely DIY-ed.
A glazed, golden awning and two bronze door knockers elevate the HDB standard-issue metal gate, which was given a coat of gold paint. The front door itself was painted black and adorned with decals and stickers to create the illusion of an old-timey entrance that wouldn’t look out of place in an wuxia film.
Mounted on the wall is a golden hook from which hangs a lamp, which can be switched out for red Chinese lanterns.
Image credit: Dennis Tan
With a bit of elbow grease, decals, and lots of creativity, Dennis Tan managed to transform the front door of his home into an interesting conversation starter amongst both his neighbours and netizens alike.
11. Lush greenery and vines
Image credit: Houzz
As urbanites, it’s natural to crave the feel of nature when grey concrete and busy streets get too much. The homeowners of a Bedok Reservoir flat brought greenery literally to their doorstep by wrapping vines around the grilles of their front gate, which was painted white.
Studies show that having plants around not only improves air quality, but also relieves stress and improves mood. So after a tiring day of work, you can feel instantly refreshed by the greenery when you get home.
Image credit: Francis Yeo
Homeowner Francis Yeo, who lives in Sengkang, took it a step further by lining the walls flanking his front door with leafy plants.
While WFH and staying cooped up inside the house was the vibe in 2021, Francis invested time in his newfound hobby, gardening. He then started his outdoor planting adventure in 2022, creating his vertical garden setup whilst experimenting with different planting methods and materials.
Francis took to Facebook to share his gardening journey and assured netizens that he has abided by HDB’s safety rules by keeping a corridor width of 1.2m free and having an 80L barrel of water in case of fire. Luckily, his neighbours are also gardening hobbyists who don’t mind the setup, especially since Francis has done his due diligence to keep his garden neat, pest-free, and safe for others.
This vertical garden is nothing short of impressive, and if you follow Francis Yeo on Facebook, you’ll be able to keep up with his gardening journey.
Up your door game with these designs
Your front door and gate might not be your top priority when it comes to renovating your new home, but now that you’ve opened your doors to the possibilities, you might want to consider adding a little touch of character to enhance the theme of your home.
Go all out by choosing a bold colour or add little decorations like Peranakan tiles to make your main door uniquely yours. In addition to having a pretty door to greet you every day, having a unique and eye-catching design also means that your friends will never mistake someone else’s front porch for yours.
