Designing the entrance to a house Advice from a professional

The entryway is the showpiece of your home and in most cases reveals a lot about the residents: modern, traditional, playful, clean – there are countless ways you can design your entryway. But you should definitely think about the following points carefully so that you can enjoy it in the long term.

Which path leads to the house – and should it be barrier-free?

Depending on how your property is laid out, there are different routes to reach your front door: with a landscaped path or the entrance of the house connects perfectly to the driveway of your house (as in the cover photo of this article). While a landscaped driveway often looks more inviting, especially when lined with plants, the smooth transition between the driveway and the home’s entrance is usually easier to maintain. It is often necessary to adjust the level of the external entrance door, so that in many cases you can enter the house via just a few steps. If this is also your case, you should consider the material in advance, so that the steps do not become a slippery hazard in winter due to freezing moisture. If you want the entrance to your home to be barrier-free, you should avoid steps and build a ramp instead. Of course it is also possible to combine both, if space allows.

To avoid ending up in the rain: what weather protection do you choose for the entrance to your home?

Make sure you are protected from the elements outside your front door. After all, no one wants to stand in the pouring rain while searching for the key with their purchases in their arms. To protect yourself from bad weather you can choose a roof or, depending on the type of house, build one directly, in order to be further protected from the sides. Alternatively, a vestibule can be set up in front of the front door. When it comes to a canopy, you need to make sure that it is large enough to allow, for example, a stroller or a person in a wheelchair to be protected from precipitation.

Have you shed enough light on the matter?

Another point to consider when planning the entrance to your home is lighting. Install light sources in the right places to avoid tripping hazards, provide additional safety and welcome your guests. Whether on the ceiling of the shed, on the wall or on the floor: it is important that the light is not too strong and therefore blinding. To protect against this you can use, for example, frosted glass lamps. Particularly useful are lights with motion detectors or twilight sensors, since it is not necessary to operate the light manually. Also pay attention to the correct IP protection levels so that the lamps can withstand precipitation.

The heart of the home entrance design is the front door: what does its design look like inside and out?

The type of front door largely determines the perception of your entrance. But it doesn’t matter whether it is made of plastic, wood, aluminium, rustic or modern: it is important that the entrance door is equipped with high-quality security mechanisms to offer the greatest possible burglary protection. A properly installed door should also close tightly so that heat cannot escape to the outside. The door design not only affects the exterior, but also the interior. Think about how much natural light you want in the hallway. To brighten the room, for example, you can add glass side panels to the front door.

If you build a house with Rötzer Ziegel Element, we will also help you design the entrance to your house. In our modern sampling center we will guide you in a structured way through our extensive display and gradually equip your dream home with all the necessary elements. Find out more about how we work and get to know us here. We can’t wait to hear from you!