Freshen Up...Your Front Door

I want to try something new and different for the month of April. Is that okay with you? 

Life over the past few weeks has been full and purposeful in our hearts as we pick our way through the change of seasons, but I will be completely honest: it makes for pretty lousy blog material. I decided it would be a great discipline for me to write about something specific that pushes me think differently. Given that I'm practically desperate for spring - real spring, not just label-on-a-calendar spring - I decided to do a "Freshen Up" series over the course of the month of April. (Or at least part of it.)

I'm going to look around the nooks and crannies of life and look for some attainable, affordable ways to freshen up our habits, spaces, and relationships. Because I know I could use some freshening up, and maybe you can too!

I thought I'd start at the front today. The front door!

A few weeks ago, Ryan and I had some Kohl's cash that was about to expire, and neither of us needed anything in particular, so we decided to just wander around and see if we saw anything we really liked. As we wandered down one aisle, I remembered I didn't have a spring wreath for the front door. I had an Easter egg wreath, but not a spring wreath. We found one that was half off, which put it within our Kohl's cash range, so we got it.

I love it more than I thought I would.

I guess I always think of wreaths as being something you hang up for curb appeal and visitors. And that's valid! But I have gotten the biggest kick of joy out of seeing that wreath on our door whenever I come home. I've decided it was a wise choice, not just a random freebie.

So if your front door feels a little drab this spring, here are my thoughts for freshening it up! 

1. Paint the door.

Photo by Georgia de Lotz on Unsplash

Am I the only one who notices fun front doors? I think you can imagine so much about the personality of a homeowner by the color of the front door! (There's a house in our city that has a bubble gum pink front door - and shutters - and I think whoever lives there must be a lot of fun!) I tend to perk up and notice if a door is bright yellow or turquoise. They seem to be my favorite. But a front door paint job can be a quick and relatively inexpensive freshener if you need one. (Just remember not to SHUT the door before it dries!)

2. New hardware. 

Photo by Evelyn Paris on Unsplash

Not always the cheapest (depending upon your taste) but adding a kickplate or switching out the knob or even adding different house numbers can give a whole new look to the entrance! (Clarification: by new house numbers, I mean new versions of the same number. Don't be changing your address!) If your mailbox is on your house, rather than out by the road, this can be another great freshener. Back when I lived in Marion, I had new siding put on the house, and I ended up switching out my mailbox and house numbers at the same time, and I loved how it all looked! 

3. Vinyl message.

One of the houses in our neighborhood (which used to have a yellow door that I loved...and then new owners painted it something else that I can't even remember) had this welcoming vinyl message on the front door. It was always cheery to walk by in the evenings and see the hello! calling to us from the front door. I mentioned my love for it so often, that when Christmas rolled around, Ryan found an Etsy shop with a similar greeting and gave me one for Christmas. I love it! (He also found a see ya later! for the inside of the front door. We get a lot of compliments on that!) You can make your vinyl message say anything! 

4. New welcome mat. 

Ryan's mom gave us our welcome mat for a housewarming gift, and I imagine it will remain on display for a long time, just because it now has added sentimental value. But a new mat is a fun way to freshen up the front door. (Bonus fun idea: one year, one of my friends shopped seasonal clearance throughout the year and gifted me a year's worth of welcome mats for Christmas. Genius!) You can go with something colorful or maybe a message that makes you laugh. Just look on Pinterest for those ideas! 

5. New wreath.

And of course, there's the idea that started it all. The new wreath. If you have no DIY skills, you can easily find them in stores or online, and if you shop clearance sales, you can even find them pretty affordably. But if you have a few skills, make your own, one-of-a-kind creation! Something that contrasts really well with your door color will pop and welcome everyone! (Even you!) 

So there you go! It's a new month...a new season...and a perfect excuse to freshen up your front door! You might even end up feeling more excited about showing up at your own home. :)