Easy DIY Wood Front Door that Looks Expensive

My new front porch has been something I have been dreaming about forever. I wanted a door that was out of the budget. We came up with an easy DIY wood front door that looks expensive.

In our last house I would sit out there on our porch in the evenings and watch the kids play. It was such a relaxing time for me. Our house faces the opposite way this time around, but I imagine I will spend many mornings out there.

Easy DIY Wood Front Door that Looks Expensive

I really wanted wood double front doors. I wanted to create a very grand entrance. But I also didn't have the budget to spend over $10,000 on my front doors. So, I had to get a little creative. I opted for standard size doors but added a transom over the top. To go from standard size doors to 8 ft doors was going to cost me at least $2000, but to add a transom was only $150. I highly recommend this option if you are looking to create a grand entrance, but may be lacking the funds to do so.

Here is how the doors looked when they were installed.

DIY Wood Front Door

• Case them in with red oak.
• Add a transom up top. This lets more light in and creates a bigger door.
• To do all of that only cost me $125. Talk about big savings.

Staining the Door

Since my doors are stainable fiberglass with an oak grain and everything else is wood it proved to be quite the task to get the doors and the wood to match. But I think they are pretty dang close!

When staining fiberglass doors you have to use a gel stain, and let me warn you, it is a pain in the butt! I used Minwax's Aged Oak Gel Stain first on the doors, but they were pulling really green and the wood was pulling red. So I did 2 coats of Minwax's Walnut Gel Stain to the fiber glass doors to add a touch of red. To my surprise it actually worked. I love the way the stain looks with my painted exterior too, check it out here

Hardware

For my front door I wanted hardware that would hold up but still be pretty! Baldwins reserve line was exactly what I was looking for. I loved the clean lines and the satin black! Not only did I use this on my front door but I used this same collection through out my home!!

My favorite part about my easy DIY wood front door is that I can decorate at them for all the season. I also love the double doors, they make for a grand entrance.