Ten house-entrance fittings that make a perfect first impression

A home’s frontage provides visitors an all-important first look into the residents' character. Here are ten entranceway items that greet guests with style, while still remaining functional.

By Droog, Radius Design, ComTür and

January 24, 2022 | 11:00 pm CUT

Andersen's more minimalist EV charging station keeps sustainable homes in style. Photo: Andersen

They say never to judge a book by its cover. But reputations can both rise and crumble on the foundations of a first impression. Creating the perfect entranceway for your home can be as important as a winning smile or a firm handshake are to a first meeting. Here are ten often must-have accessories that give much-needed utility, functionality and security to home entranceways, without sacrificing their aesthetic.

Lace Fence by REDFORT adds a more friendly face to hard-nosed permiter fencing

1. Perimeter fencing – Lace Fence by REDFORT

The safety and security provided by high-walled fences, gates and railings are an unfortunate residential necessity in many areas of the world. They are the cold, hard face of an otherwise welcoming home’s character. REDFORT’s Lace Fence provides strong and secure wire fences with intricate creative patterns and imagery weaved through them. Highlighting and projecting a home’s personality, rather than hiding it.

Weatherproof recessed RGB spotlights like Cassiopea from Ares allow buildings to change their mood, with lighting

2. Exterior lighting – Cassiopea RGB recessed spotlight by Ares

Architectural lighting can help to highlight a home’s best angles and features, while relegating other less-charming parts to the shadows. Outdoor lighting brands like Ares provide hardy, weatherproof lighting systems to bring out a home’s best features or provide surrounding navigation. Colourful recessed editions like the brand’s Cassiopea RGB range allow residents to use variable hues to signal visitors and alter their home’s mood during special events.

Entrance Digit numbers and letters from Authentics protrude from the wall, bringing depth to a home's name tag

3. House number – Entrance Digit by Authentics

A house that shouts out its number for all to hear is one that sits with assurance, comfortable in its own brick skin. The wall-mounted Entrance Digit numbers from Authentics extrude themselves from the property with confidence. With typographic authority, the aluminium numbers shine across the road, beckoning delivery personnel and emergency responders.

Individual Bike Boxes provide safe cycle storage for detached properties, while modular versions can service multi-family buildings or streets

4. Bicycle parking – Bike Box by Metalco

As an ever-sustainable mode of transport, a cycling revolution (pun intended) is happening all across Europe. But with small homes and little garage space, bicycles are often left either exposed to the elements, or to dirty interiors – both their carpets and their style. Metalco’s protective Bike Boxes can be installed individually or multiple modules can stack together for shared use. With individual locks, openings, and the customisable option of powder-coated steel covers with stickers or laser-cut designs, they’re simple and enjoyable to use.

Andersen's waterproof A2 charging station provides all the technological features you'd expect, with a sleek aluminium or wood finish. Photo: Andersen

5. EV charging station – Andersen A2 by Andersen

It may be an increasingly necessary driveway accessory, but bulky, plastic EV chargers can turn a stylish home entranceway into a petrol station forecourt. Recognising the need to combine the technology with sleek design language, Andersen has developed the A2 station, which hides away the unsightly mess of dangling cables and exposed buttons. With a waterproof polycarbonate casing, the A2 features integrated lighting, remote locking and a choice of aluminium or accoya wood front panel.

Radius Design's Standing Ovation package mailbox is a freestanding version of the wall-mounted letterman. Photo: Radius Design

6. Mailbox – Standing Ovation package box by Radius Design

I’ve always thought outdoor mailboxes a little superfluous. Why make someone exit the cosiness of home for the pleasure of retrieving a bill? In the online-shopping age, however, the alternative route – the in-door letterbox – simply isn’t suitable. A large parcel box allows frequent keyboard consumers to get on with their busy lives without bothering their housebound neighbours. The Standing Ovation package box from Radius Design gives the product a playful anthropomorphic touch too, keeping guard over parcels like a colourful Dalek.

ComTür's range of copper doors present all the majesty to front a royal court, with the security credentials to go with it

7. Front door – Copper entrance door by ComTür

Innovative composite materials allow modern front doors to adhere to all the safety, security and insurance regulations required of modern homes, while providing a bright and vibrant focal point to a home’s appearance. There’s nothing quite as striking, however, than the polished, patinated and varnished surface of copper. ComTür’s range of copper doors make it feel like you’re entering the Red Keep’s throne room from Game of Thrones, but they also provide seven-star, 12-point locking security and high-grade fire and weather protection.

2N Telekomunikace's unhackable IP Force intercom systems provides a simple, secure method to request and grant access

8. Doorbell – 2N® IP Force by 2N Telekomunikace

Smart bells have the ability to record, send and control video communication remotely, but they’re also liable to data hacks and tampering. With a secured cloud connection and wide-angle HD night-vision camera, the IP Force system connects calls to a user’s phone or tablet while also detecting unauthorised use of the device or its electrical system – protecting the home like a muscle-clad bouncer with a degree in electrical engineering.

Inspired by the hassle of granting and gaining entry to online holiday rentals, Igloohome's smartlocks and boxes put the owner back in full control. Photo: Igloohome

9. Access – Mortice2+ by Igloohome

Secure doors, locks and intercoms stop unwanted intruders, but what about wanted visitors? Dual-factor authentication isn’t a welcoming open-arms gesture to invited guests. Igloohome’s range of door locks, key boxes, and padlocks are an alternative to the questionable security of leaving a spare key under the plant pot. The Mortice2+ lock, for example, allows users to send single-use or timed-use pin codes to guests, ensuring they feel at home before they arrive. The system works offline with bluetooth or fingerprint ID too, so you can never get locked out and it can’t be hacked.

Droog's simple doorbell device replaces the grating sound of a screaming bell, with a gentle tinkling of glass, using real glasses

10. Announcement – Bottoms Up doorbell by Droog

On the other side of the door, meanwhile, the shrieking sounds of a doorbell can seem like a warning of incoming upheaval. The Bottoms Up doorbell by Droog instead celebrates the arrival of favoured callers by tapping the literal glassware with a clinking toast. Mounting the Bottoms Up button on the inside of the door allows guests to announce themselves with a flourish, ensuring all eyes are on them.

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Droog

Manufacturer

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Radius Design

Manufacturer

Brühl, Germany