Entry Window Design Ideas

An entry can be so much more than a door. Windows bring light and views to entry areas on the front, back, or side of the home, and they add architectural character, too.

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Gorgeous Grids

Adding generous amounts of glass around your entry door brings lots of light into the interior, and it has the effect of opening up the exterior or your house as well. Glass signals that your house is an open, friendly place. Window grids provide visual texture.

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Shutter Solution

Take a cue from your windows and lend character to an entry with shutters. Simple sidelights without muntins complement the no-fuss look of this ranch-style home. The sidelights' interior shutters subtly frame the doorway and usher light into the foyer while also providing privacy.

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Sidelight Simplicity

Simple sidelight windows complement the classic divided-light design of this entry door. The tall, narrow sidelights echo the verticality of the porch columns and the upper-level windows, while the horizontal muntins continue the lines of the siding.

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Victorian Topper

Entry windows often flank the door, but they can be above it, too. Here, a half-round unit is the perfect topper for the elegant entry of a Victorian home. The semicircular shape is consistent with the original architecture of the home, and stained-glass windows admit light without leaving the entry completely exposed.

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Divided Unity

There is only one pair of French doors at the back entry of this home, but clever window design makes it appear that there are two sets. The units flanking the doors are perfect matches, only they don't extend all the way to the floor. Well-positioned chairs aid the disguise. The divided-light pattern is a unifying exterior design feature.

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Increase Curb Appeal

See how to make over your front door and the space around it with these easy curb appeal ideas.

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Finish Forward

Along with the size and shape of entry windows, consider the finish you choose for the trim. These sidelights are stained to match the door and pop out against the siding. Color-matched sidelights make the entry feel wider by appearing as extensions of the door.

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Delightful Geometry

Can't settle on a single shape for your entry windows? Use more than one. The large multipane window above the door emphasizes room height, and an adjacent round unit provides charming contrast.

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Vertical Virtues

A soaring portico frames the entry to this home, and the entry windows soar right along with it, revealing the grandeur of an atriumlike two-story vaulted foyer. In this case, entry windows are not only a source of exterior light and views, but they're also a way to showcase an interior architectural feature.

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Towering Transom

A transom above the entry door is a traditional architectural touch, but there's no rule about how big or small a transom must be. Here, the weightiness of a rich wooden door is balanced by the glassy grandeur of an arch-top transom that stretches well up the wall to play up the height of the front entryway.

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Discreet Openness

Create a seamless transition from the inside to the outdoors with a windowlike glass door. If more privacy is desired, frosted or etched glass obscures vision and lets in plenty of light without leaving your entry in clear view from the outside.

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Straightforward Sidelights

Sidelights need not be fancy to fulfill their function. These simple slots provide welcome light for the cozy entry without overshadowing this beautiful wooden door. They are only half-height sidelights, too -- not full length -- so they don't skew the scale of the home. The lack of muntins leaves a clean look.

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Diamond Motif

Repeating shapes add interest and continuity to an exterior. Here, an oval-shape window features a diamond motif that is repeated elsewhere on the home, such as the railing on the porch above this entry.

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Porch Placement

Even windows that are more decorative than functional have their place at the entry, creating all-important curb appeal. A square window on this cottage's porch roof is a charming focal point, proving an entry window need not be right by the door in order to be welcoming.

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Wide Welcome

Besides bathing the front of the house with light, entry windows widen the perceived width of the door, creating an open, warm, and welcoming look. This is especially true when the sidelights are attached as part of a single door unit that installs in one piece.

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Design Drama

Your home gets only one chance to make a first impression, and that's typically at the front entry. This stunning design is guaranteed to leave a lasting impression, thanks to an arched awning over the entryway that relieves the home's boxy lines and reflects the shape of a porthole-style window.

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Mind the Muntins

Pay attention to muntins -- the narrow strips that divide windows into multiple panes -- when considering entry windows. This home's rectangular windows vary in size and height, but consistently square muntins unite them to create visual harmony. Crowned by a stunning fanlight and framed by sidelights in pilasters, this front door extends a clear invitation.

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Interior Harmony

Entry windows have two sides -- interior and exterior -- so give equal consideration to how both faces should look. Inside, the paint or stain you choose for the frames should complement the rest of the decor. In this case, white paint lets the sidelights and transoms recede, focusing attention on the handsome wood door.

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See More Beautiful Front Entries

Make a better first impression with a beautiful entry. Browse these ideas for ways to freshen your entryway.

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