Curb Appeal: Right on the Street in Bay Village

Photo by Danielle Ossher

For this Bay Village exterior, prime city location means an on-the-street entry. It’s a prevalent pairing in this quirky Boston neighborhood lined with brick rowhouses and brick sidewalks, but few capture the best-of-both-worlds approach like this bold, homey emerald green doorway.

Literally steps from bustling city life, the entry has no significant stoop or dramatic two-story stairway to define its place and provide separation from the sidewalk for a more intimate welcome. Instead, the doorway embraces its charming urban surrounding to create an inviting, personal exterior.

A deep, glossy emerald green boldly defines the doorway: The rich hue not only coats the hefty traditional door, but is extended to the paneled sidelights, sizable transom window, and door frame for a unified  vignette with a strong visual draw. The white interior window coverings behind the doorway’s window panels inject a subtle contrast to the deep color, lightening the effect and, in turn, making the door pop that much more. Keeping the focus simple, the emerald green also adorns the windows, and those at street-level are capped with a sleek wrought-iron grill. The two lantern wall lights that flank the doorway and a dramatic planter continue the black accents and further define the entry. A small vintage wood bench, placed in front of the wrought iron, softens the look with an inviting touch. The simplicity of the front door, which features only a delicate decorative handle and lock, allows the emerald to speak for itself, creating a focal point with dramatic ease.

A street-level entry can make its sidewalk presence known with just a few small updates. It all starts with front door—traditional solid styles help ground and define the space. Pair the simple door with a deep, rich hue like Sherwin William’s Derbyshire (pictured below) for proper dramatic effect and continue that color to all exterior trim for consistency and clean lines. Balance the one-color palette with black accents including historically styled wall lights, like the Hinkley Lighting Freeport (also pictured below). Embrace your sidewalk to make your street-level entry more personal with planters or a small vintage wood bench, which you can readily find lining the fields of Brimfield outdoor antique market.