7 Exterior Door Trim Ideas to Elevate Curb Appeal

February 8, 2024

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Home Improvement

A home with a red entry door and white trim secured behind a white picket fence

For modern homeowners in Ontario, adding decorative trim or casing to your custom front door is key to creating a lasting impression. As far as entry door enhancements go, this one can transform your home’s exterior into a picture-perfect place without spending a lot of money. 

Whether you’re nestled in the bustling streets of Toronto, the serene landscapes of the Muskokas, or anywhere in between, updating your front door can significantly impact your home’s curb appeal and energy efficiency.

If that’s what you’re looking to achieve, keep reading to discover our curated list of simple yet effective exterior door trim ideas for the modern homeowner. 

1. Farmhouse

The farmhouse trim is one of the go-to door header trim ideas for achieving a soft and cozy appeal at home. This exterior door casing style features clean straight lines with a few decorative details. It’s simple and completely customizable—you can incorporate colour, texture, and even wood stains as you please.

Wood trim not only adds a timeless warmth but also provides excellent natural insulation. Treating the wood with weather-resistant finishes ensures durability against Ontario's harsh winters and humid summers, marrying the old-world charm with the resilience needed for modern living.

A worker’s hand holds a wide paint brush and applies white paint onto a door frame

Image Source: Canva

2. Angled

An angled trim around exterior doors is a minute but decorative detail on a front door frame. It has clean, sharp edges angled to the door, creating the illusion of a wider entryway. The slanted angle adds an inviting touch to your home’s entryway. 

3. Butted

One of the most popular modern door casing styles is a butted decorative door trim. This elegant addition combines two side casing boards with a wider board or header on top of them. Because of its layered design, the wider casing makes the door look taller. 

Home designers favour butted trims over other door header trim ideas when styling a home with high ceilings. The extra space paves the way for an intricate woodwork design that’ll take your breath away. 

4. Mitered

Mitered casings are one of the hottest modern door casing styles because of their ripple effect. This design connects two mitered corners at a 45-degree angle to a central header casing. When installed, the lines surrounding the trim form an illusion that the door has multiple layers and appears as if it’s receding.

Most mitered exterior door trim ideas reinforce cleanliness with a “same colour” rule where the door and trims should have the same colour. Some would also apply this design as a window trim to achieve style continuity throughout the home.

Read more: Black Windows & Doors: A Timeless Trend

5. Craftsman

Craftsman style trim is characterized by its robust and straightforward design, featuring thick, flat boards with a slight overhang at the top, often complemented by a shelf or header for added depth.

A blue-walled house has a brown brack door with a craftsman trim

Image Source: Canva

This is one of the few modern door casing styles that suit homeowners in Ontario looking for a touch of classic American architectural charm, blending beautifully with bungalows and cottages

The Craftsman trim’s simplicity and emphasis on craftsmanship make it a timeless choice for enhancing the natural beauty and integrity of a home’s entrance.

6. Colonial

One of the best front door trim ideas is the colonial design. This elegant profile surrounds your entry door with intricate layers of small indented lines and concave shapes, adding depth and a point of interest to your entryway. 

This type of exterior door casing is perfect for Ontario’s more traditional or heritage homes because of its detail. Bringing an air of distinction and grandeur, ideally, this door trim would complement the stately aesthetics of period homes and those seeking a touch of classic elegance. 

Styling colonial trim doors comes down to colour. Usually, white is the go-to because it’s safe and easy to match with other colours, especially in Victorian homes. But if you want to emphasize the lines and curves on the trim, go for grey, brown, or olive. 

7. Minimal

Now that minimalism has taken the world by storm, it’s no surprise that minimal trims are part of the trending modern door casing styles. This design doesn’t need any embellishments or accents; its main features are clean cuts, seamless application and full functionality. 

A minimal trim around exterior doors complements contemporary architecture beautifully. It’s particularly suitable for energy-efficient homes, as the straightforward design can enhance insulation around the door without compromising on style. The use of durable, weather-resistant materials like steel ensures longevity against the Canadian climate, offering a perfect blend of form and function.

Customize Every Element of Your Exterior Doors with Clera

Balancing style and functionality is essential in every home—this applies to your entry door and trims, too. Get the best of both features when you invest in sturdy, stylish and energy-efficient doors from Clera Windows + Doors.

As Canada’s #1 fenestration service provider, our goal is to design and create your dream entry door. We’ll work closely with you to pick an exterior door trim that matches your home’s aesthetic. From start to finish, our job isn’t done until you’re happy.

Contact your local Clera Windows + Doors branch today for a free estimate!

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