How to Decorate the Space Above a Front Door

Exterior

• 1

  Add decorative numbers to showcase your address. Use nontraditional materials, such as numbers made out of chipboard, fabric or sheet metal.

• 2

  Hang a light fixture. This will add a decorative detail while also providing an opportunity to illuminate the area during the night. Use a light fixture that has a long neck, or hang one from your porch ceiling that hangs over the top of your door.

• 3

  Hang a sign directly over your door. Create a "Welcome" sign with a spare piece of wood, paint, stamps and a stencil. For a green alternative, use natural supplies to form the letters, such as leaves, corn husk, sticks and bark.

• 4

  Place a garden arbor in front of the door. It should be taller than your front door and at least six inches wider. Wrap foilage around the arbor, such as a garland of colorful leaves or ivy.

Interior

• 5

  Paint the surrounding wall including the space above the door. Use a color that has a high contrast to the front door, such as white paint over a black door or blue paint over a red door. As an alternative, use paint to make a pattern over the door. For example, paint a rectangular box or three squares over the door. They will look like picture frames.

• 6

  Hang a small, wide picture. Use a picture that coordinates with the other pictures in the room. Use a small art print or a panoramic family photo.

• 7

  Apply an adhesive quote. These are readily available at craft shops and are stickers with quotations on the front and an adhesive backing. A variety of quotes are available, such as "Home is Where the Heart Is" or "There's No Place Like Home."

• 8

  Hang accessories that match the decor of your room. For example, hang an oar for a fishing-themed room, a floral arrangment for a Victorian room or a rolled-up scroll for a British- or Asian-themed room. Hang an iron plaque or a set of plates to coordinate with many different decorating themes.

• 9

  Add molding. Run a strip of crown molding over the door. As an alternative, use curved molding to make a semicircle that forms an arch over the door.