A veritable field guide to entranceways for home owners looking to add “curb appeal,” extra value, and character to their home and for anyone interested in decorative architectural elements and their history.

As the eyes are windows to the soul, the front door is to the soul of the home, and it is not by accident that some homes say welcome, whereas others don’t. Architects have long known that a great entranceway is the most dramatic and affordable way to transform a home and to make it a true expression of oneself. But how to visualize the wealth of possibilities? In The Language of Doors , a celebrated architect and a home design expert provide nearly 100 entrance styles that run the gamut from English Colonial to Art Deco. Then they demonstrate how these entrances would look superimposed on different home styles. Along the way readers get a mini history of architectural styles and 120 illustrations that identify all the decorative architectural elements we’ve always wanted to know the words for, but didn’t—until now.