Homeowners who count on lavish interiors to bedazzle guests may overlook the one architectural element that sets the stage for all that follows: the front door.

This all-important portal is a homeowner's best foot forward and best chance to make a favorable first impression.

No longer are doors plain, strictly utilitarian or a household afterthought. Today's front door can be solid hardwood and thematically tied to its surroundings or interior decor. Inlays of glass and metal turn the heads of buyers. Double entry doors make dramatic statements.

Door manufacturers now integrate doors to overall home style, according to Jim Brandt of Simpson Door in McLeary, Wash. Homeowners, he says, shouldn't be too quick to dismiss the esthetic impact made by a door.

"The right entryway draws the eye to the exterior architecture and it really is the visual introduction to the house," said Brandt. "Homeowners are beginning to see the front door as one more element of style."

Homeowners can now dictate species of hardwood, leaded or tempered glass, and size and shape of the door. Computerized machines enable intricate patterns to be carved into door surfaces. That customization can pair exterior door style with that of interior doors or other wood paneling.

Existing paints or stains on interior flooring or woodwork can be duplicated on doors to further lend a sense of architectural consistency.

High end "door systems" include inlaid glass or other custom designs bordering the door itself.

Growing in popularity are graceful arch-top doors reminiscent of those in estate houses. Homeowners can match hardware to door styles, too.

Brandt says homeowners provide sketches of desired patterns or they use online door sketchpads that download to door engineers and designers.

Wood doors have enjoyed a resurgence in popularity in large part because of demand for customization. Unlike non-wood manufactured doors with few options beyond hardware, hardwoods such as maple, hemlock, mahogany, cherry and alder give homeowners a wide array of size and finish choices. The natural grain of wood differs from door to door, giving the end product a unique look.

Solid wood doors continue to be good insulators against temperature and noise, too.