Walk down any suburban street today and you’ll see them. Little black rectangles or glowing blue circles staring back at you from waist height. It’s easy to forget that before the front door 2018 shift, a doorbell was just a button that made a noise in your hallway. That year was a weird, pivotal moment where the threshold of the American home stopped being a piece of wood and started being a data point.
Honestly, 2018 was the year of the "Porch Pirate." That term exploded in Google Trends. Package theft wasn't new, but the sheer volume of Amazon deliveries hitting doorsteps created a gold rush for low-level thieves. People were frustrated. They were tired of losing $40 blenders and birthday gifts. So, they looked to their front doors for a solution.
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The Ring effect and the acquisition that changed everything
In early 2018, something massive happened. Amazon bought Ring. It was a billion-dollar deal that signaled the tech giants weren't just interested in your browsing history—they wanted your physical porch. This acquisition moved the "smart" front door 2018 conversation from a niche gadget hobby into a mainstream household necessity.
Before this, setting up a camera was a pain. You usually needed a drill, a hub, and maybe a monthly prayer that the Wi-Fi reached through the brick. But by mid-2018, the Ring Video Doorbell 2 and the Door View Cam (which literally replaced your peephole) made it so easy your grandmother could do it. Simplicity was the selling point.
Suddenly, everyone had a video feed of their driveway.
It changed neighborhood dynamics too. Remember the Nextdoor app drama from that era? 2018 was when "Is this person suspicious?" posts became a localized meme. We started seeing grainy, fisheye footage of delivery drivers, salespeople, and teenagers being blasted across social media. It was the birth of the "digital neighborhood watch," for better or worse.
Hardware wars: Nest, August, and the battle for the lock
While Ring was grabbing the headlines, Nest (owned by Google) wasn't just sitting there. They released the Nest Hello in early 2018. It was arguably the better piece of tech. It had "familiar face" alerts. It could tell the difference between a person and a stray cat. It looked sleeker.
But the front door 2018 trend wasn't just about cameras. It was about the lock.
The August Smart Lock Pro became the darling of the tech world that year. It was a massive, chunky silver dial that fit over your existing deadbolt. You didn't even have to change your keys. This was huge for renters. You could walk up to your door with groceries in both hands, and the Bluetooth would just... click. Open. It felt like the future, even if it occasionally jammed or the batteries died at the worst possible time.
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Schlage and Yale were also in the mix, trying to keep their century-old legacies alive by slapping touchscreens on brass hardware. It was a messy, competitive time. You had Zigbee, Z-Wave, and Wi-Fi all fighting to be the language your door spoke.
The aesthetic shift: Bold colors and "Millennial Pink"
If you weren't into the tech side, the front door 2018 trends were still hitting you, just differently. This was the peak of the "Instagrammable" home.
Go back and look at Pinterest boards from 2018. You’ll see a massive influx of painted doors. Specifically, bold teals, deep navys, and the ubiquitous "Millennial Pink." People realized that a $30 gallon of paint and a Saturday afternoon could completely change their curb appeal.
- Contrast was king.
- Black hardware (matte black everything) replaced the shiny brass of the 90s.
- Wreaths stopped being just for Christmas and became a year-round personality trait.
Architectural Digest and HGTV were pushing the idea that the front door was the "handshake" of the home. It sounds a bit cheesy, but people bought into it. We saw a decline in the traditional "builder grade" white door and a surge in custom glass inserts and oversized handles.
Security or surveillance? The 2018 privacy debate
We have to talk about the darker side. 2018 was also the year privacy advocates started screaming.
When you put a camera on your front door 2018 model, you aren't just filming your porch. You're filming the sidewalk. You're filming your neighbor walking their dog in their pajamas. You're filming the street.
The Intercept and other outlets began reporting on the close relationship between companies like Ring and local police departments. This created a tension that hasn't really gone away. Is a safer porch worth a constant surveillance state? Some people said yes, absolutely. Others felt like we were building a "panopticon" one doorbell at a time.
There was also the hacking issue. Because these devices were rushed to market to satisfy the 2018 demand, some lacked basic two-factor authentication. We started hearing stories of people’s cameras being hijacked. It was a wake-up call that "smart" also meant "vulnerable."
Specific things that defined the 2018 entryway
Designers like Joanna Gaines were at their peak influence. This meant the "Modern Farmhouse" look was everywhere. A heavy wood door with a small window at the top—often called a "Craftsman" style—became the standard for any new build or renovation.
Materials mattered too. Fiberglass started overtaking wood because it didn't warp or rot, but the "wood-grain" finishes became so good you couldn't tell the difference from five feet away. If you bought a door in 2018, chances are it was a Therma-Tru or a Masonite.
Energy efficiency became a massive selling point that year as well. Tax credits and rising utility bills meant people were looking at the R-value of their entryways. A drafty door was no longer just an annoyance; it was a financial leak.
Actionable steps for maintaining a 2018-era setup
If you still have hardware from that era, or if you're looking to update a home that hasn't been touched since then, here is what you actually need to do.
First, check your firmware. Seriously. If you have an original Ring 2 or a Nest Hello from 2018, it’s probably ancient in tech years. Log into the app and make sure you have two-factor authentication (2FA) turned on. Most hacks happen because of recycled passwords, not elite coding skills.
Check your weatherstripping. If it’s been on there since 2018, it’s likely compressed or cracked. You can buy a roll of adhesive foam or V-seal for less than $15 at any hardware store. It takes ten minutes to replace and can save you a noticeable amount on your AC bill.
If you have a smart lock, graphite is your friend. Do not use WD-40 inside a lock cylinder; it gunk’s up over time. If your 2018-era smart lock is sounding a bit grindy, a little puff of dry graphite will make it smooth again.
Lastly, look at your lighting. The front door 2018 trend was all about "layered" lighting. If you just have one sad bulb over the door, add some path lights or a motion-activated floodlight. It makes the camera footage ten times better and actually deters the porch pirates that started this whole trend in the first place.
The entryway of 2018 wasn't just a door. It was the moment the home became an appliance. Whether you love the tech or just liked the pink paint, it set the stage for how we live today.