Ever noticed that a lot of 1950s homes have their front doors… not actually in the front? If you’ve ever lived in one, you know this quirky design choice comes with both charm and chaos. But why did builders do this in the first place?

Why the Side Door Trend?

Back in the post-WWII building boom, suburban houses were popping up everywhere, and developers needed efficient, cost-effective layouts. Enter the side-facing front door, which offered:

🏠 More Living Space – With smaller lots and long, low ranch-style homes, builders wanted to maximize interior space. A front-and-center door would have chopped up the living room. By shifting it to the side, they got a cleaner floor plan.

🔍 More Privacy (Kind Of) – Since massive picture windows were all the rage, shifting the door prevented people from peering straight into your living room. Of course, that also meant… sometimes they just ended up staring in your windows instead.

🚗 Garages Took Over – The 1950s was peak car culture, and many homes were built around the garage. With so much frontage dedicated to a big ol’ driveway, the side door was an easy way to work around it.

🌬️ Weather Protection – Depending on where you lived, tucking the door to the side might have helped block wind, rain, or snow… though it also meant guests sometimes walked straight into a muddy side yard.

🛠️ Cheap & Cheerful Construction – Developers like Levitt & Sons, who mass-produced suburban neighborhoods, prioritized speed and affordability. This layout made it easier to churn out houses that looked a little different but used nearly identical floor plans.

The Fride Door Downsides

Of course, side doors aren’t all mid-century magic. If you live in a house like this, you probably know the struggle:

📦 Packages Get Left in Weird Places – Mail carriers take one look at your setup and give up. Hope you enjoy finding your packages on the side of your garage, next to a bush, or—if you're lucky—by the actual door.

🚪 Delivery Drivers Never Know Where to Go – You hear a car pull up. You hear footsteps. You get a phone call. It’s your food delivery driver, lost and confused. Every. Single. Time.

👀 Strangers Looking in Your Windows – Since your front-facing windows look like they should have a door next to them, people often walk up and peek inside—whether it’s neighbors, door-to-door salespeople, or someone trying to sell you solar panels.

🚶 Guests Never Know Which Door to Use – Friends arrive and do a confused shuffle between your garage, side yard, and back patio before finally calling you from your driveway.

🎃 Halloween Confusion – Trick-or-treaters don’t stand a chance. You either have to put a sign up ("Front door this way ➡️") or accept that all the neighborhood kids think you’re the mean house that doesn’t give out candy.

🎅 Festive, But Forgotten – You carefully craft the perfect holiday doorstep—gorgeous wreath, cozy lanterns, maybe even a cute little reindeer. And yet… no one sees it. Your holiday spirit is basically in witness protection, hidden around the side where only the delivery guy (who’s already lost) gets to appreciate it.

Do you have a Fride Door – Because it’s almost in the front, but not quite?