The front door of your home says a lot about you to the rest of the world.  It represents you and your family and gives people a sense of what to expect should they enter through that door.  Painting your front door is a quick, easy, affordable way to spruce up the exterior of your home. The choice of color can either make your house the best on the block…or it could make it the tackiest.  Do not be afraid! If you’re not happy with it or if your neighbors are sending you anonymous hate letters regarding your tacky door, you can easily select a new color and try it again. Let’s go over a few things to keep in mind when choosing a new front door color.  We promise we will help you, and everyone else, adore your front door.

Style Matters

When choosing a color for your door, consider the style of your house.  Your door color choice is usually influenced by the style of the home as well as the exterior features.  If you have a Contemporary home bold colors are usually best and expected.  Farmhouses and cottages tend to look best when featuring doors painted in bright colors from nature. Traditional homes look best with exterior doors painted in rich deep colors such as black, navy blue, greens or dark red.  We certainly aren’t suggesting you conform to any tradition as we LOVE color.  It has been a joy to help transform many entries and while some of the colors raised our eyebrows at first…the finished look was extraordinary.

Coordinating Colors

In our humble opinion, the homes that feature a three-color paint palette look best.  The main body, trim and accent all look best if they have contrasting colors that complement each other. If your home is brick or as light colored siding, choose a darker shade for your door. Choose a light or bright shade if the rest of your home is dark.  The contrast will draw attention to your entryway, making the door the focal point of your home.  If your trim or your siding is already a bold eye catching color, choose a neutral shade for your entryway.  If your home is multicolored brick, it is best to pick up a color within the brick.

Things to Consider

The possibilities for your front door paint color are limitless.  Here a few things to help you choose a color you’ll love for years. 

• Go on a drive in other neighborhoods and look at the doors. Figure out colors you like and don’t like.
• Apply samples before you paint. The samples are inexpensive and you can buy as many as you desire.  It’s a big decision for some and samples are a good way to not have totally commit to one color immediately. 
• If you really want to step carefully into this unknown territory, enlarge a photograph of your home, cut out the door, and insert doors in a variety of colors. This way, you can feel confident about the look you’re creating with your color choice. There are also some free online apps that allow you to visualize color by uploading photos to their site.
• When you’ve chosen your special new color and you’re ready to paint, be sure you get the job done right. The door should be thoroughly cleaned and may need to be scraped and sanded.
• Don’t forget the primer!! One of the most important steps of this process is to apply primer before you paint. This will help hide some imperfections and allow for a smooth even lasting finish.
• It’s best to use a semi-gloss paint for any doors as it is easier to clean.
• Brush marks stink! Small rollers work best and will make quick work of your project. You can use a brush to get the crevices and corners but finish with a roller.

There you have it! We hope this helps you choose a great new color for your front door.  Will you choose a classic black or white or will you go for a new exciting color?  We wish you the best and we can’t wait to drive around and see your homes new look.  As always, we are here if you need us but we have confidence that you can do this on your own.