Grabbing Attention at the Front Door: How to Pick a Door Color
July 25, 2011 § 12 Comments
Red, yellow, and blue are primary colors that attract attention. Used alone or in combination, they will definitely grab your eye. So it’s no great surprise that this house with its pale yellow siding, royal blue door, and red foundation plantings made me slam on the brakes for a quick photo.
The first color you notice is the royal blue. That shade is what many would consider to be the definition of “blue” and with the white trim around the door, it pops. And that is precisely what a front door should do. There should be no mistaking the front door for the service entrance (I just love saying that… you know what I mean … usually the door into the garage).
The front door does not have to be a primary color, for sure, but it should stand out significantly enough from the rest of the house to be a welcoming entrance, and there should be a clearly defined path leading up to it. Front doors that, despite their color, are obscured from view behind a large bush just do not function well. I’ve been to some houses that were so confusing that I ended up walking around the house into the back yard looking for the way in… (this happens primarily when there is no sidewalk or stone pathway to follow — the subject of another post).
If you have two doors on the front of your house, be sure to let people know which door is preferable. Plantings, lights, and a visible doorbell or knocker will guide your guests to the preferred entrance and prevent your greeting partygoers in the mudroom. I suggest painting your main entry door the accent color and the other “service” doors the siding color. Then your guests will not be forced to choose between red doors, numbers 1, 2, or 3.
These are little points in the grand scheme of curb appeal, but I just thought I’d mention them anyway.
Your Home & Color Coach 
Any idea what blue paint color that was used on the front door of the yellow house?
Hi Tammy,
Unfortunately it was a drive-by sighting. Sometimes I stop and ring the doorbell but didn’t that time. So sorry! Try Sherwin Williams Luxe Blue SW 6537 and see it that comes close.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
I have a blonde brick home with all white trim shutters garage door and front double doors. My roof if a darker gey so I had the front double doors painted Dark Plum, which turned out beautiful. My question is the painter didn’t paint the trim around the double doors or in the middle. Its still sark white. Should he have painted the trim? I think it looks odd. But it is new?? Please help
I think it’s fine with the white trim around the Dark Plum double doors. As long as the trim is still white everywhere else, you’ll get used to it.
My house is old orange brick
Eves and trim a Benjamin Moore Crownsville gray
Need door color
Hi Diane,
Take a look at a glossy Georgian Brick (Ben Moore) for your front door.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Right now my house is very plain and basic. I have a small white house with all the trim being white…gutters, windows, etc. I have a burgundy metal roof, no shutters, and a light blue/grey front door with a large oval glass window in the middle of the door. I have a screened in front porch on the front left side of my house, but it doesn’t touch my front door. The wood that makes up the porch is a light honey color. There is currently no landscaping to match anything to. I am trying to make my house look the best I can, but I don’t know what color of shudders to get or what color to paint the front door. I also don’t know if I should stain the porch a different color or leave it. I am not good at anything artsy like color schemes and so forth. Therefore I wanted to ask your opinion. Thank you so much.
Hi colwellgirl,
To tie in the natural stain on the porch, try a natural wood shutter. Something like a Board and Batten style:
http://www.timberlane.com/resource-center/ordering-support-mat/step-5-finishing/
Then you can paint your front door to coordinate with the roof: Benjamin Moore Grappa 1393
http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/grappa
The white house is fine.
As for landscaping, use a variety of shrubs in different greens and then pull in purples and pinks in the annuals.
Hope that helps.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
I have a white small house with green roof, green shutters, green and white porch, what color should I paint my door?
Hi Jackie,
Try a rich purple or lavender — or a color from your garden. If you have a pink rhododendron, for example, choose a fuschia. If you want me to see your house, send a photo to my email: bmeglis@yourhomeandcolorcoach.com and I’ll give you a more specific color.
Thanks for posting!
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
My house is butter cream in color, my shutters and front door are black. I want a new color for my front door. What should it be. Help please
Hi Gloria, Choose a color of one of your flowering shrubs in the front yard or one of the perennials. A dusty gray-lilac would be pretty.