Your Home & Color Coach

Quick answer? Not red. Necessarily.

Red is a traditional door color that is steeped in history and folklore as it symbolizes a welcoming home, a safe haven for travelers, a harbinger of good luck, and protection from ghosts and evil spirits. And it certainly is striking, particularly on a white house.

But before you run out to the paint store, a study done by Zillow in 2022 found that buyers would pay $6500 more for a house with a door color they found desirable and conversely would pay $6500 less for a house with a front door they didn’t like. The door color that brought the highest offer? Black.

Now black isn’t for everybody, but red obviously isn’t either. The same study found that Slate Blue and an earthy Olive Green came in second and third. (Note the stone and brick on these two houses — we’ll come back to that.)

Colors to be avoided? Pale Pink and Cement Gray as they were described by respondents as “shabby and dated.”

Not to be contrary, but only a year later another trend study found Soft Rose (aka pink) and Dark Charcoal (aka gray) to be two of the recommended front door options for 2023.

Okay, let’s unpack this because you cannot pick your front door color based on folklore or some conflicting color trends. It just doesn’t work.

A front door color should be chosen based on your

• House color. Do you have a neutral house color or is it already making a color statement? Obviously you don’t have to have a red door for luck or a black door to sell your house, but there are some color combinations that are better than others.

• House style. Is your house from a particular style era? Colonial? Mid-century? Modern houses can support bright crayola colors. Traditional homes sometimes match shutters to the door color and might even keep them light for a blended, softer look.

• Landscape colors. Do you have flowering shrubs next to the entry? A big rhododendron or lilac bush? There may be a color opportunity just steps away.

• Materials. Is your house brick or stone? Natural materials on the front of a house often present challenges to picking a door color because there may be multiple colors already in that brick or stone, and the house may appear busy. Choosing a door color to complement that stonework is tricky.

• Roof color. Sometimes it plays a pretty big role in the overall house palette. (I’ll talk about roof color another day.)

HOUSE COLOR

If you have a white house…

You have a rainbow of choices before you. But tie that front door color in somehow so it doesn’t look like a random walk through the crayon box.

What if my house already makes a statement — it’s red?

If the front door is under a porch overhang, I suggest keeping the door light. With all that house color, a creamy white works, and you can still find the door without the porch light on.

What if my house is black?

All door color options are open to you — even black. And keeping the whole house black lets the greenery take top billing. But the door color I like best for a black house is a natural wood door — it totally warms up the house and is very inviting.

What if my house is not black but it’s still dark — like navy blue?

There is nothing fresher than a splashy sunny yellow door on a navy blue house.

What if my house is charcoal gray?

You really cannot beat the warmth of wood. Or the color of wood — a rich gold paint color.

What if my house is light — like this gray-blue?

This house picks up some of the warm peach tones from the front porch and gives this more traditional house color a fresh look.

What if my house is green?

Omgosh… try a regal shade of purple. And plant some irises. It’s a stunning combination.

HOUSE STYLE

Here’s where a nod to regional trends and a tip-of-the-hat to history play a part in color choices. I’ll just pick two examples. The soft blend of tones on this neo-European style traditional home speaks to the part of the world where shutters actually function. The pink house waves from Palm Springs. Note the choice of door color — to calm the perky exterior. House styles have some parameters. After that, it’s all about your taste.

Now back to reality…

LANDSCAPE COLORS

Notice how the landscaping dictates the door color? It is such a great trick, and it really pulls the curb appeal to a higher level. Will it bring in the highest offer on your home? Maybe not, but if you’re not moving, then it’s not an issue.

HOUSE MATERIALS

What if my house is brick?

Solid dark colors like navy are classic door colors with brick. As is black, of course. One color to avoid? Red because bricks are not actually red and trying to match them for a door color is a challenge.

What if my house has multiple colors or stone textures?

My absolute go-to color for coordinating front door and stonework without introducing another accent color is Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze! It is a miracle front door color!

If you need help with color, feel free to comment below, hit the button for a Color Consultation, or shoot me an email at yourcolorcoach@gmail.com.

I would be happy to help you.

Hope you have a Colorful Day!

Barbara, Your Home & Color Coach

Tagged: Choosing house colors, front door color