Paint Colors for Doors

While some homeowners prefer a traditional stained wood door, there are benefits to choosing a painted door. Paint-grade wood is significantly less expensive and can be repainted a different color if you ever want a change. If you choose to install a steel or aluminum door, staining isn't a choice - paint will be your only option.

The most universally attractive front door colors for homebuyers include red, black and variations of blue, but don't let that keep you from trying an inviting new color to welcome visitors. Here are some front door color ideas to complement some of the most popular siding colors on the market.

The color of the front door of the home is like a welcome sign to visitors, so make it inviting. Unlike home siding ideas for color, the front door color is not a big commitment; it can be easily repainted. It's a decision that can be more playful or trendy.

Door painted a light, teal blue to stand out from the white siding

If you have a covered porch, the door will be shadowed at times and will appear darker and dimmer than it would if it were elsewhere on the home.

A bolder, more saturated color (in comparison to the body, trim, and shutters) will be a better choice than a color that simply fades away in the shadows of your front porch. You may wish to choose a door color that repeats a bit of color found elsewhere on the home. For example, if your architectural roof shingles feature some green highlights, you may choose a rich green to tie it into the roof.

Let's look at a modern design example to put these tips into practice. A homeowner wanted to change her existing red door color because she felt it looked "out of place." The stone on the body of her house had blue and orange undertones. Two options, both of which were darker, rich versions of the undertones of the stone, were proposed to replace the red. Either color would be better choices to pull the color palette together, and here's what each would look like:

If your shutters are a color that significantly contrasts with siding colors, you can simply use that same color on the front door so that the palette doesn’t become too busy.