Front Door Colours: How To Pick The Right Paint For Your Portal

Choosing front door colours can be both fun and daunting at the same time. The breadth of choice we now have can be overwhelming, and visualising the end result can be tricky. 

So, how do you go about choosing the right colour for your front door? Our guide to picking the right paint for your portal will explain all.

Let’s open up with why getting it right matters so much.

Why selecting the right front door paint colour is essential

Before we get to the colours themselves, it’s important to know why your front door colour is so vital. Time invested here and in the next section will not be wasted, promise.

It’s your welcome home

Obvious, but often overlooked, your choice of front door colour will welcome you home every single time you return. Having a frontage to be proud of can make a world of difference to our mood and overall well being, even if its influence is more subliminal than explicit.

It’s your guest’s and other visitors first impression

First impressions matter, we all know that, so it stands to reason that your front door and the rest of your property’s facade can have an impact on your guests as they approach and enter your home.

It can set the mood for the rest of your home

Again, this can be more about the subconscious than anything expressed, but your choice of front door colour can actually help set the scene for guests and visitors by giving them a glimpse of what’s to come throughout the rest of your property.

It can help you stand out or blend in

As we’ll see later in this post when we get to the section on selecting front door colours by property type, different types of property demand different things. Some will almost scream out for personalisation, while others will benefit more from a more homogeneous hue.

It can help you sell your property

Even if you’ve only got a passing interest in property, you will have likely heard about kerb appeal and the impact it can have on buyers and their decisions. Having a beautifully painted front door can really make the rest of your property pop, and choosing the right colour plays a big part, too.

It’s a simple way to refresh your home

Of all the home improvement projects you could undertake, painting your front door is one of the simplest…and easiest to rectify should things go wrong. It’s also relatively cheap to do and can have a massive impact. So, don’t be scared, be bold!

5 things to remember when choosing front door colours

Before you dive straight in and start painting, there’s a few points you’d do well to keep in mind:

Don’t disregard what works

When doing your research (which you are clearly doing as you’re reading this!), don’t overlook the classics…even if you are redecorating a contemporary home. 

Some things just work. 

So, when it comes to choosing the right front door colour, you’d be wise to avoid trying to reinvent the wheel.

Consider your surroundings

Being aware of what’s immediately around your front door will help massively when it comes to selecting the correct paint colour for it. Think about the brickwork and it’s colour, as well as whether or not there’s any plants or other natural tints or tones to work with. 

Take natural light into account, too. Contrast works well here, so for darker, shadier front doors, going bright can work brilliantly, while front doors that already enjoy lots of bright natural light can benefit from a more subdued hue.

Pick the paint outside, not in

On the subject of natural light, it’s vitally important to select your front door colour outside rather than inside, as that’s where it’ll be painted. Take your swatches out into the environment where they will be used. 

After all, you wouldn’t choose your home’s interior paint colours out in the garden, would you?

Don’t be scared

As we touched upon earlier in this post, painting your front door is relatively easy to do and an inexpensive way to give your property a lift. So, if you feel like experimenting, take the plunge. The worst thing that can happen is that you’ll have to do it again, which isn’t really the end of the world.

Choose your front door paint wisely

Although you can be bold in terms of your choice of front door colour, one thing you should always try and get right first time, every time is the type of paint you select. While all front doors can be classified as exterior doors, some are more open to the elements than others, so paint choice becomes vitally important.

Equally, selecting the right paint for your front door’s material is equally crucial. Same goes for your choice of primer. If you’re in any doubt, have a conversation with a reputable paint shop to discuss which paint would be best for your front door.

A selection of front door colours and what they portray

We’ve already discussed the impact a front door’s colour can have in terms of the subconscious and one way this manifests itself is via the mood each colour brings to the party. 

Psychologists have long studied colours and their effects on the human mind, and their findings have been put to use in everything from branding to the big screen. Why should your front door colour be left out?

White

A white front door sets a classic tone that imparts a sense of peacefulness and cleanliness. 

Black

Another classic choice, a black front door gives off a sense of power and boldness. Think Downing Street.

Green

A green front door, on the other hand, gives off an air of safety and relaxation. Green is a natural colour, so it is widely considered to have a calming effect on the psyche.

Grey

Grey front doors have gained popularity of late, especially in areas where blending in is more important than standing out. While grey can easily be associated with negative moods, it’s also an incredibly balanced colour that oozes sophistication and maturity.

Blue

Another calming colour, blue front doors express peace and quiet, whilst remaining open and welcoming.

Yellow

A yellow front door, unsurprisingly, will bring a little bit of sunshine into your life. Cheerful, optimistic, and full of energy.

Red

A red front door demands attention and its associated moods range from powerful to passionate.

Orange

Orange front doors have a broad appeal and the moods they portray are overwhelmingly positive. Think happy, enthusiastic, and energetic.

Brown

Brown front doors can convey strength and security, but can also give off an air of solitude and isolation. Choose carefully.

Pink

Pink front doors are easy to read. Romantic, kind, nurturing and calm is what you’ll find behind this bold choice.

Picking front door colours based on property type

Another thing to consider when choosing the best front door colour for your home is property type. Here’s an overview to give you an idea of how to approach each of them:

Terraced house

Terraced houses can be, by their very nature, tightly packed together with very little distance between the front door of your home and those of your neighbours. With this in mind, you may initially think that blending in would be the way to go, but the opposite is often the better approach. Be bold and put your own stamp on the street.

Semi-detached

Semi-detached homes are some of the hardest to get right, and a lot will depend upon their architectural style. Think, too, about the surroundings here. What’s going on in your front garden and that of your direct neighbour? Be flexible and consider your options carefully.

Detached

Due to their very nature, detached homes are far easier to choose for. Your front door is a statement of intent on a detached property, so be sure to pair it with your own personality and the rest of your home.

Country home

Unsurprisingly, front door colours for country homes commonly revolve around natural hues such as greens and browns. However, if your home enjoys a lot of natural light and has an abundance of colour throughout spring and summer, you should also consider pastels that will complement blooms and blossoms that surround you.

Coastal property

No prizes for guessing which colours work best here. Yep, blues and greens are shoreline royalty, but as with the country homes discussed above, pastels can work brilliantly, too.

Contemporary home

Contemporary homes have an aesthetic that lends itself to darker colours, such as slate greys and black. There’s often a lot of glass to consider as part of a contemporary home’s surroundings, so your front door needs to, ahem, reflect that.

Period property

Another property type that doesn’t really offer up any surprises, period homes work best with traditional colours. The good news is that those colours can be surprisingly wide ranging, with the ever-popular sage green at one end of the spectrum and bright red at the other. Take everything we’ve spoken about here into account and choose wisely.

That’s it for fabulous front door colours, we hope you found it useful! If you’re thinking of painting your front door in order to stage your home for sale, give Petty’s a call to see why we’re the capital’s property sellers number one choice.

We have been helping people just like you buy, sell, rent, and let for well over a century and would love to welcome you into the family. Speak to our friendly experts to see for yourself why we’ve been around since 1908 and give yourself the best chance of a smooth move next time you enter the property market.