“I see a red door and I want it painted black.” So sang The Rolling Stones. They may have been onto something, because black tops many designers’ lists today, decades later. (Although red still continues to chart well, too).
According to research conducted by online real estate service Zillow across the United States in 2022, painting the front door black increased the average selling price received by almost $6,500 (USD).
If you live in or around London, Ontario and are planning to sell your home, you too might fetch a higher selling price by simply painting your front door the right colour. Painting a door made of wood, fibreglass or steel is a fairly easy-to-learn and cost-effective do-it-yourself project.
But maybe you’re NOT planning to sell. What if you’d just like to update the look for your own enjoyment or to enhance the security of your front door? Well then, consider a custom factory-painted door that Forest City Windows and Doors can order and install for you.
Either way, with an endless range of colours available, how can you pick the right one? Here are some tips and insights to help you decide and make that all-important great first impression.
Opportunity knocks…
Channel Your EXTERIOR Designer to Choose the Best Front Door Colour
A door colour needs to work with the things you can’t easily change, such as your home’s architectural style, type of cladding, colour and material of roofing, natural surroundings and even the quality of sunlight in our area.
Now try applying some interior design principles to your home’s exterior. For instance…
You know that plaids and floral prints can either clash with or complement each other. Likewise, door colours can enhance or detract from wood, vinyl, metal or fibre cement siding, brick, stucco, fieldstone, masonry and other facings.
Colour has a psychological effect that can be used to create a certain mood, make a statement or express an aspect of your personality. Shades of yellow can be sunny, warm, inviting, optimistic. A bright yellow door can be very welcoming, but its effect could be lost on a yellow brick house.
Fire-engine red is a vibrant, high-energy colour best used in moderation or as an accent. A red front door on a red brick house might lose its visual appeal and strength on such a background but centered on a colonial-style home with white siding and black shutters? Wow! The architectural symmetry of that style and the colour of that door will naturally draw the eye to focus on a very grand entrance.
If you’re selling your home, it’s best to avoid making a personal statement. Sure, you may love that funky lime green or deep purple door. It might even look incredible on your style of home, but prospective buyers may not appreciate what you’re saying. Neutrals and the classic colours tend to sell best, inside and out.
Not All Sunlight Is Created Equal
Just as you would look at indoor paint chips in varying light conditions, you should do likewise when picking your front door colour because it will change, often dramatically, depending on time of day and season. Always look at your front door colour options outdoors.
Also note that, in the Northern Hemisphere, sunlight has a bluish cast that could render certain colours less appealing than others.
For example, a few years ago the Santa Fe colour palette was all the rage. The teal or turquoise, terra cotta and dusky pink combo may have looked great in New Mexico where the year-round sunlight has a warm yellow cast, but it just might not play the same way here.
That said, a turquoise door framed with black trim could be absolutely stunning on the right home. You just need to think about all the elements involved, and not pick any one colour in isolation.
Not the Best Front Door Colours. Just the Most Popular.
There really isn’t a “best” front door colour. As we’ve seen, it’s which colour looks best on your particular and oh-so-unique home. Which will appeal most to potential buyers?
Here’s a consensus of colours we’ve compiled from various designers. Please use it as a guide and share it.
Still overwhelmed with all the choices? Visit Forest City Windows and Doors and get friendly, helpful advice from local experts. We’ll help you find the colour to suit your home and your goals.