Front Door Color Ideas

If you want to paint your front door and are looking for inspiration, you’re in the right place. I adore houses whose front doors are painted an unexpected color and am always on the hunt for ideas. A great front-door color does wonders for curb appeal. Here’s a collection of front-door-color ideas plus tips on how to choose a color for your front door.

Blue Front Doors

Blue can be best friends with most colors. The summery blue front door sparkles next to the white walls and beige stone trim on this beach house.

You can’t always get the sky to match your front door, but when you do, it’s pretty magical! The bright cyan blue is a wonderful complement to the rustic gray shingles.

Photo by Charlota Blunarove on Unsplash

This periwinkle blue door is a sophisticated accent for this venerable stucco building.

Photo by Regina Anaejionu on Unsplash

Yellow Front Doors

Yellow provides that sought-after color pop, whether it’s eye-watering bright or a mustardy warm. And it refuses to be ignored, as this row of historic townhouses demonstrates.

Photo by Bernadette Gatsby on Unsplash

Warm gold and deep brown are a perfect pair for a cabin in the woods, especially in autumn.

Photo by Andrea Davis on Unsplash

Bright yellow can be modern. The double doors gleam on this contemporary home.

And it works for cute little cottages. This lemon yellow door is charming (and the white picket fence doesn’t hurt).

Photo by Nicolas Gonzalez on Unsplash

Red Front Doors

A red front door is like lipstick. Depending on the shade, it can be glamorous, classic or sassy, but always a confident choice. 

This crimson door is a surprising and sophisticated color for this elegant white town house, and it also complements its neighbors!

Photo by Jonas Tebbe on Unsplash

This windowed brick-red door is a classic complement to olive green.

In another bold example, electric orange wakes up sedate blue. 

PINK FRONT DOORS

This fuchsia door is totally on board with the playful color scheme of this historic home.

Pale pink is an unusual choice for a front door color. It is lovely with both historic and modern styles. Paired with crisp white, it’s stunning and unexpected on a stately older home.

Photo by Avery Evans on Unsplash

And equally at home on this crisp contemporary one-story.

Photo by Millie Olsen on Unsplash

Green Front Doors

The hues and shades of green could fill a crayon box by themselves, and green goes with everything—just look outside!

Here, this soft minty green is a harmonious partner for the gray exterior.

While sharp acid lime green is a punchy foil for this darker gray home.

Classic aqua contrasts beautifully against the terra-cotta colors on this graceful stone house.

Photo by Lucija Ros on Unsplash

Rich Shire-approved grass green plays well with all colors found in nature.

Photo by Nate Johnston on Unsplash

Tips for Choosing Front Door Colors

1. For dramatic contrast, choose complementary colors that are opposites—or near opposites—on the color wheel (example: green + red, yellow + blue)
2. For a gentler contrast, choose a color in the same family or near neighbors on the color wheel (example, dark blue + light blue, green + blue)
3. Notice the roof. Choose a color that won’t fight with the roof material.
4. If your house is multicolored stone or brick, pick out one of the colors. Your front door could either match or complement that color.
5. Buy paint samples and paint large swatches on the door or a board and view it from the street. You need to see the color in real life. Red can lean toward orange or purple, and this isn’t always evident from a paint chip. And, you may be surprised at how light at different times of the day changes a color. This is especially important if you have a storm door, where the screen or reflections off the glass can affect the color’s appearance.
6. If you keep your front door open on nice days, how does the color look from the inside? Make sure you like how that purple door looks against your yellow entry hall.