There’s something about front doors that I just love. Whenever I travel I always bring home photos of the best front door colors I see during my time away to use as inspiration for future projects.
When I traveled to London recently it was no different. There were so many gorgeous front doors to love, from historic wooden doors to brightly colored ones. It reminded me of my trip to Paris (Article) back in 2019 when I fell completely in love with the city’s front doors.
The right front door paint color can make a big impression. A front door is one of the first things people notice about your home. They’re typically the door guests knock on or wait at upon arriving. They’re the doors you welcome friends and family into your home through. They’re usually the ones you can see driving or walking by.
If you’re ready to update your front door color, then this post is for you. I’ll be sharing my best tips for choosing a front door paint color and sharing more than 22 of my favorite front doors to inspire your next project.
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How to Choose The Best Front Door Color for Your Home
The front door paint color you choose can significantly change the look and feel of your exterior paint color palette (Article). Front door colors are a great way to show off your personality and add some curb appeal to your home.
Just like choosing paint colors for the interior of your home, choosing the best front door color for your home isn’t as simple as selecting a color you like. Instead, it’s important to consider the other exterior colors of your home, the design of your door and several other factors.
Consider the following when choosing your front door paint color:
Front Porch Decor
Use your front porch decor as inspiration for your door color. If you have colorful planters, porch furniture or summer perennials, match your door to these features. Consider the plants and landscaping at the front of your home, too.
Door Design
Lighter paint colors show off architectural features better (but also show flaws more easily). Darker colors hide imperfections. If your front door has a lot of carved details, pick a lighter paint color to show them off.
How You Use Your Door
Do you keep your front door closed, or open? If you keep it open a lot, then you’ll need to make sure the color looks good with your interior paint color palette (Article). If you keep your front door closed, then you don’t need to worry about your interior colors because the interior and exterior colors of the door don’t need to be the same.
Consider The Direction Your Door Faces
If your front entry gets a lot of sunshine, a dark paint color may get very hot to touch in the summer. Pick a light to medium color instead to avoid scorching your guests before they get in the door.
Choose the Right Paint Sheen for Front Doors
Choosing the right paint sheen (Article) for your door is almost as important as choosing the right color. We love the look of a shiny exterior front door, so we typically choose a semi-gloss paint sheen.
However, be sure to consider the condition of your door before you decide on a sheen. Shinier finishes show every architectural detail of the door but also show every defect. Low sheen or flat finishes hide imperfections more easily.
If you have a new or recently refurbished front door, consider a shinier sheen, such as gloss or semi-gloss. If your door is older or damaged, consider a less shiny satin. Don’t paint your front door with a flat sheen (no matter how imperfect it may be). A flat sheen will leave your door looking dull and listless.
How to Test Front Door Paint Colors
Even when you follow the guidelines above, finding the best front door colors for your home can be tricky.
Colors can look significantly different in person than on your computer screen or even printed onto paper. Colors also look lighter and more colorful in the sunshine vs in a shaded entryway. This is why it’s important to always test your paint colors (Article).
We recommend that you test any potential front door paint colors outside and in person. We like to use Samplize (Sample) peel-and-stick samples to test paint colors because you don’t need to paint samples- it’s already done for you.
Stick your samples on a white poster board to isolate the color from the color in place. If you stick the sample on the door, your eye gets distracted by the current color. Then move the poster board around the house and place it next to the trim, stone, or the bottom of the door.
I like to buy two peel-and-stick samples to make the area bigger. It’s easier to see that way, and the samples are inexpensive.
22 of the Best Front Door Colors (According to Our Color Experts)
At The Color Concierge, we’ve selected many front door colors for our clients.
It’s such a common challenge for homeowners that we offer a specific online paint color consulting package just for picking the right front door for your home.
Keep reading for some of our favorite front door colors and inspiration, gathered during client projects and my recent travels.
Best Purple Front Door Paint Colors
British Purple Front Door
I saw this bright purple front door during my recent trip to London and knew I needed to take a photo of it. It is such a bright, cheerful color that adds a ton of personality to this otherwise traditional-looking building.
This was the front door to the Marjory Warren house, home of the British Geriatrics Society and named for Marjory Winsome Warren, a British nurse considered the mother of modern geriatric medicine.
If you want this kind of bright and cheery entrance for your home, try a Sherwin-Williams Passionate Purple (Sample) or Benjamin Moore Summer Plum (Sample) front door.
Benjamin Moore Tulsa Twilight Front Door
This deep purple front door was actually the entrance to my old house. We don’t get a lot of requests for purple doors, but Benjamin Moore Tulsa Twilight (Sample) is one of the best front door paint colors for homeowners who want something that’s a little bit funky while still timeless.
BM Tulsa Twilight is technically a black paint with strong violet undertones, but it looks especially purple in bright sunlight.
Best Green Front Door Paint Colors
Green Front Door at the Tower of London
This is another gorgeous front door spotted on my recent trip, this time seen inside the Tower of London. The Yeoman Warders are the guards that keep the Tower safe, and they actually live onsite with their families.
This deep green door was the entrance to one of their homes. All of the residences have the same green front doors. This warm and bright green color looks beautiful paired with the red brick building.
If you want a similar color, try a Sherwin-Williams Shamrock (Sample) front door.
Sherwin-Williams Pewter Green Front Door
For this home, we matched an SW Pewter Green (Sample) front door to the unique green roof. We carried the same muted green over to the window trim, too.
The warm Pewter Green paint colors look beautiful next to this home’s red brick. Originally the homeowners wanted to paint the brick but we talked them out of it and I’m so glad we did. This house is gorgeous with its updated palette!
Benjamin Moore Split Pea Front Door
Benjamin Moore Split Pea (Sample) is one of the best front door paint colors for a statement-making first impression. This bright green paint color may seem too bold, but with the right exterior color palette it can be truly beautiful.
This client’s split-level home looks like it was made for a Split Pea front door. The almost-fluorescent green ties in perfectly with the foliage around the home, and the light color reveals the beautiful carvings on the door. It also looks amazing with the Sherwin-Williams Cyberspace (Sample) siding.
Benjamin Moore Windsor Green Front Door
This unique historical home features a gorgeous, warm exterior palette. The Benjamin Moore Earthy Russett (Color review article) siding is paired with two warm green paint colors: Benjamin Moore Providence Olive for the trim and Benjamin Moore Windsor Green for the front door.
Windsor Green looks warm and lovely next to the warm brown siding and offers a bit of freshness in this earthy palette.
Best Yellow Front Door Paint Colors
Sherwin-Williams Gambol Gold Front Door
A yellow front door is such a bright and cheerful look. This beautiful home in Canada looks wonderful with a Sherwin-Williams Gambol Gold (Sample) front door, especially considering the rest of their exterior paint color palette is very simple.
Gambol Gold is a gorgeous mustard yellow that looks really lovely paired with gray siding or stone or a muted navy blue exterior color palette like this home.
Best White Front Door Paint Colors
Sherwin-Williams Grecian Ivory Front Door
I usually don’t encourage homeowners to paint their front door white. But in the case of this home, it was totally flawless!
These clients painted their house after reading our blog on Sherwin-Williams Rustic Red (Color review article). The deep red color would have looked too heavy with a dark front door, so in this case a white door really was the best front door color for their home.
The “white” color was actually SW Grecian Ivory (Sample), a darker greige that looked white in the bright sunshine. If you want to use a white front door, make sure to match the white color to your white trim. This client also matched their front door and shutters for a balanced look.
Best Orange Front Door Paint Colors
Benjamin Moore Redstone Front Door
Benjamin Moore Redstone (Sample) is one of the best front door colors out there – especially if you want a red front door that is a little less traditional. Redstone includes bright orange tones for a bright and cheerful red color that is sure to make a statement.
This client’s mid-century modern home (Article) pairs a BM Hale Navy exterior (Color review article), BM Pale Oak (Article)trim paint and a Redstone front door for a classic red, white, and blue color palette that feels updated and modern.
Sherwin-Williams Quite Coral Front Door
SW Quite Coral (Sample) is one of the most fun front door colors I’ve done for a client. It’s an orange paint color that leans toward pink. It’s one of the best front door colors if you like the idea of a pink front door but aren’t totally ready to commit.
We paired SW Quite Coral with SW City Loft (Sample) trim and SW Charcoal Blue (Sample) siding for a modern twist on a classic red, white and blue exterior color palette.
Sherwin-Williams Habenero Chile Front Door
A front door painted with Sherwin-Williams Habenero Chile (Sample) is a stunning addition to an exterior color palette.
This bright red-orange paint was simply stunning on our client’s home pictured below. While their front door was buried in shadows, the Habenero Chile paint helped it stand out.
Best Red Front Door Paint Colors
Benjamin Moore Caliente Front Door
BM Caliente (Sample) is another great red front door color that is a bit more classic than Redstone. A deep, rich red, Caliente pairs really well with classic gray or blue exterior color palettes (Article). It would also look timeless with white exterior paint colors (Article).
In this client’s home below we paired a Hale Navy exterior with Pale Oak trim and a Caliente front door for beautiful curb appeal and a welcoming front entrance.
Sherwin-Williams Stolen Kiss Front Door
SW Stolen Kiss is right near the top of my personal list of the best front door colors. I love this red paint color for a front entrance because it’s a bold, rich color but is muted enough to not feel too bright.
We paired a Stolen Kiss front door with a gray exterior color palette on this project. I love the way it makes the whole palette feel more polished. We’ve also used this front door color for a home with a red-brick entryway and SW Sea Serpent (Coloour review article) deep blue-green siding. It looked just as beautiful with those colors as it does with classic gray.
Sherwin-Williams Sundried Tomato Front Door
SW Sundried Tomato (Sample) is a gorgeous warm red paint color. It’s dark enough that it doesn’t look out of place with this home’s white body color, but still stands out.
This Victorian home features one of the most unique color palettes I’ve worked on with a client. The palette offers a fresh take on a red, white and blue color palette, featuring darker, slightly muted versions of the classic patriotic colors. Bright green accents along the roof line contrast with the red of the trim and front door.
Benjamin Moore Cottage Red Front Door
Benjamin Moore Cottage Red is a deep, dark red paint color perfect for brick homes. The color is dark enough that is stands out against the red brick despite being in the same color family.
This front door helps tie this color palette together, pairing really well with the BM Brewster Gray (Sample) siding, BM Black Jack shutters and the BM Edgecomb Gray (Color review article)trim.
Best Blue-Green Front Door Paint Colors
Benjamin Moore Raindance Front Door
Benjamin Moore Raindance (Sample) is a soft but vibrant light teal paint color that is perfect for a playful and inviting front door. This color is actually a gray paint with strong blue and green undertones that make it look almost mint green in bright sunlight.
We paired a BM Raindance front door with BM Kendall Charcoal (Sample) siding and BM Classic Gray (Color review article) trim for this client’s house. It’s a modern color palette that feels fun, but still timeless.
Best Blue Front Door Paint Colors
Benjamin Moore Storm Front Door
If you’re dreaming of a light blue front door that won’t look too bright in the sun, then Storm may be right for you. Benjamin Moore Storm (sample) is a light blue-gray paint color. It’s muted and soft outside, even in areas with lots of sunshine.
In the home below, Storm pairs really well with the navy blue siding and white trim.
Benjamin Moore Hale Navy Front Door
A Hale Navy (Color review article) front door is a beautiful, classic thing. It’s a truly iconic color that is slightly grayed out and muted but comes to life in the sun. It pairs so well with so many other colors many designers consider Hale Navy a dark neutral.
The Hale Navy front door on this historic home looks timeless with the Benjamin Moore Hepplewhite Ivory (Color review article) exterior paint on the siding and the BM Woodlawn Blue (Sample) painted porch ceiling.
Sherwin-Williams Sea Serpent Front Door
Sherwin-Williams Sea Serpent is a dark blue paint color with warm green undertones. It’s a gorgeous front door paint color option if you want something deep and dark but don’t want black.
Sea Serpent looks especially beautiful with red brick homes, like the client’s home pictured below.
Best Black Front Door Paint Colors
Sherwin-Williams Iron Ore Front Door
There’s a reason SW Iron Ore (Sample) is one of the most popular black paints of all time. It’s a gorgeous, deep black color with invisible green undertones. It is so well-balanced it really doesn’t risk leaning toward green even in bright sunlight.
I love to pair an Iron Ore (Sample) front door with lighter exterior color palettes like we did with the white exterior paint color in our client’s home above. SW Iron Ore is almost identical to Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron (Sample). We used Wrought Iron shutters with a light color palette in the client’s home below.
Benjamin Moore Black Beauty Front Door
Benjamin Moore Black Beauty is another gorgeous black front door color. This color is very dark and has a touch of warmth, with an LRV of 5. While this front door paint color could work with a lot of exterior palettes, I especially love it in a moody exterior color scheme like the home below.
This home’s BM Iron Mountain siding looks beautiful with the BM Black Beauty front door, which stands out even in the dark palette.
Sherwin-Williams Tricorn Black Front Door
SW Tricorn Black is the deepest of blacks and is absolutely stunning as a front door paint color. We used Tricorn Black on this brick home with SW Intellectual Gray siding and it was the perfect neutral but bold front door.
Best Gray Front Door Paint Colors
Sherwin-Williams Grizzle Gray
This dark gray front door is painted with SW Grizzle Gray (Sample), a warm dark gray paint color. This is a great option if you like the idea of a black front door but want something a little softer.
In the case of this home, the SW Outerspace siding and SW Safari (Sample) shingles are both warm paint colors. Grizzle Gray offers a warm, neutral touch that still looks soft and muted within the palette.
What is the easiest way to sample front door paint colors?
You should always sample and test your paint colors in natural light. The easiest way to sample all of these front door paint colors is via SAMPLIZE (Sample).
Their peel-and-stick paint samples are easy to use and accurate to color. With Samplize, you can quickly and easily see how different shades look on your front door.
If you’d like to test the colors that we mentioned in this post, link below for the Samplize samples:
Tulsa Twilight (Sample), Shamrock (Sample), Split Pea (Sample), Pewter Green (Sample), Windsor Green (Sample), Gambol Gold (Sample), Grecian Ivory (Sample), Redstone (Sample), Quite Coral (Sample), Habenero Chile (Sample), Caliente (Sample), Stolen Kiss (Sample), Sundried Tomato (Sample), Cottage Red (Sample), Raindance (Sample), Storm (Sample), Hale Navy (Sample), Sea Serpent (Sample), Iron Ore (Sample), Black Beauty (Sample), Tricorn Black (Sample), Grizzle Gray (Sample).
Key Learning Points
Your front door is the focal point of an exterior color palette. It’s the last thing someone sees just before walking into your home and is often a big part of the curb appeal of your home.
Front doors are also a great place to play with color. You can take bigger risks with bright and bold colors on a front door – if you take the time to find the best front door colors for your home.
Make sure to keep the following in mind:
- Consider your front porch decor, plants and landscaping around your front entryway when choosing a front door color. Try to coordinate your door color with those other pieces of decor.
- Make sure to choose the right paint sheen. If your door is new or recently refurbished, or if you want to showcase unique carvings and architectural features, then go with a higher gloss sheen. Use a low-luster sheen for doors with more imperfections.
- Be sure to test your front door color in direct sunlight and on your actual door. Look at the colors up close when testing, but also stand back and look at them from the street before making your decision.
Online Color Consulting
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About the Author
Hi, I’m Michelle Marceny, founder, owner, and Principal Color Designer at The Color Concierge. I believe a fresh coat of paint can completely transform a space. The Color Concierge was born out of my drive to help clients fall back in love with their homes. My clients trust me to help them find the perfect paint color for their home – whether it’s a whole-house paint color scheme or ideas for a single room.
Since The Color Concierge was founded in 2017, we have completed over 3000 color consultations, both online and in-person. I am a Certified Color Expert with 7 years of experience creating interior and exterior color palettes throughout North America.
We love your comments! Please note that the blog is meant as general advice, and it is not possible to give out specific answers to your paint questions. If you want more specific advice, our Online Color Consultations will help you pick your paint colours. Thank you for your understanding.
2 Responses
Helpful article. Saved for future project
Thank you.
This is a great article! This is very helpful as I love to use bold colors inside and now instead of the boring red door I am going to do something different. I love the color black it looks so classy, I am considering painting my front door black and do matching shutters. Our house is a tan color with white trim, im considering painting all the trim black, is this an alright look? Rambler house darker tan with a beautiful black color for the front door, trim, shutters?
Thank you!