Color Your Home Welcoming
It's the first thing people see and the last one on many homeowners' to-choose list: the color of the front door. But if classic green, red, and black have long been the defaults, that's beginning to change. "People are starting to branch out," says Amy Wax, an architectural color consultant in Montclair, New Jersey. "They realize the color of the front door introduces the world to the people inside, and it can be unexpected and playful." Before you dash off for a quart of neon green, however, Wax recommends stepping back and taking note of the style of the door, along with the trim and siding that frame it. Adding a stately shade can make a simple cottage-style door look more sophisticated, she points out, while a casual, bright hue can make a formal facade friendlier and more whimsical. Follow along as Wax offers 17 fresh, inviting options.
Neutral Siding: Robin's Egg Blue
Think of the facade as a blank canvas and an invitation to let personal taste prevail. Keep in mind, too, that a door that incorporates a lot of glass can keep an intense shade from being overwhelming.
Behr's Cool Jazz
Neutral Siding: Sassy Green
Valspar's Sassy Green
Neutral Siding: Raspberry
Benjamin Moore's Raspberry Glaze
Neutral Siding: Yellow
Pratt & Lambert's Empire Yellow
Neutral Siding: Bright Orange
This playful citrus shade lightens up somber shingles.
Sherwin-Williams's Navel
Neutral Siding: Reddish Brown
Hints of red connect to the brick stoop, and the color is fresher than the usual formal-door black.
C2 Paint's Gingersnap
Neutral Siding: Burgundy Wine
This elegant red gives a simple cottage door with spirited green trim a sophisticated makeover.
Sherwin-Williams's Stolen Kiss
Neutral Siding: Cool Blue
This Caribbean hue is a real standout on a neutral facade.
Sherwin-Williams's Candid Blue
Neutral Siding: Clean Green
A contemporary midtone green is strong enough to stand up to a classical portico.
Sherwin-Williams's Pickle
Neutral Siding: Honey Yellow
This autumnal shade goes well with siding the color of fallen leaves.
Benjamin Moore's Golden Honey
Colorful Siding: Seafoam Green
Don't let the door and siding compete: Go for balance by deciding which one gets the biggest punch of color.
This soft shade doesn't steal the show from the color-drenched siding.
Benjamin Moore's Country Green
Colorful Siding: Pale Yellow
This lemony pastel holds its own amid a field of bright blue.
Farrow & Ball's Dayroom Yellow
Colorful Siding: Pinky Red
Deep red doesn't compete with teal siding and paler red shutters.
Sherwin-Williams's Show Stopper
Colorful Siding: Deep Green
Rich blue-green anchors the faded red siding.
Sherwin-Williams's Roycroft Bottle Green
Brick and Stone: Loden Green
When siding presents an already complex field of color, best to pick up a hue that's already there.
This color draws the eye to the door while its yellow under-tones echo the pale brick.
Benjamin Moore's Great Barrington Green
Brick and Stone: Orange Zest
This lively shade reinforces burnt-orange tints in the stone facade.
Sherwin-Williams's Osage Orange
Brick and Stone: Deep Eggplant
An elegant blend of red, blue, and brown, this color helps unite the patchwork brick.
Farrow & Ball's Brindjal