Ideas
How to pick a front door color
Spruce up your home’s exterior look with a statement front door. To help you get started, we asked an expert at Sherwin-Williams for some front door color ideas.
As one of the first things people see when they visit your home, your front door is an important architectural element. You want to paint your door a color that matches the rest of your home's exterior, enhances your curb appeal, and doesn't add extra maintenance. Consider what you want the door to say about your style as well — it should be something that speaks to you and helps you feel good every time you enter the house.
To help you start dreaming up the perfect color for your front door, we tapped Kiki Redhead, the color and trend lead for industrial coatings with Sherwin-Williams. Her job is to forecast color trends by predicting how industry, product, and consumer preferences, as well as consumer purchasing behavior will evolve.
What color front door sells a house?
“Curb appeal is a home’s first impression, much like the clothes we wear,” Redhead explained. “It’s the outside world’s view of the type of house we keep, and correlates to the thoughts and emotions someone will form prior to entering the home. If you put effort and care into the exterior, you most likely have done the same inside.”
In addition to boosting curb appeal, front door color can have a measurable impact on resale value. A Zillow study published in 2022 found that home buyers would pay an estimated $6,449 more for home with a black front door. An additional finding was that homes with a slate blue front door received the top overall score with buyers, who said they would be willing to offer an additional $1,537 more on average.
Whether you’re interested in one of these sophisticated dark neutrals or prefer a mood-brightening yellow, you’ll want to start by coming up with a color scheme that matches your home style.
How to choose a front door color scheme
Redhead says fashionable colors for entry doors emerge to either blend in with or stand out against the popular neutral hues of a housing market. To help you figure out whether you want a color that blends in or stands out, let’s look at color theory.
Grab a color wheel and find the color that best matches your home’s exterior color. From there you can use one of the following approaches to make a color palette choice that you'll love:
- If you want your front door to pop, select a complementary color or a color that’s on the opposite side of the color wheel from your exterior color. For example, a red-hued door would provide a bold contrast to a green exterior.
- For a contrast that’s still pleasing but less dramatic, select a triadic color or one of the colors equidistant from your exterior color. Image laying a triangle on the color wheel with one corner on your exterior color. The other two corners will point toward its triads. For example, a door in the red or blue color family would provide a nice contrast to a green exterior.
- If you want to use color in a way that’s subtle and calming, select a front door color that’s analogous or right next door to your exterior color on the color wheel. For example, a door in the green or yellow color family would be harmonious with a green exterior.
Once you’ve decided on a color family for your front door, it’s time to get into paint color recommendations.
What is the most popular front door color?
The trendiest hues for entry doors typically fall into one of four color categories below, and according to Redhead, each one says something different.
Red to pink front doors
A red door commands and draws attention. It’s dynamic and engaging. Another member of the red color family, pink has a more youthful and carefree feel. Here are Redhead’s picks for warm vibrant paints in this color family:
- For a dignified oxblood red, try Crabby Apple SW 7592.
- For a cheery barn-red hue, she loves Heartthrob SW 6866.
- For a cheeky pink shade that doesn’t take itself too seriously, there's Eros Pink SW 6860.
Blue to green front doors
Lighter blues and greens feel refreshing and relaxed. To add a little Zen to your front door, Redhead recommends the following shades of blue and green paint:
- For a rich dark aqua shade, try Loch Blue SW 6502.
- For a fresh, cool light blue, choose Jetstream SW 6492.
- For a sage shade that leans slightly blue, try Waterscape SW 6470.
- For a minty fresh green, you can’t go wrong with Kiwi SW 6737.
- For a crisp, classic navy, choose Naval SW 6244.
Yellow front doors
Yellow is warm, welcoming, and optimistic — perfect for a front door! “A yellow like Sherwin-Williams’ Lemon Twist or Decisive Yellow makes the boldest design statement, plus they are the most fun and can create high contrast, depending on the other colors that surround,” Redhead said. Here are two of Redhead’s recommendations for bright and cheerful yellow paint:
- For a rich saturated shade, try Decisive Yellow SW 6902.
- For a lighter, brighter yellow, there’s Lemon Twist SW 6909.
Gray to black front doors
But bright isn’t always right. If it works for your home, don’t be afraid to turn to the dark side. “[Dark neutrals] represent sophistication, elegance, luxury, confidence, and certainty; all wonderful qualities you would want your home to exude [when it’s] on the market.”
Redhead has the following recommendations for dark, neutral paint colors:
- For a timeless, grounding color, go for Colonial Revival Gray SW 2832.
- For a sophisticated soft brown, there's Elephant Ear SW 9168.
- For a bold, elegant statement, look no further than Tricorn Black SW 6258.
Worried about front door color dating your home? According to Redhead, you shouldn’t be. “I see these color families as a long-term trend,” Redhead said. “The specific hues may shift slightly, but you can always rely on a classic red, navy, or black.”
How to get the look you want
Love one of these colors? You can order one of our entry doors to match any Sherwin-Williams® paint color — select one color for the exterior and another color or a stained wood for the interior. In case you’re wondering about the door shown above, it’s an entry door in our Straightline panel style.
Want to explore the rest of our entry door panel styles, colors, hardware, and more? Bring your dream door to life with our design tool.
What are the three colors not to paint your front door?
While there's no secret formula that will tell you exactly what not to paint your front door, there are some choices that are generally unpopular, could decrease your home's value, or aren't easy to maintain. Consider avoiding the following colors for your project:
- Pale pink or stark white: Another finding from the 2022 Zillow study was that homes with pale pink front doors could be sold for around $6,516 less than expected, because buyers thought they presented a "shabby" appearance. Similarly, a stark white door is risky because it shows dirt easily and requires high maintenance for a rather lackluster look.
- Neon brights: While it might be a fun idea to have neon centerpiece on your house, neon colors often clash with siding and create a jarring effect that make the door look out of place. You can choose a more muted accent color that doesn't make your design appear less cohesive if you want to add a pop to your entryway.
- Dark black: While black is increasingly popular for contemporary door and window profiles, painting your entire front door a deep black is not the best option. An entirely black door traps heat in your house and heats the door itself, which can lead to paint fading, peeling, or cracking. If you want a classic, dark door, opt for navy blue or a deep green instead.
How to start designing your dream front door
So, are you ready to get started designing your new front door? Remember, all our front doors are highly customizable. You can choose from:
- 50 commercial-grade, aluminum exterior colors
- 14 painted interior colors
- 11 wood species for both interior and exterior
- Decorative glass options
- A variety of grille patterns
- Single or double-door configurations
- Inswing or outswing operation
- Low-profile sills
- Designer hardware
- Smart locks
If that’s not enough, we can also create custom front door designs for you! See how the former editor and chief of Domino custom designed her front door for her Mid-Century Modern remodel.
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Tools
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Our homeowner-friendly visualization tool allows you to try out different finishes, hardware, grilles, and more. It's the easiest way to start bringing your vision to life!
Tips
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