How do you decide what color to paint your front door?

Nell C
by Nell C
My house is a medium blue with a whiteish trim. Tried burgandy and it's just not right. Please help.
better colors of house
  35 answers
  • Clay B Clay B on May 31, 2012
    Don't know off hand, however... go to paint store, look at the fold-up color charts for exterior paints. Many charts will show colors in groups that go together; like a main body color and 2 accent colors. It can be a good start. Even if they don't have your exact body color shown, just find a blue one, and see what direction to go with instead of burgundy. I've always like the Benjamin Moore Historical Collection, you usually can't go wrong with Historical Colors. The people who put these color charts together are pretty good at it. Worth a try.
  • Designs by BSB Designs by BSB on May 31, 2012
    With that color blue ... Id suggest more of a rusty dark orange. Others that would work... like reds.. go more brick tone like SW 7591 Red Barn a neutral SW 2853 New Colonial Yellow or take a picture of your house and upload it to Sherwin Williams Chip it ! Great visualizer! http://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/color/color-selection-tools/chip-it/
  • Dena H Dena H on May 31, 2012
    It also depends on what you have on your front porch. I used the paint for the door on the planters and a few other items around the front entryway to pull it all together.
  • Sharron W Sharron W on May 31, 2012
    I like Beckysue's idea for a soft Yellow...but in the event that won't work for the other colors, a soft pale grey would definately work with that blue and the white...
  • Pam Pam on May 31, 2012
    I agree with a soft yellow, or spring green or soft tangerine.
  • Kelly Kelly on May 31, 2012
    Maybe Sunshine Yellow? That would only be if your are really comfortable with a bold colour scheme. Otherwise maybe a light grey?
  • Tina C Tina C on May 31, 2012
    Best thing to do is look @ a color wheel .. the compliment of blue is orange..but use the same tone... also green and yellow work.. try researching tersiary colors ( not sure about the spelling.) This blue is very floraly so maybe you can find a flower with the same color and see what other colors are in that same flower... can't go wrong with mother nature.
  • Sherrie S Sherrie S on May 31, 2012
    Can you post a picture of the front door. It looks like a window on your posting. I think you asked about a front door color?
  • White door, with black shutters. Blue is really bright and depending upon how big wall areas are based on windows and door, you may want to tone it down a bit.
  • Cathy B Cathy B on May 31, 2012
    I like the black shutter idea but with burgandy door.
  • Therese C Therese C on May 31, 2012
    black shutters and black door....the black would mute the blue down a bit and soften the overall effect.
  • Alethea S Alethea S on May 31, 2012
    A deep cream with maybe a taupe for a secondary trim color?
  • Vicki T Vicki T on Jun 03, 2012
    My house is the same color. Was painted the year before I bought it so I plan to wait a few years before I change it. They used a deep cream or pale yellow for all the trim. It looks OK but I will eventually change it.. Landscape will be my main monetary focus right now,
  • Juanita Robinett Juanita Robinett on Sep 20, 2014
    You can't go wrong with the color wheel: orange is the complement of blue. However, it works without being gaudy because you have a LOT of blue and a LITTLE of its complement. I'd not use orangy-orange, but a brownish like terra cotta.
  • Jamoschini Jamoschini on Jan 05, 2015
    Because the blue siding on the house is bright, I would paint the door white to stay with the trim color. I would also boost the curb appeal by adding splashes of color using giant planters with brightly colored flowers in yellow, pink, blue, white and layered greenery in different shades. Window boxes add splashes of color to the blue also.
  • Donna Donna on Jul 21, 2015
    I would paint it a dark blue...navy blue, maybe.
  • Cbenstead Cbenstead on Jul 21, 2015
    I would try some shade of yellow!
  • Marcia Marcia on Jul 22, 2015
    Red, a real clear red means welcone
  • CycoSue CycoSue on Jul 24, 2015
    I was thinking Red as well, but then thought it might be a little overly-patriotic and gaudy
  • Jenny Jenny on Jul 27, 2015
    Black
  • Dona Dona on Sep 26, 2015
    I would paint it a bright yellow or orange or rust color. That blue is just beautiful!
  • Kea Interiors Kea Interiors on Sep 27, 2015
    rust orange or taupe
  • Amy harper Amy harper on Oct 03, 2015
    I just used the color "submarine" on my walk in doors to our garage. I found plutonium spray paint and love it. Sprays on nicely and dries quickly. One can will cover one side doing two coats. "Submarine" is a dark dark blue and with the white trim and light blue on your house I think it would look beautiful!
  • Molly Molly on Oct 22, 2015
    yellow, like a mustard yellow. Just don't pick baby poop yellow.
  • Marcia Marcia on Oct 23, 2015
    Bright Chinese red! Red means welcome, here I am!
  • Irene Irene on Oct 24, 2015
    With that color blue, a yellow door would look fantastic. Painting a door might take half an hour. Why not try the yellow or another choice without worry. If you don't like it, what have you lost (half an hour)? Jump in and go for it. Or, you could buy a roll of wrapping paper in a few colors and tape them one-buy-one on a section of door, and see which one "speaks to you".
    • Candace0606 Candace0606 on Jan 14, 2016
      @Irene Yellow is my suggestion too! you can get samples at most stores for just a couple of dollars.
  • Larry Chura Larry Chura on Dec 13, 2015
    I would try a white door to match the trim with the blue of the house on the edges of the door or in sections with a foe panel affect.
  • Tommi L. Perkins Tommi L. Perkins on Jan 17, 2016
    Daffodil yellow.
  • Liza Wild Liza Wild on Jan 17, 2016
    Deep grey or shiny black is chic
  • Sherrie Slaboda Sherrie Slaboda on Jan 17, 2016
    I'd love to see her final choice since we all have different opinions. She got a wide range of options.
  • Elaine Elaine on Jan 20, 2016
    First of all, ask yourself what "style" or "feel" do you want. By that, I mean - if you want a more casual impression or feel, as others suggested, yellow would look nice as it's the opposite of blue on the color wheel thus, both colors will pop. If you want a more sophisticated classic feel (which I personally love!) paint the door a rich navy blue. In the summer, place classy urns on each side of the door & fill with yellow & white flowers or huge Boston ferns (if your entrance receives shade most of the day).
  • T. Martinelli T. Martinelli on Nov 07, 2016
    The deep grey like. Liza said,an the yellow like Tommi ,an even orange not a brite orange more like a burnt orange ,
  • Lisa Bondi Allen Lisa Bondi Allen on Nov 19, 2016
    Eggplant ! We have the same color house and just had our door painted eggplant and I love it .
  • Sheila Crighton Sheila Crighton on Dec 19, 2016

    The blue on the house as a purple tone and thus its natural compliment would be a yellow. I would go on the mustard side. You could also go as suggested with eggplant or navy. Good luck.

  • Melissa V Melissa V on Dec 20, 2016

    OK, this post started in 2012, so I'm pretty sure the door has been painted by now. It would have been helpful if the photo was of the door and not a random shot of the side of the house. I would have suggested to brighten up the burgundy to a more vibrant fuchsia/berry color to make it really stand out.Plant your garden with the same fuchsias, add oranges and yellows-the greens come along naturally.

    Can you send us a photo of what you decided to do with your front door-lots of us are waiting!!!