How to pick the best front door colour for your home

If you are someone who doesn't know their taupe from their ecru, picking a front door colour might be a bit daunting.

The colour of your front door can have a big impact on the kerb appeal of your property so it's a choice you need to get right.

It can be difficult to visualise what a full door will look like from a tiny sample colour. Knowing the best front door colours to choose can be a method of picking one and hoping for the best.

Fortunately, we do know a thing or two about doors, so we put together this guide to help you make the right choice about what colour front door would best suit your style of home.

What does the colour of your front door mean?

Does it even matter what colour you paint your front door? Why can't you simply pick your favourite colour?

Actually, colour does carry a great deal of significance and meaning and the colours that you use for your front door could reveal more than you realise.

What is the meaning of a black front door?

According to Feng Shui, the front door is the main portal of energy into the house that allows qi (energy) to flow into the home. For this reason, Feng Shui recommends you should pay a lot of attention to your front door.

A black front door means protection, solid energy and creates a powerful shield. If you have a North facing door, black is the perfect choice as a front door colour - but if your door faces South or West then it should be avoided.

Setting Feng Shui aside, black is still a colour that represents power and strength. Think of the most famous black door in the UK - Number 10 Downing Street.

A traditional city period property looks sophisticated and domineering with a black door, but it's not for every house.

How to pick a front door colour

To pick the best front door colours for your home, you first need to consider the architectural style and the location of your house.

Period properties

Traditional colours work best with period properties. Listed buildings have limitations on what colours you can paint windows and doors, usually classic colours that are sympathetic to the style of the house. Grand houses should always opt for classic colours to represent their grand nature.

Country houses

Traditional country colours are a must for a country residence. Natural wood stains and varnish are also better choices than colours with natural authentic materials complementing their natural surroundings.

Coastal properties

Pastels have always been popular colour choices for the woodwork of properties by the sea and the best colour would be a sea-green/blue.

Contemporary homes

For an architecturally designed home, the choice is usually for natural wood materials or glass. If you have a modern style of home, muted shades look elegant and stylish.

After thinking about the style of your house, the colour of the brick or building materials should also be considered to offset your front door.

Best front door colour for red brick house

The housing boom in the 1930s was the start of the dominance of the red brick house across the UK.

The best front door colour for a red brick house is a dark blue door. This is based on the colour theory that the orangey hue of a red brick is complemented by its opposite on the colour wheel, which is dark blue.

The strong colour of red brick is one of the few types of building material that can offset a white front door for it to stand out. Red bricks can also be complemented by a steel blue/grey or a pastel green.

Front door colours for white house

Pale stone or rendered buildings look best with a bold contrast to mark the entrance - a pastel or pale coloured door will be lost and creates a washed-out style. Some websites recommend a white door on a white background, but a total whitewash creates a bland canvas with no discernible entrance.

The best front door colours for a white house are anything that can stand out against the white - for a classic contrast a navy-blue door is an elegant choice for a white house and black or dark grey offer a monochromatic striking look.

For a bold contemporary look, a bright yellow, lime or turquoise colour door will look fresh and appealing and certainly make a statement but this isn't to everyone's taste and can affect the sale of your property.

Best colour front door to sell your house

Your front door is the first experience of your home that a visitor has and it sets a standard of what they can expect to find inside. First impressions really do count.

According to expert estate agent's advice, the colour of your front door can have a huge impact on the sale.

The best colour front door to sell your home is a classic colour that's in keeping with the style and location. Black, greys, blues, deep reds, natural woods and classic greens are all safe options you should opt for. Stay away from 'on trend' bright colours like lime, orange or purple, they might look 'wow' now, but they date very quickly.

Never underestimate how personal colour is and how much it can affect a buyer's decision even on a subconscious level and if there's a choice between two houses, every little detail matters.

A buyer will make their mind up about your house within seconds of seeing it, so make sure the front door looks its best. Refresh the paintwork and consider shiny new door furniture to offset the classic colour and make the door stand out for the right reasons. Now isn't the time to experiment with bold or unusual colours.

Should a front door be the same colour inside and out?

For a natural wood door, the front door should be the same colour inside and out - allow the beauty of the material to complement your home.

For a painted timber door, or composite door, your front door shouldn't be the same colour inside and out - usually.

The exception to this is a classic black or dark grey that can suit most interiors and can offer a striking contrast.

If your door opens into a hallway, space is much more forgiving of strong colour and continuing the outside to the inside can work. A strong coloured door can be a focal point.

If your door opens straight into a living space then you might want to recede the door with a neutral colour or for contrast you could pick out a colour detail from your interior.

Interior spaces generally have a neutral or muted base and a strong colour that works outside against brick or stone that is too domineering on the inside.

Once your front door is closed, consider how the door suits the interior of your hallway or entrance and offset the colour against the interior decoration.