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How an Unexpected Front Door Color Can Liven a House

calander Oct 26 , 2020 user-iconAnderson Painting
Green door painted on a gray house

Imagine entering a home that you’ve made up in your mind. Now, ask yourself this question: what color was the front door? Was it brown? White? Bright red? Some other color? Different people will have different responses to this thought experiment, but most of us have an archetypical idea of a front door -- a simple, rectangular, framed, single-colored portal with a knob or handle. In reality, though, front doors come in so many varieties in terms of shape, size, color, framing, decoration, and mechanics, as Raleigh house painters can attest. In many ways, the flavor of a front door makes a powerful statement about the rest of a home. After all, this primary entryway typically rests in the center of a home and provides access. If you want to liven up your exterior, refreshing your front door is a small way to make a big impact.

Let’s discuss how installing an unexpected front door color can make a home more vibrant, interesting, and lively.

Benefits of a Painted Door

What Color Might be “Unexpected?”

First, we must discuss what makes for an “unexpected” color. Without getting too in the weeds of color theory and psychology, an unexpected color refers to a color that wouldn’t typically fit into a surrounding color scheme. A conventional color scheme features a selection of colors (or versions of a single hue) that complement one another in visually pleasing ways. For instance, a color scheme might feature red and green, two colors that sit opposite one another on the color wheel and therefore provide strong contrast -- brown might be included in this color scheme, as it results from the combination of green and red. A monochromatic color scheme (“mono” meaning “singular”) might feature multiple shades of blue, such as robin’s egg, navy, and grey-blue.

Regardless of the type of color scheme or how many colors make it up, an unexpected color would be one that doesn’t offer a typical contrast or blend in with the dominant palette. In our green/red/brown example, an unexpected color might be light blue, pink, or bright orange. In the monochromatic blue scheme we discussed, any color other than blue or its opposite (orange) might look out of place.

Strategic Surprise

So, how should you go about choosing an unexpected paint color for your front door? After all, you want to draw attention to your home without sullying its style. The trick here is providing unusual exterior painting contrast that doesn’t create too much of a clash as to take away from your home’s outward appeal. For instance, it’s rarely practical to paint your front door hot pink, full stop (though you certainly can go for it). Additionally, if your home’s siding is dark green, a bold blue door might not do your exterior any favors. Sure, these colors are out of the ordinary, but they also aren’t easy on the eyes in these contexts.

Your best bet is to approach this task strategically, taking into consideration things like surrounding features (i.e. door frame, decorations, trim, etc.) and how an unexpected front door might influence your other exterior home design decisions. A light green front door might sound odd on paper, but imagine how it would look when surrounded by fresh plant life and/or contrasted with a neutral exterior; a bright yellow door is eye-popping yet surprisingly well-suited against a dark blue exterior; and a saturated red front door can make a statement in almost any situation -- even more so if it’s the only red object around. The bottom line: don’t be afraid to experiment with some bold colors when it comes to painting your front door. Brown, white, and black doors work just fine, but they’re commonplace and recede from notice.

Liven Up Your House with a Fun Front Door

Ultimately, choosing an unexpected color for your front door will capture outside attention, encourage guests to step inside, and say a thing or two about your (and your home’s) personality. And remember, nothing is set in stone. You can always change the look of your door down the road. If you’re not sure how to go about this project, the Anderson Painting contractors can help you try something new!

For more about Anderson Painting and everything we do, call us today at (919) 610-1855 or email us at info@andersonpaintingnc.com!


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