Front and Center Color: When to Paint Your Door Bright Red
Welcoming and intense, a red front door kicks up a home's entryway and is impossible to miss
Jennifer Ott
October 8, 2012
San Francisco-based architectural color specialist and design writer. Jennifer's work has been featured in many print and online publications. Her recently-published book, "1000 Ideas for Color Schemes," is a beautifully illustrated and easy-to-navigate guide that takes the guesswork out of selecting the perfect color palette for your home or special event. For more information on Jennifer Ott Design, visit http://jenottdesign.com/.
San Francisco-based architectural color specialist and design writer. Jennifer's... More
Perhaps the most stirring hue in the entire color spectrum, red has been found to actually raise one's blood pressure. We associate it with life, vitality and passion. In Johannes Itten's classic treatise on color, as translated in The Elements of Color, he discusses red's connotations of heat, power and strong emotion, and how to effectively coordinate other colors with this intense hue.
According to Lillian Too, in The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Feng Shui, red represents strength, energy and happiness, hence it's a good choice for a home's front door. In times when red pigments were scarce and therefore expensive, a red front door heralded the wealth of the family who resided within. Many ancient cultures thought a red door imbued the inhabitants with luck and protection. And in early American communities, a red front door signaled a friendly, welcoming home.
Clearly entryways have quite a history with the color red, so it makes sense that it remains a popular choice for front doors today. Red itself comes in many shades, from fiery orange-reds to deep cool burgundies. Let's take a look at six homes with bold, vibrant red doors and examples of exterior paint color palettes inspired by each image.
Compare: More color palettes for front doors
According to Lillian Too, in The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Feng Shui, red represents strength, energy and happiness, hence it's a good choice for a home's front door. In times when red pigments were scarce and therefore expensive, a red front door heralded the wealth of the family who resided within. Many ancient cultures thought a red door imbued the inhabitants with luck and protection. And in early American communities, a red front door signaled a friendly, welcoming home.
Clearly entryways have quite a history with the color red, so it makes sense that it remains a popular choice for front doors today. Red itself comes in many shades, from fiery orange-reds to deep cool burgundies. Let's take a look at six homes with bold, vibrant red doors and examples of exterior paint color palettes inspired by each image.
Compare: More color palettes for front doors
1. Red Door With a Cool Medium-Gray House Color
I love the contrast between the vibrant, pure red color of this door and the more muted blue-gray color of the siding. The white trim adds crispness.
I love the contrast between the vibrant, pure red color of this door and the more muted blue-gray color of the siding. The white trim adds crispness.
Example palette: Get a similar look with (clockwise from top left, all from Pratt & Lambert): Red Orange 7-16, Mendocino 30-32 and Steel 28-22.
2. Red Door With a Warm, Dark House Color
Between the warm wood siding and the deep brown color of the metal cladding, this house sports some beautiful, rich hues. The punch of red on the door — a vibrant shade with a bit of orange in it — announces the home's entry. Sometimes contemporary architecture can appear cold and uninviting, but that's not the case with this elegant home.
Between the warm wood siding and the deep brown color of the metal cladding, this house sports some beautiful, rich hues. The punch of red on the door — a vibrant shade with a bit of orange in it — announces the home's entry. Sometimes contemporary architecture can appear cold and uninviting, but that's not the case with this elegant home.
Example palette: Get a similar look with (clockwise from top left, all from Mythic Paint): Simply Beautiful 111-6, Esmerelda Evening 144-1 and Antelope Canyon 159-6.
3. Warm Red Door With Warm, Light-Colored Siding
This entry beckons you to come on in and enjoy a hot beverage in front of a roaring fire after a day spent outside in the crisp autumn air. Red doors look fantastic on homes with natural wood siding, but if your siding requires paint, you can't go wrong with shades of brown, tan and taupe.
This entry beckons you to come on in and enjoy a hot beverage in front of a roaring fire after a day spent outside in the crisp autumn air. Red doors look fantastic on homes with natural wood siding, but if your siding requires paint, you can't go wrong with shades of brown, tan and taupe.
Example palette: Get a similar look with (clockwise from top left, all from Valspar): Scarlet Sun 1011-1, Night Safari 6011-3 and Brown Buzz 6005-3B.
4. Red Door With a Cool Light-Gray House Color
Although it's similar to the previous palette, the siding on this home has a lighter hue. Again, the contrast between the saturated red color on the door and the toned-down soft blue-gray on the house is pleasing. White trim looks great, but you could also go with a dark blue-black color for more contrast and drama against the light blue-gray siding.
Although it's similar to the previous palette, the siding on this home has a lighter hue. Again, the contrast between the saturated red color on the door and the toned-down soft blue-gray on the house is pleasing. White trim looks great, but you could also go with a dark blue-black color for more contrast and drama against the light blue-gray siding.
Example palette: Get a similar look with (clockwise from top left, all from Sherwin-Williams): Stop SW6869, Outerspace SW6251 and Krypton SW6247.
5. Red Door With a Colorful Palette
This tricky palette works well here, enhancing the clean and modern lines of the house. Red, orange and yellow are analogous colors (adjacent on the color wheel), so they tend to have a harmonious feel when used together.
This tricky palette works well here, enhancing the clean and modern lines of the house. Red, orange and yellow are analogous colors (adjacent on the color wheel), so they tend to have a harmonious feel when used together.
Example palette: Get a similar look with (clockwise from top left, all from Benjamin Moore): Tomato Red 2010-10, Hampton Green 2150-50 and Coral Spice 2170-40.
6. Red Garage Door
Don't neglect your garage door when painting the exterior of your house. This vibrant red door adds a fun and unexpected touch to the siding's minty hue.
Don't neglect your garage door when painting the exterior of your house. This vibrant red door adds a fun and unexpected touch to the siding's minty hue.
Example palette: Fire engine red is a classic door color that plays well with so many other hues, especially popular neutrals such as soft green, gray and taupe. Clockwise from top left (all from Sherwin-Williams): Fireworks SW6867, Bonsai Tint SW6436, Westchester Gray SW2849 and Intellectual Gray SW7045.
Tell us: Are you a fan of red front doors? Post a photo of yours below!
Tell us: Are you a fan of red front doors? Post a photo of yours below!
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This is our last home. It used to be a grey blue colour and white door. We wanted a big change so went with a darker green and deep red door and used the same red on the porch swing. It really looked nice with the burning bush and japanese maple in the fall.
Susie deering interiors, what color is your front door?? I know this is an old thread, but it pulled up while searching for red doors!!