Make a great entrance with the best color for your front door
Looking for a way to make your home feel like new? One of the easiest ways to increase your curb appeal and draw attention to your entryway is to repaint your front door. But how do you decide on a paint color? We created a guide to the best front door colors to help you choose.
Picking a paint color for your home’s entrance gives you an opportunity to be creative and complement your home’s exterior paint and architecture. Most house colors are neutral, so repainting your entrance provides the perfect opportunity to let your personality shine through.
Check out our ultimate list of popular shades, the best hues for different house styles, and specific paint color suggestions below.
Ready for a front door update but not sure what color to choose? Sometimes the best color for front door paint is a time-tested classic, like shades of white and various grays. However, giving your front door the curb appeal it needs may mean going bold with some vibrant colors. Here’s a list of some popular front door paint colors for this year and beyond.
Organic, natural, and signifying growth and new life, green goes from deep and lush to bright and fresh and can veer into calm and thoughtful territory. Evoking a mood with your front door can be as easy as two coats of paint, green or otherwise.
Dark, dramatic colors have come onto the scene and show no signs of going out of style. A nearly black-green door creates the ultimate contrast against a house with neutral-colored siding.
For inspiration:
Benjamin Moore® Black Forest Green
Sherwin-Williams Ripe Olive
Glidden® Dark Green Velvet
A minty color at the focal point of your house creates a refreshing aesthetic. Specifically, a mint green door looks excellent against off-white and beige homes.
For inspiration:
PPG Malted Mint
PPG Chilled Mint
Benjamin Moore® Mantis Green
If you can’t choose between these two relaxing colors, why not go with both? Blue-green doors read blue when paired with warm tones and green when paired with cool tones.
For inspiration:
PPG Jade Jewel
Glidden® Sea Fantasy
Sherwin-Williams Splashy
The red family of paint colors exudes passion and intensity and brings attention to the entrance of your home. The best colors for front doors capture and hold your gaze for an extra breath or two, which the choices below certainly do. Whether or not you know how to paint a door yet, you’ll know how to get the attention of every passerby with your stellar color selection.
A salmon-colored door creates the perfect soft touch for a charming exterior. A salmon door pairs best with a cream-colored or warm-toned house, and colors that complement it include light coral and shades of blue.
For inspiration:
Sherwin-Williams Smoky Salmon
PPG Riviera Rose
Benjamin Moore® Dark Salmon
A bright pastel pink undoubtedly makes an entrance stand out. This cutesy color combines nicely with grays, whites, and chocolate browns.
For inspiration:
Benjamin Moore® Pastel Pink
Glidden® Fresco
Sherwin-Williams Alyssum
Looking to create an earthy, warm, and saturated feel with your front door? Terra-cotta and clay colors are perfect for desert landscapes as well as any house with a tan or cream exterior and slate details.
For inspiration:
Sherwin-Williams Cavern Clay
PPG New Terra Cotta
Benjamin Moore® Salsa Dancing
A dark-ish red makes for a moody and warm entrance. Reds with ruby undertones give beautiful depth to a home painted in sandy shades of white or tan.
For inspiration:
PPG Apple-A-Day
Sherwin-Williams Beetroot
Glidden® Blaze
A cool color with its own electric intensity, the spectrum of blues is huge—from light and airy sky blue to bright and breezy Caribbean sea blue to piercing deeper tones like royal and navy blues.
Light blue creates a tranquil atmosphere, and that’s the impression your home will give with a calming blue door that evokes the color of the open sky.
For inspiration:
Benjamin Moore® Summer Shower
Sherwin-Williams Quench Blue
PPG Horizon Haze
One of the best ways to make a statement with your front door is with a deeply saturated blue paint shade. This color pairs well with both yellow-tinted houses and cool-toned hues, and you’re sure to wow the whole neighborhood with either of those combos.
For inspiration:
Benjamin Moore® Blue
PPG Florentine Lapis
Sherwin-Williams Blue Chip
Reminiscent of sapphire, this color exudes luxury and sophistication when contrasted with gold hardware and off-white trim.
For inspiration:
Benjamin Moore® Pacific Ocean Blue
Sherwin-Williams Blue Nile
Farrow & Ball Vardo
Navy blue is a classic choice that projects sophistication. This door color creates great contrast against a lighter-colored house, but it pairs well with most other exterior house paints.
For inspiration:
Benjamin Moore® Hale Navy
Sherwin-Williams After the Storm
PPG Mountain Lake
Whether it’s bold and brilliant or muted and subdued, yellow brings the sunshine to your doorstep.
Yellow suggests a sunny disposition and positive mindset. A golden-yellow door pairs well with both dark blue and white houses to create dramatic contrast.
For inspiration:
Benjamin Moore® Marblehead Gold
Sherwin-Williams Brittlebush
Farrow & Ball Babouche
This bright yellow is citrusy and sweet. Against a white house, a stark yellow door will give your entrance a joyful mood.
For inspiration:
PPG Acorn Squash
Sherwin-Williams Daisy
PPG Fuzzy Navel
If you have a tan house, you know that designing an exterior color palette can be tricky. Rest assured that there are numerous front door colors that pair well with tan siding or details. We’ll show several below.
A teal door can be a bold pick, but there’s no denying that varying shades of this elegant blue look stunning against tan house paint.
For inspiration:
Benjamin Moore® Aegean Teal
Sherwin-Williams Calypso
Glidden® Adventure
If you’re unsure what door color to pick, don’t discount a traditional off-white. With warm undertones, creamy off-white shades avoid looking too stark while still contrasting well against tan houses.
For inspiration:
Benjamin Moore® White Dove
Sherwin-Williams White Sand
Farrow & Ball Wimborne White
A dark-gray door gives off scholarly and sophisticated vibes, and it will undoubtedly pair well with your interior when opened into the entryway. Dark grays go especially well with squash-tan and light-tan houses.
For inspiration:
Benjamin Moore® Chelsea Gray
Sherwin-Williams Iron Ore
Glidden® Obsidian
Embrace the brown coloring of your home and create contrast by going even darker. A rich, chocolatey brown is a stylish and inviting door color.
For inspiration:
BEHR® Royal Liqueur
Sherwin-Williams Hickory Smoke
PPG Bird House Brown
Stained wooden doors are gaining popularity for a reason—they bring a natural, rustic touch to your home while also integrating well with most house colors. You can also choose just the right wood stain shade that’s perfect for your home, as there are tons to choose from.
For inspiration:
Olympic® Walnut Semi-Transparent Stain
Sherwin-Williams Charwood Semi-Transparent Stain
A white house presents endless possibilities since most colors look great against white. Just keep in mind that your door should coordinate with your shutters, trim, and roof, as well. The best way to create an eye-catching façade is with contrast, but soft colors can also look great against white siding. Here are a couple of front door color ideas for a white house.
For a soft, gentle, and peaceful look, consider a blue-gray for your front door. Blue-grays naturally match with white or off-white exteriors and especially look great if you have darker accents on your home.
For inspiration:
Farrow & Ball Light Blue
PPG Inevitable
Sherwin-Williams Downing Slate
Dark grays are practical choices for a white home. They go well with a variety of colors and add drama, particularly when contrasted against dark brown or black details.
For inspiration:
Benjamin Moore® Cape May Cobblestone
Glidden® Phantom
Farrow & Ball Skylight
A chestnut-stained door is a time-honored choice. Chestnut is super easy to integrate with existing porch decor and other wooden accents.
For inspiration:
Sherwin-Williams Chestnut Semi-Transparent Stain
A bright orange door against a white house will pop and give your whole exterior a cheerful disposition.
For inspiration:
Farrow & Ball Charlotte’s Locks
Sherwin-Williams Obstinate Orange
Glidden® Tiger Tail
While beige-gray doors may make less of a statement than many of the bold hues on this list, you can’t go wrong with a pleasant greige against light neutrals.
For inspiration:
Sherwin-Williams Agreeable Gray
Benjamin Moore® Revere Pewter
Farrow & Ball Pavilion Gray
Modern houses present opportunities to create a striking contrast with your front door or to embrace out-there colors you may not have originally considered. Here are several of our suggestions.
Black doors are stately and elegant, and off-black allows you to get the same effect without going too dark. An off-black door contrasts best against light modern homes.
For inspiration:
Farrow & Ball Off-Black
Benjamin Moore® Almost Black
Sherwin-Williams Cyberspace
A quirky and unexpected choice, lime can show off your personality with a door that stands out. Just make sure this bold burst of green matches your trim and other details.
For inspiration:
Sherwin-Williams Parakeet
Benjamin Moore® Flower Power
PPG Green Grape
Like lime, turquoise is a great non-traditional front door color that can help your exterior pop. With a turquoise door, your modern home will stand out as a bright spot in the neighborhood.
For inspiration:
Sherwin-Williams Nifty Turquoise
PPG Riviera Paradise
Benjamin Moore® Poseidon
This warm-toned purple is another uncommon yet gorgeous choice that can help modernize your home. Eggplant looks best with sandy tans and charcoal gray.
For inspiration:
Benjamin Moore® Eggplant
Sherwin-Williams Dewberry
PPG Love Potion
Aqua is a tropical pick that’s perfect for beachy homes and sunny regions. It goes great with pastel pinks and sandy neutrals.
For inspiration:
PPG Aqua Fiesta
Sherwin-Williams Aquastone
PPG Tropical Holiday
Yellow doors are youthful and spirited. If you’re leaning toward yellow exterior paint for your door, consider this bright, pure shade.
For inspiration:
Benjamin Moore® Yellow
Sherwin-Williams Decisive Yellow
BEHR® Sunny Side Up
If you have a home with traditional architecture, your front door should enhance its classic style. Here are some ideas to get you started.
A red front door exudes elegance, boldness, and dignity. A bright red door pairs excellently with brick houses and other warm-toned colors.
For inspiration:
Benjamin Moore® Caliente
Sherwin-Williams Positive Red
BEHR® Fire Cracker
By painting your door jet black, you’ll transform your traditional entryway with a posh upgrade. The darker the door and the lighter the house, the more powerful your entrance will look.
For inspiration:
Benjamin Moore® Jet Black
Glidden® Onyx Black
Sherwin-Williams Inkwell
Slate grays make for fantastic traditional entryways. These colors are easy to match with light tan, off-white, and other colors, as well as dark shutters.
For inspiration:
Benjamin Moore® Charcoal Slate
Sherwin-Williams Black Fox
Farrow & Ball Hopper Head
If you’re searching for a jewel tone for your door, emerald green could be the way to go. This satin-like green looks even more luxurious with brass hardware.
For inspiration:
BEHR® Precious Emerald
Sherwin-Williams Lucky Green
PPG Leprechaun
A sandalwood stain brings a beachy softness to any home with light colors. It goes well with pastels and stone gray.
For inspiration:
Sherwin-Williams Sandalwood Semi-Transparent Stain
Benjamin Moore® Arborcoat® Sandalwood Exterior Stain
Last but not least is classic white, a bright and neat door option that’s perfect for just about any house style. White signifies freshness and simplicity, and this color will go well with dark houses or those that already have creative colors integrated elsewhere.
For inspiration:
Benjamin Moore® Simply White
Sherwin-Williams High Reflective White
PPG Pegasus
Now that you’ve perused some popular paint colors, you can think through the best options for your home’s style, your personality, and your desired atmosphere. Remember to always test paints outside in different lights before committing to one that looks good in the store or online.
If you need any guidance, seek the help of local door refinishing experts or exterior painters near you to help you choose the ideal palette and apply it with perfection.
Caroline Gilbert contributed to this piece.
