Your front door reflects personality
Your front door is like your calling card to the world. Its color reflects your personality and gives a hint of your style.
So the quickest and most economical way to make over the front of your house is to paint that door a glossy new color.
Sure, you could go with traditional but boring black, white or red. But why not choose something that will make your place stand out from the crowd?
"Painting your front door is a fast and easy way to upgrade and freshen up curb appeal. All you need is a quart of paint and a brush," says Jill Waage, executive editor of the Better Homes and Gardens brand. She says many homeowners are choosing colors for their doors that are different from the walls, trim or shutters.
"This speaks to the personalization that people are doing all over their homes right now," she says.
In a recent survey, about 48 percent of Better Homes and Gardens readers said their front door is painted a color other than white, black or a wood finish.
On its website, Benjamin Moore warns DIY painters to check the weather forecast before painting anything on the exterior of a house. The company's advice: Don't paint when the temperature drops below 50 degrees, and avoid painting when rain is in the forecast, as that could ruin your finish.
We asked some designers and bloggers which front door color they love. Many suggested choosing a high-gloss finish. Here are edited excerpts of their responses.
Magenta by Benjamin Moore
"I don't usually care for a crazy color because I think you can get sick of it quickly, but recently a client and I decided to go for a deep magenta, and it turned out beautifully. It's close to red but more fun and playful without being too trendy."
- Designer Stuart Nordin, Alexandria, Virginia
Basil Green by Benjamin Moore
"This is the color of my office front door and goes with virtually every exterior color. Green identifies with harmony and growth. I like to think every entry should invite both of those things to those who enter."
- Designer Shazalynn Cavin-Winfrey, Alexandria, Virginia
Wasabi by Benjamin Moore
"This is a wonderful chartreuse that looks incredible on my white house with black shutters. It also makes brass hardware absolutely sing."
- Boston designer Erin Gates, blogger at Elements of Style
Chase Green from Darryl Carter Colors for Benjamin Moore
"It's traditional and not cocky, but it has more personality than just a black door and certainly more softness."
- Designer Alexa Hampton, New York
A Cappella by C2 Paint
"I'm really loving this color. I am thinking about it for our new house on the historic Main Line of Philadelphia. It's the hue of my favorite French blue opaline glass, and it reminds me of gold-monogrammed Paris porcelain plates. My vintage octagonal brass door knocker will look very chic against the color."
- Eddie Ross, Better Homes and Gardens East Coast editor and blogger
Pelt by Farrow & Ball
"It's easy when you are giving directions to your house. You can say, 'It's the one with the aubergine door.' Your front door is the heart of your home. It should be something that sets it apart. Aubergine is a rich, deep color and also very soothing."
- Designer Iantha Carley, Silver Spring, Maryland
Beautiful front doors have warranted several hashtags on Instagram, which you can see on #DoorsOfInstagram; it has more than 20,000 posts.