Choosing a Front Door Paint Colour

A fresh coat of paint on your front door is a simple, yet very effective way to increase the curb appeal of your home and bring freshness to the exterior of your house.

But which colour should you choose when painting a front door? Can't you just pick your favourite colour? Does it actually make a difference?

These are all questions you may ask yourself if you are considering giving your front door a new look. While at first thought which colour you choose may not seem like a big decision to make the colour of your front door can really change the vibe your home gives off.

The colour you choose can even suggest quite a lot about you as a person!

From vibrant attention-grabbing colours to more subtle, timeless options there is something for everyone no matter your taste. Read on to learn everything you need to know about selecting a colour for your front door.

Seven Popular Front Door Paint Colours

Looking to learn what the best front door colours are? Well, here we will cover the top seven colours you should consider when brightening the exterior of your home.

Grey is a popular colour for a front door that is far more versatile than you may at first think. It projects a sense of balance and neutrality that can make it a brilliant addition to a contemporary home.

There is a wide range of greys you can choose from ranging from lighter shades such as our Bungalow G500, quite similar to the hue of grey pictured above that brings a slightly brighter and modern feel to something a little deeper like our Surf S500 paint.

Another grey thing about choosing grey paint for your front door is how well Grey is how well it works with other colours.

A black front door projects a sense of sophistication, power and confidence. It's a practical choice that will go with a wide range of decors and never really goes out of style. If in doubt black paint is a solid choice for your front door.

However, there are actually many shades of black you could choose from. A few of our favourite black Tikkurila paints for front doors are Duke X491 and Midnight Y498.

Red is another popular choice for a front door. There is a kaleidoscope of hues available to choose from when it comes to red paint. From bright reds to softer, more muted hues red is a confident colour choice for your front door.

Vibrant reds such as our Hearts M323 shade will make your house confidently stand out and offer a great deal of curb appeal.

If you are not looking for something that demands attention light the brighter shades of red do there are still options available. Try Tomato M316 for something a little softer while still bringing the energy of red paint.

Blue is another popular option when it comes to front door colours. It can offer a real contemporary twist to your home and project a sense of peace, and trust, and have a calming effect. Certainly things you would want to feel as you get home after a long day.

Like the other options we have talked about already blue comes in many forms and we have Tikkurila blues to meet any taste.

If you are looking for something a little lighter you will appreciate Cumulus Y354. This pale blue brings a relaxing and airy feel to the entrance of your home and pairs beautifully with a wide range of other colours.

Darker blues are also a solid choice for a front door colour and Denim N429 is one of our most popular. This opulent and intense blue extrudes confidence and brings depth and intrigue to your home's exterior. It is particularly effective if you have white exterior walls.

Painting your front door green is an easy way to bring a refreshing and comforting vibe to your home. Green has a lot of positive energy associated with nature and health.

We have a brilliant selection of greens for front doors. A few of our favourites are Crystal G371 which is similar to the light minty shade pictured above, Silk Road S440 for something a bit bolder, and Emerald L373 which is a far more vibrant, energetic green.

Also, incorporating a little biophilic design with a bit more nature will complement your new green door very nicely.

Yellow is a youthful and vibrant colour that is bursting with energy. It takes a very confident person to paint a front door yellow.

Not all tones of yellow you could use on your front door are bold and attention-grabbing. There are much softer, or more muted shades which can bring the same energy that yellow offers while being a bit softer, even closer to pastel shades.

Out top Tikkurila shades to choose from are Banana J302 for something a bit brighter and Joy H303 for a lighter colour.

While brown might not be the first colour that comes to your mind when thinking about painting your front door, don't be so quick to discount it.

Apart from natural wooden doors with their visible features painted brown doors still have appeal. They project a sense of safety and reliability that make them an ideal choice for a front door.

There are many earthy shades of brown to choose from and some very contemporary hues that will rival the top hues in other colour groups and even change your opinion of brown paint.

Our favourite brown front door paint colours are XI'AN M409, Desert V463, and Sacher L462.

Front Door Colour by Colour of House

Another way to choose your front doors colour is by the colour of your house. As a general rule of thumb, you want to think about finding complementary or contrasting colours. Here are a few colour ideas based on the exterior of your house.

White House

If your house is white you have a lot of freedom over your front door colour. White will work with any colour of front door. Popular choices include black, blue, red, or even yellow if you are feeling adventurous.

Red Brick House

Houses made from red brick are a little more pinned in as you need to find something that works with red. White is your best option, along with black, grey, or even blues can work well.

What to Consider when Choosing the Colour of your Front Door

There are a few things you should consider before adding a fresh coat of paint to your front door.

First, think about your current decor. Consider both your interior design and the appearance of the exterior of your property when choosing a door colour.

This may mean matching your front door to window frames or even using colour psychology or a colour wheel to find a complementary shade to tie in with your walls.

Inside you will want to ensure you are offering visitors a warm welcome by not using too much of a strong colour making your door the focal point. An interior designer could help here if you are unsure. But as a general rule of thumb, try to opt for more wooden or neutral tones for the inside of your front door.

The type of house you have can also play a role when choosing front door colours. You may want to get some inspiration from other properties on your street to see what is working for others. Some properties such as listed or period properties can have particular rules when it comes to paint colours.

Should I Paint Both Sides of my Front Door?

This will depend on the type of door you have. If you have a natural wooden door you would want it to be the same colour on both sides if you are opting for a wood stain rather than a paint.

Natural wood can complement your interior decor and bring a sense of warmth. Not a feature you would want to shy away from.

Front doors painted a strong colour whether wood or UPVC should not have the same colour on both sides. It can overpower the vibe of your interior.

What is the Best Front Door Colour When Selling my Home?

If you are planning to paint your front door to increase the appeal of your house the colour of your front door does matter.

The more effective colours to choose are black, white, natural woods, blue, red, or green paints. Sticking with classic colours is the safe play. And the good news is that our range of exterior window and door paints make it easy.

When selling your home you want potential buyers to be able to see themselves in it and envision how they are can put their own personality on it. This means avoiding more adventurous hues such as a bright pink front door or lime green. These are perfectly fine if you are creating a door for your own home but will work against you if selling.

Does the Type of Front Door I have Make a Difference?

Yes, the type of front door you have will make a difference to both the type of paint you should use and the colours that may work best.

The main consideration here is the type of product you use to paint your door. Of course, before applying any of these products you will need to prep your front door but these are products you will need to use to give that door a new look.

And one of the big benefits of opting for a Tikkurila paint is its Nordic roots. These paints are highly durable and were created to withstand far worse conditions than we experience in the UK. Ideal for a front door which will have to contest with the elements.

Let's have a brief look at the types of paint you will need for different types of door.

Painting a UPVC Front Door

For UPVC doors you will need to choose a paint which has specifically designed to adhere to that surface. At Tikkurila, we have Otex Adhesion Primer which has unrivalled adhesion on tricky surfaces such as UPVC and for your top coat Panssari Akva which is a water-based solution designed for use on UPVC doors and windows.

It's available in all of the colours mentioned above and thousands of more options.

Painting a Wooden Front Door

If you have a wooden front door the process will be a bit different again. You will still want to use a primer before you put a top coat on. For the primer, we have Ultra Primer and for the top coat, you have a choice of Ultra Matt or Ultra Classic.