If you’ve ever thought about painting your front door, do it! It’s an affordable update you can make to your home that can literally result in thousands of dollars added to your home’s value. For this reason alone, it’s one of our favorite exterior painting services. Plus, a beautifully painted front door can make you happy every time you pull up to your house.
Best Colors and Paints to Use When Painting Your Front Door
Before you get started on your door painting project, you’ll want to make sure you get the best paint in the right color for your front door. Here are our recommendations.
Best Paint for Front Doors
The best paint for a front door is a paint with a semi-gloss or high gloss finish. If you’re worried this will make your front door too “shiny”, we promise it won’t. In fact, this finish is not just what you’ll want aesthetically, it’s the right finish to protect your door in the long run from the elements.
We also recommend using an exterior paint designed to take a beating from the outdoors. If you have a storm door as a buffer between your main door and the outside, you might be able to get away with a high quality interior paint on the door. However, we think it’s best to go with the exterior paint, which can be tinted in any color, just like an interior paint.
You can also choose between a latex-based and an oil-based paint. Exterior latex paint will give you the weather resistant coverage you need, but an oil-based paint will arguably give you an even tougher coat. Oil-based paint is more difficult to apply properly, but the finish will be gorgeous for years. You might want to make that decision depending on what direction the door faces. If you get harsh, hot and direct sun on your door, an oil-based paint will resist fading and bubbling. We have seen a lot of metal doors bubble when do-it-yourselfers paint with a latex paint and that door faces the sun. Stripping the door down, using an alkyd primer and applying two even coats of alkyd paint can solve this problem, as the alkyd (oil) paint resists the heat and will not bubble.
Speaking of proper application, how to paint a front door correctly is just as important as the type of paint you use. There is a proper way to prepare, repair and paint a front door so it is drip and streak-free. You might need to remove the door from the hinges to paint it properly, and it’s important to keep track of your hardware and protect handles and windows.
While a smaller square footage area might seem like a simpler paint project, we strongly suggest hiring a professional to paint your door. A professional will be able to complete your project quickly and perfectly. This is particularly important since one of the first impressions of your home is your front door. This is where you want a near perfect factory type finish. The proper mini-rollers, cut in’s and speed of the application ensure your front door has minimal roller marks or brush strokes. Sometimes a professional painter will even decide a spray finish is best for the final product.
Best Paint Color for Front Doors
It’s your home, so you really can pick any color you’d like for your front door. As long as you love it, then it’s the “right” color.
But if you want to make sure that your door blends well with your home’s exterior or if you’re planning to sell, there are some door colors that are better than others. Take a look at the best paint colors for front doors.
Black paint for front doors
In a recent study by Zillow, they found that front doors painted black resulted in a significant increase in resale value. It’s a rich, classic and timeless look. Black is stately and coordinates with most home styles. We think going with an off-black rather than a true black helps the color pack a punch but still remain soft. We like the Forest Black from PPG because it has warm undertones and won’t look too stark on your front door.
Blue paint for front doors
Blue can be a tricky color to get just right on a front door. But when you find the right one for both your preference and your home’s style, it can be a beautiful way to welcome yourself and guests home every day.
We like blues with grey undertones for front doors. Too much yellow or green in your blue can skew it too bright, or compete with stone, siding or landscaping elements. PPG colors like Geyser and UFO give a nice punch of neutral-to-cool blue without overwhelming the eye.
Green paint for front doors
A tried and true classic for front door paint is a deep green (like this Dark Green Velvet from PPG). But we’ve also seen homeowners getting braver with their greens and favoring shades from olive (Olive Orchard from PPG) to lime (Luscious Lime from PPG). Like blue, green can easily skew too yellow, so make sure to look at your color in a few different lights before committing to your shade. What looks like a nice light pear green in morning light can appear closer to chartreuse in evening light. A paint professional can help you choose the right green for your home’s style and make sure that it looks good in any light.
Red paint for front doors
Red paint on your front door is a great way to incorporate this pop of color into your home without overwhelming a full room in your house. If you do want to paint your door red, we recommend choosing a red with brown, wine or even coral undertones. This will ensure that your front door looks stylish instead of screaming. We like this Red Gumball color from PPG. It makes a statement but still coordinates well with white, tan or stone exteriors.
Orange paint for front doors
Hear us out! Orange paint can be gorgeous on a front door, especially if you have a home built in a mid-century or ranch style. The right orange can throw a nod to “vintage” but look fresh and modern. Orange can also be quite cozy and add a welcoming vibe to your home. This Field Poppy color from PPG has vibrance but is still comforting with its pumpkin spice undertones.
Yellow paint for front doors
While the Zillow study found that a yellow front door can be one of the worst colors for resale value, yellow can be a wonderfully cheery color if you’re not planning on moving anytime soon. Choose a yellow that’s not too bright, and instead has some mustard undertones. This will keep the yellow grounded and won’t let it compete too heavily with the rest of your landscaping and hardscaping. We like this Crushed Pineapple from PPG. It still has plenty of zest without being harsh.
Natural wood stain for front doors
If you have a high quality wood door that’s seen better days or is covered in layers of old paint, you might consider stripping and refinishing the door. This can be an especially beautiful update to a historic home, but will require some serious work to restore it to its natural beauty. We’d recommend hiring a professional if you want to go this route. It’s going to take some meticulous work and a few days to restore your wooden door, but the investment will be worth it as this usually costs $1-2,000 where a new wooden door can cost over $6,000.
Get Expert Help Painting Your Front Door
Our professional paint experts are ready to help you paint your front door. We offer free consultations and work quickly so you can enjoy your door as quickly as possible. Contact us today for a free quote.
