Doors Galore

Some time in the near distant future (is that an oxymoron?) I would like to repaint the outside doors on our house. Currently, all the outside trim, eaves/overhangs/soffits, and doors, and even the garage are painted in a creamy-yellow color. And while I really do love the color yellow (it a favorite for those who know me well), I just don't like the feeling it gives against the brown brick of the house. Plus, it was painted a while ago and is in need of touch up anyway.


This will be a very large project to repaint all of this, but I will probably start with the front and side entry doors. And even though this project is a ways away, I'm already trying to decide on the color I will use. I admit, front doors are a slight obsession of mine. They are the first thing you see when you enter the house and can add so much character and charm if you really do 'em right!

There are a million different colors to choose from when painting exterior doors, but below I've listed a few of the traditional options that I'm considering (or not).

1. The White Door

Pros:

• As we replace all the windows in the house, the new window trim will be white. So, the doors would match the windows.
• Looks clean and crisp
• Can be dressed up with different decor in different seasons for great variety.
• Very traditional.

Cons:

• Shows dirt easily.
• Kind of lackluster.

2. The Natural Brown Door

Pros:

• The natural wood matches the architecture of our bungalow-style house really well.
• Hides dirt.

Cons:

• Would blend in with the brown brick too much. So, this is an unlikely choice.

3. The Black Door

Pros:

• Another very traditional choice.
• I really like black with colored siding - it looks polished and elegant.
  

Cons:

• Not so sure we have the right color brick or style house for a black door.

4. The Red Door

Pros:

• Adds great pop to the entry way.
• Very common door color for the capes/bungalows/dutch-colonials in our area.
• Great accent color to the neutral brick.
• Ask Joey: I've always wanted a "white house with black shutters and a red door." Well, I didn't get a white a house and we don't have black shutters. But I could still choose a red door, right?
  

Cons:

• Red door can fade easily with a lot of sun-access. This would mean re-painting often.
• If you get tired of the color, it's more difficult to change out.
• I currently don't have much red inside the house, so it doesn't really flow with anything else.

5. The Green Door

Pros:

• A nature-color, it fits the outdoors well.
• It adds a pop of color without overdoing it.
• The combo of brown brick with a green door uses the same colors we currently have in our living room (which has green walls with brown brick fireplace and accents).

Cons:

• Can't think of much.

6. The Blue Door

Pros:

• Blue is an unexpected choice, but doesn't overdo it.
• Great accent color.
• Also a nature-ish color given the sky and water are blue.

Cons:

• I actually think the blue might look ok against the brick, but it really doesn't fit the overall "look" we have going on in the house.

What's my conclusion? After this breakdown, I think I've decided on the following order for color preference:

• Green (leaning heavily toward this)
  
• White
  
• Red
  
• Black
  
• Blue
  
• Brown

What do you think? Is there another color I haven't thought of? What color is your front door?