The Best Front Door Paint Colors for a Beautiful (and Welcoming!) First Impression

01 of 09 | Espalier by Sherwin-Williams

To help her charming Cape Cod-style home feel even more timeless, designer Natasha Habermann turned to a rich emerald green to contrast the crisp white siding. The shade, Espalier by Sherwin-Williams, is saturated and luxe while still feeling traditional enough to live in harmony with the home’s classic architecture.

Few color combos are as classic as red, white, and blue, making the trio a go-to exterior palette for designers and homeowners alike. Here, designer Emilie Munroe of Studio Munroe chose Benjamin Moore’s Heritage Red for a finishing touch that feels both timeless and energetic.

When the exterior of your home has bold accents—be it fanciful architecture or whimsical finishes—it’s important to choose a color that has enough gusto to hold its own.

In this funky mid-century exterior scene by Maestri Studio, bold black and white accents are paired with a retro-inspired teal shade for an entrance that screams, “Fun happens here.” For a similar look, try Oceanic Teal by Benjamin Moore.

A black front door is the equivalent of a great pair of Levi’s jeans—it looks good on just about anybody (or in this case, any house).

For the exterior of her coastal shingle-style home in Cape Cod, creator Sandra Cavallo of Old Silver Shed opted for a rich and dynamic hue, Farrow & Ball’s Off-Black, to offset the home’s decidedly sunny (and summery) outlook.

You may assume coastal-inspired shades like pale blue are reserved for beachfront properties, but we have good news: They can work just as well in a landlocked cul-de-sac.

Case in point? This elegant baby blue on a home by Lauren Conner Interiors, which sits pretty alongside more rustic details, like red brick steps. While this color is a custom blend, you can score a similar look using a shade like Bluebelle from Benjamin Moore.

Sometimes, the most unexpected hues end up being the most memorable. When creator Suzy Broome was on the hunt for a shade that could stand up against the patterned tile leading up to her entryway, she turned to a punchy shade of orange to amp up the style quotient.

To mimic this personality-packed look, try Invigorate by Sherwin-Williams.

When working with an exterior that boasts warm-colored materials, like brick, you’ll want to choose a front door color that complements (and cools down) the overall scheme.

At this Ontario home, the Eden House Co. design team looked to a rich blue-gray hue (Farrow & Ball’s Inchyra Blue) to add a moody bit of color to the exterior.

Green is a popular front door color, thanks in large part to its versatility and ability to blend in with the surrounding landscaping.

For a shade that’s less expected and more vibrant, swap traditional forest green for a preppier pick, like Arugula by Sherwin-Williams, seen here on a home by Janna Allbritton of Yellow Prairie Interiors.

If the exterior of your home is natural wood, you’ve pretty much hit the jackpot—you can pick basically any shade for your front door color and it’ll look good.

To bring a bit of spice to her 1800s New England colonial, creator Gloria McMahon of The Long Awaited Home opted for a brick red, Behr’s Firecracker, which boasts just enough vibrancy to keep the exterior feeling very of this century.