Does Your Front Door Stand Out Enough? The Mistake You're Making

Your front door is the entryway to your home, which is why it's important that it looks nice and welcoming. While it seems like a good plan to just paint it the same as your exterior, doing so can make your home blend in, reduce its curb appeal, and prevent it from feeling as welcoming as you may want. One of the best ways to add some personality to the outside of your house is to make your door stand out. There are a few ways to turn your doorway into a statement piece, but one of the easiest is to pick a color that will stand apart from the rest of your home. By having your door be bold and eye-catching, it creates a sense of welcome, easily shows where the entrance is, and can make your home look nicer overall.

"Deep navy, forest green, or rich black are timeless and buyer-friendly," said Charlie Lankston, a real estate pro and an editor for Realtor.com, when talking with The Spruce. This is some great advice, and a good starter series of colors. However, you shouldn't just slap on any paint because it's timeless and stands out from your exterior color. Instead, figure out what will complement the rest of your design while standing out. Additionally, there are some colors that may be too much upkeep, or be a little too harsh, which is why it's important to know how to choose the right paint.

Generally, the most recommended option is to use the color wheel. If you have a red-brick house, you can choose something that complements the reddish-orange color, which would be a blue-green. You may have to sample a few shades to see which one looks best against the brick, but choosing from the opposite side of the color wheel gives you a great starting point. Don't forget to take your trim into account, too, when considering colors that go well together.

Unfortunately, while this works for some popular house colors, like forest green or blue plate, many exterior paint choices tend to veer toward a gray, a white, or other neutrals. This doesn't give you much to work with if you're just using the color wheel. In cases where you have a more neutral-colored home, you can go with something bold, like a stunning navy blue or coral. Another generally safe option is to go dark. According to a 2018 analysis by Zillow, having a charcoal gray or black entrance can increase your home value by several thousand dollars. 

Additionally, you can explore some of the front door trends to elevate the look of your home in 2026, and see if any of those colors fit your house and make your front door stand out. These can be good options for wood exteriors as well.

It's not always as easy as just finding colors on the opposite side of the color wheel from the rest of your exterior. There are certain front door colors you may want to avoid. Bright and light colors like yellow can seem an ideal choice, since these shades are cheery and welcoming, but they can also easily get grimy. Neon colors have the same issue and may be a little too bright and shocking compared to the rest of your neighbors. 

Meanwhile, lighter choices like white may stand out well against a darker home, but they also have their downsides, such as easily showing signs of dirt and scuffs. Additionally, Erin Tripodi, the founder of Erin Tripodi Design, told The Spruce, "If your trim is white, a pure white door will fail to pop and lacks personality." 

If choosing between all of these colors is too overwhelming, you can forgo paint and stick to a beautiful wood door instead. This may also be the best option for places that are subject to HOAs, where you may be limited in the colors you can choose. You can also change your front door's hardware to give it an upgrade without any paint, and if you ever decide on a color, the pieces should be easy to take off temporarily so you can add your favorite shade.