As with most aspects of interior design, this will depend on the style, layout, and size of your home.
You shouldn’t feel that both sides need to be the same color to maintain a consistent look throughout your home. After all, it’s unlikely that you’ll ever see both sides of your front door for any great length of time. However, to create a harmonious feel, the two colors should pair well with each other.
One color can have two very different effects on the inside and outside of your home. For example, deep burgundy or teal may look beautiful on the outside of your door – contrasting well with plain exterior walls and adding vibrancy.
However, if you went for the same color on the inside, it might have the effect of making a small entrance hall seem even smaller. if your hall is lacking natural light, it could feel dark and poky.
Here, a lighter shade of your exterior color, or even a simple off-white, could make a big difference. It could have the effect of brightening up and visually enlarging a small space.
However, let’s say you have a large, bright entrance way with lots of natural light and you’ve chosen a bold, statement color for the outside of your front door. In this case, using the same or similar color on the interior won’t be such an issue.
It could even act as a point of color reference for other decorative accents in your hall, such as photo frames or ornaments.
Should the inside of your front door be the same color as your other inside doors?
Again, this is totally up to you. You may prefer to keep things uniform and stick to the same color or a similar shade as your other internal doors. Or, you might choose to make more of a feature out of your front door, and go for a contrast.
There’s no need to worry too much about consistency and cohesion here, either. Structurally, your front door likely won’t match your other internal doors anyway.
It will be thicker, heavier, and have more features – locks, handles, and perhaps a letterbox. Therefore, if your chosen color differs from the others, the chances are it won’t look too out of place.
What color should you paint your front door frames?
Don’t forget the frames! Of course, you can just keep it simple and stick to the same color as the door itself, or you can use this as another opportunity to get creative.
One option is to go for a lighter, more neutral shade of your main door color. For example, if you’ve chosen a bold, deep teal color for your front door, then a duck egg blue would have a neutralizing effect and soften the contrast between the front door and exterior walls.
Or, if you’ve gone for a neutral or monochrome color for your door, but you still want to inject some brightness into the exterior of your home, you could choose to accent the frames in a contrasting color.
What color should you choose for the edges of the front door?
There’s no need to spend too much time pondering over what color to paint the edges of your front door. Most of the time, you won’t be able to see these edges, as they’ll be concealed in the door jamb.
Paint the vertical edge of the door the same color as the interior of the door, to keep a cohesive look when you open it from the inside.
And remember, there’s no need to paint the top edge! So, unless you really want to, you don’t need to buy another pot of paint just for that!
Should you paint one or both sides of a timber door?
You may decide you want to keep your home looking as natural as possible, and opt for a simple, timber door. It’s a timeless look, and the subtle brown hues of a wooden door will never go out of fashion.
A nice varnish will leave your timber door beautifully glossy, and will also protect it from the elements.
However, if you do decide to paint your timber door, make sure to paint both sides, as only painting one side may cause the wood to warp.
Some tips for choosing colors that complement each other
If you’re stuck for inspiration, take a look out the window! Colors that generally appear within the natural world will usually complement each other. Hues such as forest green and cerulean blue work beautifully together.
You can also use your home for color ideas. If there’s a color that seems to consistently work its way into your home decor, then chances are you’ll love it on your front door, too, and it’ll draw the style of your home together nicely.
Or, go back to basics with the color wheel! Pick a couple of complementary colors for the inside and outside of your front door, or for the front door and its frame, and they’ll be guaranteed to make each other pop.
Hint: It’s also a good idea to pick up some tester pots of a few colors you like, and tape some swatches to an exterior wall (or, just paint the swatches onto your existing front door).
Colors can look very different in an artificially lit store in comparison to on your door at home, so leave these swatches up for a little while to observe the colors during different weathers and times of the day.
This will also help you to see how your potential colors will look against your exterior walls, and to decide if the overall color palette works for you.
What are the best colors to add value to your home?
If you’re painting your front door with the view of selling up at some point, this is another worthwhile consideration to make. It’s even been claimed that an impressive front door can add as much as $24,000 to the perceived value of a home.
Preferences will of course change from buyer to buyer, but generally, when it comes to adding financial value, a neutral or monochrome color is a safe bet.
A glossy black or a matt grey creates a sleek, modern look that is sure to enhance your home’s curb appeal.
If you’re not a grayscale lover, don’t fret. An eye-catching brick red or a soft French blue are some other sure-fire winners and are likely to attract buyers.
What are the key trends for front door colors in 2022?
While classic shades of red and blue are bound to stay on-trend throughout 2022, some other colors are looking like they’ll prove to be popular, too.
Gone are the days of muted greys, people are favoring brighter, more vivid tones – think mustard yellows and emerald greens.
If statement colors aren’t your thing, you can also stay on-trend with earthy shades of umber or a calming sage green.
What does your choice of front door color say about you?
Pillar-box red
A lover of all things classic, but you always add your own contemporary twist. You’re a warm, loving individual – and chances are, you host the neighborhood’s best festive parties!
Sunshine yellow
It goes without saying that your stand-out front door matches your sunny personality. You’re a glass-half-full type of person, known for your positive outlook. Your life motto? Try everything once!
Fern green
A true nature lover, you’re all about bringing the balance of the natural world into your home. You’re loyal and reliable, and friends are sure to come knocking when in need of a tranquil, calming space.
There’s really no right or wrong way when it comes to how you style your home. Above all, it’s a very personal choice.
Maybe you favor a classic varnished timber, or a timeless burgundy or navy. Or perhaps you’re leaning towards an on-trend teal or burnt orange.
What’s most important is that your chosen color feels like ‘you’, and brings you some joy every time you step into your home.
