Of The This guide to 84Beautiful Inside Front Door Paint Color Ideas will help you to learn how to choose what paint colors that you can use for the inside of your front door and for interior doors.
Although there are really no hard rules that you need to follow for what paint color you should use for the inside of your front door, black, white, red, blue,green and teal are the timeless colors that are best paint colors for the interior of your entrance door.
However, if you think those colors are too ordinary for you, just remember that whatever colors that you decided to use for the interior side of your entrance door and the rest of your interior doors, it will definitely have a great impact not only with the esthetic of your home but it will also have an impact on you and your loved ones
Color is one of the important basic interior design elements that you need to consider. It may sound simple but it’s actually the most difficult aspect of design elements. Colors not only make any space or room beautiful but they also have the ability to influence how you and your loved ones feel. So whatever color ideas you have in mind for the inside of your doorway, it is important to think it through as the color has a great effect on the design style and as well as making you and your loved ones feel relaxed and cozy in your home.
Understanding The Basic Colors Concept
This is the RYB (red-yellow-blue) color wheel which is the color model frequently used in design, art, fashion and most importantly in interior design.
- Primary Colors – red, yellow, and blue
- Secondary Colors – orange, green, and purple are created by combining primary colors in pairs.
- Tertiary Colors a.k.a. Intermediate colors – Blue-purple, blue-green, yellow-green, yellow-orange, red-orange, and red-purple are the six tertiary hues created by equal parts of a primary color and a secondary color.
Color Schemes
The color scheme is a group of colors that work well together to produce a cohesive look. Having a cohesive look is very important to ensure that every space in your home feels connected with one another. The cohesive look begins from the entrance-way to the restrooms. All of the pieces do not have to match but should have a direct similarity from one room to the next to make your home look balanced and cohesive. This can be achieved using a group of colors that blends well with each other or also known as color scheme. Below are the most basic color schemes uses by many interior design professionals:
Achromatic – Using black, white, or a variety of grays to create a striking effect. It’s frequently utilized to achieve a serene, minimalistic appearance.
Monochromatic or Monotone – Use one color in a variety of tones, tints and shades. It is the best color scheme to use for small spaces because it has the ability to make a space appear bigger. This is a set of colors that will create a unified sense.
Analogous – Set of very similar colors such as:
- red, red-orange, orange
- yellow, yellow-green, green
- blue, blue-violet, violet
- violet, red-violet, and red
- teal, teal-green, green
Complementary or Contrasting or Clashing – Set of colors that uses both cool and warm colors such as:
- red and green
- blue and orange
- yellow and purple
- green and magenta
Triadic Scheme – Uses three colors on the color wheel that are evenly spaced apart, such as orange, green, and violet. One color should be dominating, while the other two should be used as accents.
Psychology Of Color
Color is one of the elements that can simply change your mood and inspire positive feelings. Taking advantage of and knowing what colors that will help to evoke those positive emotions will help you to be more comfortable and at peace in your home. Therefore, choosing the proper color for a room’s tone and function is critical. As the basic rule of thumb, light colors will make you feel more open and light while dark colors will give you heavier emotions and make you feel more contained.
The more white added to a color, the greater the ability to reflect the light whereas darker colors absorb light. When choosing some of your favorite colors, do not saturate your home with too many darker colors as it can be overpowering.
Neutral Colors – Colors that work well with almost all colors.
Black – Color that signifies sophistication, power and dignity, a great accent color and color for exterior doors. A black front door will also provide your house guests with a welcoming invite and encourages them to enter.
White – Color that represent purity, sophistication, cleanliness and goodness, a color that makes any space feel bigger and open. However, if it is used too much, it can make your home feel like a medical setting.
Brown – Color that combines all colors, a color that is connected with stability, woods and organic. A color that is not advisable for a monochromatic color scheme as it may give a space a duller or a boring sense.
Gray – Color that inspires people who are already creative to become even more so, a color associated with balance and neutrality. However, gray colors without the use of other complementary colors will make any space dull and will stimulate a negative feeling such as loss and depression.
Warmer Colors – Colors that energize and stimulate appetites.
Red – Color that boosts the appetite, increases blood pressure and adrenaline, a color that is also associated with love, anger and fire. A great color for entrance doors because it has a powerful presence which grabs people’s attention. Just like the black color, red should be used as an accent color.
Pink – Color that gives a sign of hope, peace and comfort. However, it is a color that is too gender specific.
Yellow – Color that promotes happiness but also a color that is associated with anxiety and fear.
Orange – Color that influences people to be excited and enthusiast.
Colder Colors – Colors that are soothing and reduces appetite.
Blue – Color that has a soothing and calming effect, also associated with stability, openness and confidence. Another color that is considered one of the best colors for external doors.
Green – Color that represents life and nature. However it is also a color associated with distrust and greed.
Purple – Color that is associated with bravery, spirituality, luxury and wisdom.
Knowing the basic color schemes and the basic psychology of colors will give you a sense of confidence that the color you are going to use for the interior of your entrance door and the rest of your interior doors will work well with the primary interior color. This therefore will create a cohesive and balanced look that will not only help any room in your home be united with one another but this will also help your home to have a sense of calm and comfort.
Design Elements To Consider When Painting Inside Of Your Doorway
When you are starting to consider freshening up the interior side of your doorway or the interior doors of your beloved home by applying a fresh coat of paint, there are two options that you can use. You can use the same color on both sides of your doorway or use a different color on each side. Whatever option you are going to choose, there will be extra steps that you need to do or consider depending on the type of your door material.
What Is The Kind Of Paint To Use On A Doorway?
- The first step is to know what type of paint is best for a exterior door. Most interior designers and paint experts consider semi-gloss paint to be a wonderful finish for exterior doors because of its hard-wearing surface, which will protect your door from the harsh external elements while also increasing your home’s curb appeal. To discover more paint finishes for exterior doors and popular front door colors, read The Best Paint Finish And Colors For Your Front Door.
Paint or Not To Paint Your Wooden Doors?
- If you have a beautiful natural wooden door, most designers will advise you to leave it just as it is. Why? Because wood color is a set of shades of brown and brown is a mixture of all colors that goes well with a variety of other colors. However, if you think that your current wood-stained color needs to be adjusted, you can bleach it if the color is too dark or stain it with a darker shade if its too light. But be reminded, that going lighter will create a lot of work as you will need to remove old wood stains and then finish it. The dark and rich wood stain exudes the sophistication and welcoming effect to your home just like the black color paint.
Can You Paint The Interior Side Of a Wooden Door While Keeping the Exterior Side Natural?
- As I mentioned earlier there is no such thing as hard rules when it comes to painting as you can do whatever you want. However, most interior designers and paint experts will suggest not to do so especially if you do not know the type of wood used for your entrance door. For example, if your entrance door is made from wood that bleeds (gives off tannins) like cypress, cedar and so on, you will need an oil-based exterior paint or water-based paint if you have wood that does not bleed such as white fir lumber or pine wood. If you fail to identify the type of wood correctly, you might end up using the wrong exterior paint that will cause tannins to not be properly sealed resulting in the tannins seeping through the paint which is also known as bleed through. Therefore if you are not sure, better be safe than sorry. Either paint or stain the entire door.
Painting the inside and outside of a entrance door a different color
- This will be an easier task if your entrance door is already painted and you simply want a different color for the interior side, as the texture will be the same, as opposed to a natural wood door with a painted interior side. Using two different colors on each side of your entrance door is a typical approach especially if you want to maintain or to achieve a certain color scheme of the interior. However, if you want to achieve cohesiveness and consistency, choose a paint color for the interior side of your entrance door that will work well with the primary colors of your living space.
Paint Color For Front Door With Sidelights and Transom Windows
- The paint color of your sidelights and transom windows will actually depend on your personal style and the size of your entry way. If you have a big house with a tall and large entryway, painting your sidelights and entrance door with the same color will look good. Your sidelights will become part of your door which make the perceived size of your door just right or proportionate with the size and height of your entryway.
However, if you have a small entry and low roof line, painting your sidelights with the same color as your door will make your house look shorter and smaller. Therefore, painting your sidelights and trim with white color paint is the best thing that you can do especially if the door is wood or black.
Trim Color Does It To Be The Same Paint Color As The Interior Doors
- There isn’t a right or wrong method to go about doing this. It’s totally up to you whether your doors and trim match. However, if you have an arched wooden door the trim should be have the same color as your arched wooden door.
Is it necessary for all inside doors to be the same color?
- The short answer is No, but if you want to achieve cohesion and consistency of your design style, it is recommended to paint all of your interior doors with the same color paint. However, you can use a different color paint for your sliding door, pantry door or pantry barn door in your kitchen and the interior side of your entrance door to create a strong vivid accent color. A color that complements with the color cues of your primary interior color.
I will share with you the color that we used for the interior of our entrance door when we remodeled our fixer upper home. Based on the before and after photos, the color of the walls, doors and trim really matter because it is an interesting point in our entry way. Based on the before picture, the entry way looks so dated and too boring because the color of the door, trim and walls were different shades of one color or under a monochromatic color scheme. Using monochromatic color schemes may appear simple to do but it actually takes outstanding interior designing skills to pull it all together. While the after picture, the black door against the white trim immediately transformed the dated and boring entry way into a modern, yet classic and stylish space.
Since we have a small home, we decided to replace all interior doors with white doors with white trim around them which makes our home feel bigger and definitely creates a cleaner look.
We also replaced our side door that is directly opening to our kitchen. Since the side door is literally part of our kitchen, we decided to spend more money on the side door than on the entrance door not only to maintain the design style but also to add dimension to our kitchen. Even though the side door and the entrance door are not the same in terms of design, they are both painted in black paint in order to keep the cohesiveness and consistency of our home design.
The bottom line is you need to do what you think will work for you and what you think will feel best for you. The color of the interior side of your entrance door, including inner doors, barn doors, trim and sidelights are truly a matter of your personal preference, style and current decor. Making your home design the expression of your personality is really within your rights and discretion. However, the fact that you are reading this article and taking time to search for the best interior door paint colors and the best front door colors that you can use is an indication that you want to take advantage of what you can get when you use the right paint color for your all interior doors since you are going to spend the money and your time.
Inside Of The Front Door Paint Color Ideas
When choosing the paint color of the inner side of the entrance door you need to consider the following; the size of your entry door of your home, the wall paint color and the current home decor or color scheme that you want to maintain especially if your entrance door is directly opening to the living room.
To achieve harmony in your design, pick a paint color that will blend or compliment with the color cues from inside of your house. Consider the colors in the living space where your door will open. You can either choose a strong accent color for those spaces or from your feature wall to achieve color continuity. Or, choose a more saturated shade or color which seems to be more pure of a primary interior color. Below are the color ideas that you can use to paint the inside of the front door.
Classic and Bright Color Ideas For Inside Of The Front Door
Photo Credit: homestolove.com.au
White Doors – If you have a small house, it is only practical to paint all your interior doors with white color paint and match them with white trim, as a white color will make any space feel bigger while at the same time provide a clean and minimalist look. All interior doors that are painted with the same color will create a sense of consistency and cohesiveness. Below are some white color paints that you can choose from:
Sherwin Williams White Paint
Benjamin Moore White Paint
If you decide to paint your trim with the a different color from your door, it will create some drama and give a modern look.
Photo Credit: creatingmaryshome.com
Black Doors – Black is a nice accent color and a color that blends well with almost any color. So if your door is opening directly to a living space with neutral tone painted walls such as white, cream, or light gray, a black interior door will create a dramatic and stylish look in your living room. This is based on classic design wisdom that every space should have something black.
- Farrow & Ball Off Black
- Benjamin Moore Nightfall
- Sherwin Williams Tricorn Black.
- Sherwin Williams Iron Ore
Red Door – Just like black, using red color is a good accent color that works well with most colors. If your living room has white walls or has neutral painted walls such as gray, beige and cream, a red color door will provide an energetic, charismatic and warm mode into your space.
- Benjamin Moore Caliente AF-290
- Benjamin Moore Spanish Red 1301
- Benjamin Moore Raspberry Truffle 2080-10
- Benjamin Moore Flamenco CSP-1195
Photo Credit: thehouseofsilverlining.com
Gray Door – If you’re not yet ready to make a bold statement by using bold colors for your door and you are not really looking for a nice contrast, gray is another nice, safe and classic color. It complements well with most shades and at the same time will give just the perfect amount of drama and personality to your living space. One thing that you need to keep in mind, grays can be difficult to work with because they tend to look bluish and cold. It’s wise to choose grays on the warm side or gray color with undertones of beige, yellow or red.
- Benjamin Moore Stonington Gray HC- 170
- Benjamin Moore Metropolitan AF=690
- Benjamin Moore Granite AF-660
- Benjamin Moore Cape May Cobblestone 1474
- BEHR Gotham Gray MQ5-29
- Sherwin Williams Uncertain Gray SW 6234
Dark Gray Paint Colors
- Benjamin Moore Kendall Charcoal
- Benjamin Moore Powell Gray CW-665
- Benjamin Moore Wolf Gray 2127-40
- Sherwin Williams Peppercorn
Photo Credit: lifeonveirginiastreet.com
Blue Doors – A fun way to add a splash of color is painting the interior of the entrance door with muted shades of blue. Depending on the shades of blue you are going to use, blue color paint will help you to achieve a classic, modern, farmhouse-chic or beachy style.
- Behr’s Greek Isles P510-1
- Behr’s Mediterranean Charm P510-2
- Sherrwin Williams Embellished Blue SW 6749
- Sherwin Williamns Waterscape SW 6470
- Farrow & Ball Lulworth No.89
- Farrow & Ball Ultra Marine Blue No. W29
- Benjamin Moore Greenhow Blue CW-655
- Benjamin Moore Ocean Front 660
- Farrow & Ball Drawing Room Blue No. 253
- Benjamin Moore Blueberry Hill 812
- Benjamin Moore Gentleman’s Gray
- Sherwin Williams Naval SW 6244
- Sherwin Williams Blustery Sky SW 9140
- Sherwin Williams Loyal Blue SW 6510
Teal Door – What’s so good about using the teal color is that it is a color that works well in both historic and modern homes, especially for homes who have wall colors such as white, gray and muted yellow.
- Behr Soft Turquoise P460-3
- Behr Carribean Current P460-7
- Benjamin Moore Largo Teal 742
- Benjamin Moore Teal Ocean 2049-30
- Benjamin Moore Mexocali Turquoise 662
- Benjamin Moore Newport Green 2050-30
Photo Credit: rejuvenation.com
Green Door – If you’re leaning towards having a green painted door because green is your favorite color, make sure that the color of your wall will works well with the color green such as muted yellow-green and crisp white. Painting the back door with a green paint color is another great way to give your space a nice pop of color.
- Benjamin Moore Green 2044-10
- Benjamin Moore Jack Pine 692
- Benjamin Moore Lafayette Green HC-135
- Farrow & Ball Sap Green Np. W56
- Farrow & Ball Emerald Green No. W53
- Benjamin Moore Gothic Green 637
- Benjamin Moore Peale Green HC-121
- Benjamin Moore Essex Green HC-188
- Benjamin Moore Under The Sea 693
- Sherwin Williams Willow Tree
Yellow Door – If you want your space to be cheerful and warm, consider painting the interior of your doorway with yellow.
- Benjamin Moore Golden Orchards 329
- Benjamin Moore Golden Honey 297
- Benjamin Moore Yellow Hisbiscus 357
- Sherwin Williams Fun Yellow SW 6908
- Benjamin Moore Banana Yellow 2022-10
- Sherwin Williams Decisive Yellow SW 6902
- Benjamin Moore Yellow Highlighter SW 2021-40
Bright Color Ideas: Colors That Are Too Taste Specific
If you want your home to be different from a traditional home and are willing to do something different and fun, below are the non-traditional color ideas that you use to paint the inside of your entrance door that will surely grab the attention of many:
Pink Doors
- Farrow & Ball Middleton Pink No. 245
- Farrow & Ball Lake Red No. W92
- Farrow & Ball Nancy’s Blushes No. 278
- Benjamin Moore Pink Popsicle 2001-40
- Benjamin Moore Wild Flower 2090-40
- Behr’s Noble Blush MQ4-04
- Behr’s Peony Blush PPU17-08
Orange Doors
- Benjamin Moore Festive Orange 2014-10
- Benjamin Moore Citrus Orange 2016-20
- Sherwin Williams Obstinate Orange SW 64
- Sherwin Williams Osage Orange SW 6890
- Benjamin Moore Sangria 2006-20
- Farrow & Ball Charlotte’s Locks No. 268
Dark Purple Doors – A dark purple color for your doorway will create a sophisticated and expensive look to your home.
- Benjamin Moore Mountain Ridge 1456
- Benjamin Moore Majestic Violet 2068-10
- Farrow & Ball Imperial Purple No. W40
- Benjamin Moore Purple Lotus 2072-30e
- Benjamin Moore Mystical Grape 2071-30
- Sherwin Williams Majestic Purple
- Benjamin Moore Exotic Purple 2071-10
- Benjamin Moore Plum Royale 2070-20
I hope that my guide about inside front door color ideas will help you to choose the right color for your door. I also hope that it will bring color to your space as well as create a cohesive look that is necessary for you to enjoy being at home.
