Week 10
For the M’s NY apt I had designed flush doors in their foyer as when you enter the front door these are the first element you saw. I wanted you to see a flush wall instead of door frames that would distract away from the foyer table.
Mr. & Mrs. M's foyer in NYC
For the Hamptons Mrs. M insisted that all the doors be traditional. I felt simple recessed paneled doors would be more fitting. I proposed these for all doors leading into main living spaces; however I wanted all the closet doors to be flush. This would make them disappear increasing the volume of the space. The only exception was the powder room on the first floor, this we would also make flush to blend in with the adjacent closets.
The front door was our biggest obstacle; Mrs. M. had spotted an all glass door on another house in the Hamptons and became obsessed. I felt the door needed to be solid to balance out the foyer which was already enclosed in two large glass windows. The solid door would give the space a stronger sense. Personally I prefer black or dark front doors because I feel it creates an anchor and gives the house a sense of beginning. If you look at Old English homes they usually have front doors painted in dark colors.
Mrs. M decided she wanted the front door to be powder blue with glass panels….
So we went back and forth for weeks until we finally reached a compromise. A traditional all wood paneled door stained in a driftwood color which would pick up the color in the stone inserts in the foyer.
Finish Sample for front door ( actual color hard to read from scan)
How many of you paint your doors and what colors?
#1 by jeannine520 on November 18, 2010 - 9:59 pm
I like painted front doors. My primary house has a gloss black door and my second house has a white. Both are traditional paneled doors without any glass.
#2 by Annady on November 18, 2010 - 10:33 pm
I have yet to live in a place where I can paint the door, but I would love to paint one in a glossy dark blue, green or orange.
#3 by Keri on November 19, 2010 - 12:54 am
My front door is painted dark gray in Benjamin Moore’s Chelsea.
#4 by redbrickbuilding on November 19, 2010 - 1:08 am
I’m still trying to decide what color to paint the front door. Initially I thought pale blue to make the red brick and all the wrought iron, black windows and black side doors more cheerful. But the salvaged door I chose turns out to be black walnut under all the paint so it be too pretty to paint once it’s been refinished.
#5 by Rita Johnson on November 19, 2010 - 1:55 am
My favorite front door color is Benj Moore Bronzetone Retardo. (no, not retarded) It’s actually an alkyd paint, intended for metal. A very dark brown/black. Richer than plain black.
#6 by Gary Nelling on November 19, 2010 - 3:33 am
The round table in the city apartment foyer is a superb antique with a contemporary simplicity and the flush doors behind really do recede. I wouldn’t care for a glass front door in their Long Island home. I think a solid front door imparts a psychological sense of security. Even though someone could break through a rear glass door or window, you feel more protected with an opaque front door, even with sidelights. And the front door color of a home should stand out from the façade and announce that it is the entry, so a contrasting color or tone is the key. Benjamin Moore makes a series of ‘off-blacks’ that I find intriguing. A well-lit path or porch, and perhaps an overhang against rain helps too. I think the comfort and security of entering a home and answering the door is the first step to a pleasant experience for the owners and guests. – Gary
#7 by scone on November 19, 2010 - 3:24 pm
English and “early American” doors were painted black because it hid dirt and was cheap to touch up. Black pigment in those days was just carbon, linseed oil, and turps. Today you can have whatever you want, because most of the pigments are not as fugitive as they once were. That said, a simple turn of the century house in Long Island would do well to stick to a simple graphic look.
I’ve been thinking about Shaker design a lot lately. The Shaker POV splits the difference between classicism and modernism. They used a lot of oddball blue-greens, grey greens, and faded earth reds. These colors look good with Vermont slate, and they age well, particularly if they are stains rather than thick paints. (Don’t get me wrong, I love black, but it does peel fast in this climate.)
You could make up some samples on hemlock, using pigment beaten up into bleaching oil. Scrub that into the wood, like cerused oak, and leave the samples to weather for a while. That could look fabulous, but simple.
#8 by melissa on November 19, 2010 - 3:26 pm
my door is steel…
get’s very hot to the touch in summer!!!!
xxoo
Melissa
#9 by Fred on November 19, 2010 - 3:55 pm
Our front door is recessed, with a deep bead-board surround, a horizontal window above it and a four-pane window in the door, with a bead-board lower panel. We experimented with a deep Parisian blue color and the same warm off-white used on the windows of our brick house. For a long time now, everything has been painted the blue color except the wood screen door and the outside ogee trim, both the off-white. The dark paneling around the door adds to the feeling of enclosure and shelter as you enter the house.
#10 by CB on November 19, 2010 - 4:05 pm
I think the front door color gives you an opportunity to express yourself and you can change the color if you want without incurring a big expense if you are in the mood! Go for it.
I would like to see a medium blue door – a take off of Mrs. M’s powder blue. Fine Paints of Europe has a couple of beautiful blues in the Classic European Color Chart collection. North Sea Blue and Zuider Zee Blue.
The driftwood stain may be elegant, but not very interesting.
http://www.finepaintsofeurope.com/
#11 by CB on November 19, 2010 - 4:24 pm
For to mention in my post above, I live in an 1865 white house with a blue/mauve door that I mixed the color from two Ben Moore colors. The door was dark brown when I bought the house, and it was so depressing, the first thing I did was paint the door (myself) and what a difference it made. I live in a historic village with many different door colors. Red is popular as is black and dark green. I love my door color.
#12 by Christen on November 19, 2010 - 6:37 pm
If not creative, classic….mine is black~
#13 by Lynn Clapper on November 19, 2010 - 7:05 pm
In the Deep South, we are believers in traditional dark stain, or black paint. If a color is used, it is usually a strong one, i.e. red, black/green. In most homes, a strong front door works best, for the very reasons you mention.
#14 by Lisa on November 19, 2010 - 7:40 pm
In my house, a glass “french door” style would make me so happy as a fantastic amount of sunlight would stream in an otherwise dark area. BUT….I would never be able to hide from those door to door sales people that seem to be around from time to time. As a result, I have an an average door. It is painted black and it nothing more than fine!!!!!!
#15 by Julie Jomo on November 19, 2010 - 10:00 pm
What color predominates in the garden near the front door? I usually like a deep green/black (Essex green with black added) as a foil to most planting, but for a rose garden I also like a deep burgundy.
#16 by Irene on November 20, 2010 - 2:03 am
I totally agree with you. I too love dark front doors. I painted my boring beige front door black and love it!!!!
Irene
#17 by Tricia on November 23, 2010 - 12:42 am
Personally a nice wood carved door (with great detailing and a deep stain and grain) is the essence of luxury. Painted doors scream cheap to me. Sorry…don’t mean to offend…just sharing my opinion.
#18 by coco on November 28, 2010 - 11:05 pm
I live on a Victorian estate, with my house having been built in 1899. My front door is heavy and oversized, with a large pane of beveled glass, and the door is currently painted pure glossy white, but when I repaint, it will go to a charcoal black. (Total black-black is too black, like patent leather.) Black makes a good backdrop for Christmas wreaths. I also have a brick gardener’s cottage, whose heavy paneled door was brown for many years and I hated it. It was fronted with an anodized metal storm door – ugh! I finally convinced my husband to remove it, and then had the door painted glossy pure white this year, and now the Christmas wreath just POPS and you can’t believe the improvement in the overall look of the cottage. It’s like I spent thousands of dollars in renos when I really spent about $50!