Taubmans
For a simple makeover that makes can make a world of difference to your home, for around the price of a nice lunch, you can’t go past repainting your front door.
A task that can easily change the feel of a house within hours, this job requires a few DIY skills but is an energetic way to embrace new season colour trends and show your individual style.
The best part? It’s just one small project that can be reworked again and again as the seasons come and go. Adding a touch of brightness and vibrancy to your home in winter can be enjoyed all year round. Your front door creates an inviting, lasting impression, so what better way to freshen up your property and improve your home’s street appeal? Are you game?
How do I choose a front door colour?
Modern or minimalist, coastal or cottage-style, the key is to choose a style and front door colour that will compliment the exterior of your home. If you’re lucky enough to have a heritage home, do your research and if you’re keen to honour its history, choose a style and colour of front door that’s in keeping with your home’s original design. Neutral colours are timeless and a classic palette of black and white has stood the test of time to highlight architectural features in all the right places. Draw inspiration from other homes in the area, scour Pinterest for ideas and take a close look at homes that inspire you. If you’re up for making a statement, updating the look of your home’s facade or just want to have some fun with colour, the sky is the limit. Be bold!
What type of paint should I use for my front door?
Hard-wearing, water-resistant enamel paint is the best paint for exterior doors in your home. Choose from gloss, semi-gloss or matte finish, depending on the look you’re after and opt for a water-based paint that dries quickly so you can apply several coats in a day if needed. Be sure to prepare your door carefully before painting, by sanding the surface, filling any holes or cracks and sanding lightly once again to achieve a smooth surface on which to apply the paint. Start with an undercoat, then apply your paint colour for a fresh finish.
Painting the front door will make the right first impression, and it won’t cost a fortune. (Photography: Dave Wheeler / Styling: Lisa Burden)
What front door colours are trending right now?
Whether or not you follow colour trends is up to you, but simply changing the colour of your front door is a fun way to channel the zeitgeist of a colour craze. Choose the latest colour you’re after or select a few to play with. Take a photo of the front of your home with the front door in the primary position and play around with digital editing software to see how the different options will look. Another tool to see how it will look with the new front door colour is with colour visualiser tools from the big brand paint companies, such as Dulux and British Paints or create your own colour with Taubmans Coloursmith.
Our favourite front door colours
A bespoke barn door painted in Dulux Red Back forms the front entry, with reclaimed brick paving leading into the home. “When you pull back the red barn door and step in, the amazing view of the hills envelops you,” says Kristy, pictured.
Happy welcomes abound at The Cottage, with the front gate and front door in vivid Dulux Midas Touch. When homeowner Clare beautified the property, colour was at the top of her brief to designer Anna Spiro. (Photography: Tim Salisbury)
External wall cladding and a bold front door are essential elements in creating a Hamptons-style exterior. (Photography: Armelle Habib)
“When I find a colour darker than black, I’ll wear it. But until then, I’m wearing black!”
Coco Chanel
A grand monochrome front entrance welcomes guests on the front verandah of this renovated cottage in Leura. A kick panel of brass protects against wear and anchors the doors to the crisp, white-painted verandah and preserves (Photography: Helen Ward)
“Arches were a key feature,” says homeowner Mieke of the spacious doorways in her grand waterfront home. The most striking is the arched clerestory window above the front door, which floods the entrance with natural light and draws the eye upwards, to where a black Klaylife pendant hangs like a piece of art. The round entrance table echoes the Taubmans ‘All Black’, a colour chosen to highlight the double doors. (Photography: Elouise Van Riet-Gray / Stylist: Lana Caves)
Almost black, this Noosa home has all the extras of a tropical resort. “Water is a central feature,” says Kristy, who designed the house. Custom-made by The Woodworkers Company and painted in Benjamin Moore Hale Navy, these double doors provide a taste of the coastal palette beyond. Terracotta urns filled with bougainvillea flank the doors and evoke a tropical vibe.
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