I See a Red Door and I Want it Painted Black...

Actually, if I'm being honest, the title of this post should be "I See a White Door and I Want it Painted...Turquoise."  I am lately finding myself obsessing over brightly painted front doors, and I dream of having one of my own someday.  (That is, truthfully, one of the reasons I want to own a house rather than rent one - hee!)  It seems like brightly colored doors used to be more often found in other countries - I remember seeing a few pink ones in Mexico! - , but lately the trend has traveled north and spread like wildfire across the US.  As for the color choices, there's really no limit!  I've seen pictures of basically every color door under the sun - so beautiful and inspiring.  To me, a stand-out door feels more welcoming and happy; it says "Come on in - there's some damn fun people behind this door!"  It is unexpected and bold, and I couldn't love it more!

For the slightly less audacious:  Apartment Therapy describes a bright front door as a "design dare," and many people in the comments section reported that they attempted to paint their front door differently and had complaints from others in the neighborhood.  To that I say:  Pish posh!  BUT there are those who just don't embrace the trends, I guess!  So for people who want to try this without causing controversy or blindness...here ya go!

This periwinkle blue actually seems pretty darn mellow against the silvery-grey tone of the house.  This would be a great start for people wanting to embrace the door-painting trend but who are a little wary of bright colors.  I love this color blue and this look in general!
(Photo from here)










Over at Apartment Therapy, they suggest a door-painting option for the seriously timid.  If you want a tiny slice of color, but don't want to commit to an outer or interior door that's covered in brightness, paint just the door's edge to give it a little pop every time you open it!  I think this is a cute and original idea, especially for a kid's room!
















You can pair a bright door with neutral siding...

 Oh my gosh.  Everything about this door is perfection.  The door inspires thoughts of my current fave pattern (chevron!), and the glass surrounding the frame balances the opposing colors out nicely.  I adore this shade of robin's egg blue.  Sigh.  Can this be mine?  (from here)

PINK!  THIS IS A HOT PINK DOOR!  (Of course, when I ask Jared if I can paint my door this color, I will be referring to it by it's official name.  Which is raspberry.)  BUT IT'S PINK!  (from here)

We all know how I'm feeling about yellow and grey as of late, so there's really no need to tell you why this door appeals to me so much. This would make guests feel all sunshiney and happy! I think yellow is the top contender so far for my own future door...either yellow or red.  Thoughts?  (found here)

Citrusy, summery, and gorgeous.  What's not to love?  (from here)

This feels simultaneously homey/country and elegant somehow.  This bright red front door would look perfect during the holidays; I would love to come in from the cold snow through this door!  (via Country Living)

This door/garden combo seems almost magical!  That color blue is gorgeous, and I've always thought that ivy climbing over a porch looked so charming and unique.  I would love to live here!  (from here)

OR with bright siding!

This lemon shade is what most would consider pastel, and not many people would think to pair such a color with vibrant cobalt!  But the result is (I think) pretty bold and statement-making.  I'm a fan!  (from here)

And some little extras that would look adorable with bright doors:



Left picture:  Peel and stick (!!!) numbers from here

Right picture:  Classic zinc numbers from here



Left picture:  Brass fox door knocker from here

Right picture:  Cast iron skeleton key door knocker from here

I LOVE this industrial-feeling lamp to hang in an entryway.  So modern!

And just for fun, this is the doormat Jared bought me for Christmas to put in our interior entryway one day.  I know you can't read it, but inside the heart it says "please don't leave."  Exactly what I will be feeling every morning when he leaves for work! 

Both from Urban Outfitters.

Hope you enjoyed this roundup of my favorite colorful doors!  What about you?  Do you want to paint your door a bright color?

xoxochelsea