Painted Doors - Anything But White

When my husband and I went to Germany on our honeymoon nine years ago, we fell in love with the little medieval town of Rothenburg.  Part of Rothenburg's charm was that all the homes had beautiful old doors, with exquisite carved details, and they were painted in a rainbow of colors.  We spent the better part of the day wandering up and down cobbled streets taking photos of our favorite doors.  At some point it became a contest to see who could find the coolest door and take the most artistic photo.  It's one of my favorite memories from our honeymoon.

A colorful exterior in Rothenburg, Germany

Here in the states, people have pretty much accepted the notion of a bold, painted front door, but that is where most of us stop.  We think nothing of having a red front door, but when it comes to the doors on the interior of our home, we gravitate to our safety zone of white, off-white and cream.  I wonder why that is?  Even the American colonists painted the walls, trim, and doors inside their houses with bolder colors than we do.  Most of us think that classic American architecture means white trim on white walls.  The truly historic colors might blow your mind.  Those colonists make us look like color wimps.

Govenor's Palace, Colonial Williamsburg, VA

Lilac and Red in a Historic Home

George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate

So maybe we're not going to rush out there and paint our walls a vibrant shade of lilac, or over-the-top emerald green, but maybe it's time to rethink the rules a bit.  Who's to say we can't paint our doors and trim a color? Anything but white!

I snooped around on Pinterest today and found some fun examples.  Let's start with something fairly basic: Black.  We've long admired the stateliness of a black front door on the outside of a home, but what happens when you bring that same notion inside?  For starters, you could paint BOTH the interior AND the exterior of your front door black.  Bring some of that drama into the foyer.  Even when the rest of the trim is left white in this historic home, the black door pops and makes me say, "Wow!"  I love how they've then repeated smaller doses of the black on the stair newel and handrail and in the wall art.  The bright gold-toned wallpaper and the crisp white trim keep this foyer from being anything but dark and grumpy.  

Stately and Beautiful

To take it one step further, you could paint a coat closet door black, as seen here.  This home also has traditional bones and most of the trim has been left white.  The black closet door adds graphic punch and elegantly repeats the inky hue on the dining room walls in the foreground.  They've used black to make a traditional home look more trendy and graphic.  I think it's a nice balance of old and new.  

Montreal Entry Design by Tamara Anka

Or if black seems too ominous or dramatic for you, how about an earthier neutral?  Maybe a brown or a gray?  Here the doors to this bathroom have been painted a deep chocolate brown, accentuating the richness of the door hardware and contrasting against the crisp white of the classic subway tile.  Suddenly I'm intrigued by the room and want to take a second look.

Rich Brown Adds Interest

Then for the playful but color-phobic, there is the option of adding chalkboard paint to one of the recessed panels of your doors.  The looks says, "we're not too serious around here," but at the same time there is a practical element to the idea and the color combination is classic.  Seems perfect for a kitchen in a busy home, as seen here.  

Pretty and Practical

Ahhh, gray.  I love it.  So restful and easy on the eyes.  Here all the rest of the trim is white, but they've painted the living-room side of these barn doors in a soft gray to match the kitchen cabinets.  I like how it ties the two spaces together without being overly dominant.  I could be right at home in this space.  There's not a lot of color, but there are interesting shapes, patterns and textures that keep your eye moving about the room.

Easy Elegance

So now for some bold color.  As I mentioned earlier, the easiest way to try this out is to paint both sides of your front door the same accent color.  Here they've brought a cheerful yellow into their all-white, cottagey foyer.  I love this look.  It seems very fitting with the decor: happy, homey, and with just the right balance of neutral and zip.

Pure Charm

Taking it one step further is this BRIGHT yellow door inside an eclectic home.  The bones of the space seem pretty traditional (notice the door casing, the extra high base molding and the four panel door) but the decor is witty, youthful and very mod. Something tells me this person likes to live in the moment and have fun.

Bold and Playful

And talk about color!  This is the extreme.  Shocking orange says, "wake up and pay attention!" Too bold for some, but I think it works here because everything else about this interior is crisp, clean, simple, and mostly white.  It's also very contemporary, which lends itself well to a few bold pops of color.

Not for the Faint of Heart

Still not convinced to paint out your white doors, but want to try something new?  How about adding some pattern to your white doors?  Let the doors be the canvas for your creative expression.  I love how this person has used brass upholstery tacks to mimic the abstract geometric pattern found on the walls.

Artistic Expression

And lastly, painted doors can be a great alternative for kid's spaces.  It's a kid's room for goodness sake, add some color!  Here the walls are already painted a pretty shade of girly-pink, but the homeowner has toned down the sweetness and given it a bit of contemporary edge by painting a door the same shade of mossy green as found of the window shade piping.  I think it's a great touch and very current.

Pretty Nursery

So get out there, buy some paint and experiment.  It's cheap, easy, and can be easily be fixed if you aren't happy with the results.  Remember, there's no rule that says all doors have to be white.

BEFORE and AFTER,
From the Honey We're Home blog