Front door & frame colour recommendations.

Arfa__

I want to give my front door and frame a lick of paint (after stripping off the old stuff first and proper preparation obviously). I'm just not sure what colour(s) would be best.

Its a middle of terrace ex-council '30s house, walls are currently magnolia (but also due to be re-painting later on). Window frames are dark brown wood effect uPVC. Door frame has a small peak bit of roof over door and is currently a dirgy brown, with step matching. Door itself is currently an orangey/brown varnish, panelled with a single thin vertical window in the middle, with brass decoration.
Ours is the middle house:-


Neighbours either side have white door fames with black and dark wood doors. But they also have white window frames...

Suggestions please. And of course its got to entice lots potential buyers to part with lots of money. ;-)

27col

Prospective buyers would have to be pretty stupid if they let the colour of the front door influence their purchase of a house.

Mankysteve

Find the closest match to frames get some test card of B&Q, home ect.

Arfa__

That maybe true, however a quick google throws up loads of articles that suggest the converse:-
http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2001/aug/25/movinghouse.property
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/3361971/Front-doors-Gloss-over-the-gloom-with-a-full-frontal.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/3358262/First-impressions.html
http://www.fengshuiweb.co.uk/advice/doors.htm

OK the last might be a spot odd ball, but you get the idea. Either way, I'm sure a door that's not in a state of disrepair is going to help. So a job that I plan to do regardless, so may as well consider how well it will sell.

Arfa__

Mankysteve wrote: »

Find the closest match to frames get some test card of B&Q, home ect.

You mean match the door frames to the window frames, yes? Then something contrasting for the door itself?

Owain_Moneysaver

White frames would harmonise better with the neighbours but I don't think painting woodgrain effect PVC is going to work.

Dark varnish for the door, night brass fittings, ditch the white plastic doorbell?

Move the car and get the bushes trimmed though, it looks a tight fit to walk along the path to the door.

Doozergirl

I think you should leave the frame in the same colour to match the window frames as best as possible. And lighten the front door to something which tonally compliments the render.

My house is a similar colour - slightly lighter wood windows. I've just had my door painted in Dulux 'Winter Teal'. Before that it was Farrow & Ball 'Sugar Bag Light'. And the house I had before was F&B again 'Chappell Green'

I don't like regular front door paint colours though - why should I be limited to a manufacturers choice of white,red, blue, green, black? There's enough colours and enough of us to go around. Let your personality shine. Your house is quite cottage-like. Give it a colour to suit a cottage

Lovely shiney new door fittings will do wonders to give the front a lift. I think the front door is like eyes on a face. Really important for first impressions! It's probably the one thing all buyers spend time looking at

Arfa__

Photo is actually from about a year ago. Shrubs have all been tamed since, there's some evil spikey ones on drivers side of car! The shared path isn't too bad width wise actually. And no there's plenty room to walk either side of car too. I could do with giving the wooden fence panels a lick of creosote (substitute) though.

I've already brought new brass numbers for the door. The handles and letter box aren't too bad, will try polishing them up first, before buying new. The white spots you can see on the door frame are where two hideous lamps used to reside. Ditched long ago as the electric wires were shocking and the glass panels kept falling out of them. However in their place, there's two circular cut outs in the frame now. Planning on getting some more wood trim to replace this before painting (that is replace trim all way round).

You're right, white frames would be more in keeping with neighbours, but can't justify cost to replace and as you say doubt painting the existing ones would work well.

So consensus is frame to match windows; door, dark varnish or painted lighter to complement walls.