Home Curb Appeal 18 Blue Front Doors We're Obsessed With By Betsy Cribb Watson Betsy Cribb Watson Betsy is the Senior Home and Features Editor at Southern Living. She writes about a veritable potpourri of topics for print and digital, from profiling Southern movers-and-shakers and celebrating family traditions to highlighting newsy restaurant openings and curating the annual holiday gift guide. Prior to joining the Southern Living team in 2017 as the style editor, she worked at Coastal Living as an assistant editor covering pets and homes. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on December 23, 2022 Close Photo: Photo: Hector M. Sanchez; Floral Design/Props: Heather Barrie (Gathering) When it comes to curb appeal projects, perhaps no DIY offers more instant gratification than a fresh coat of paint on the front door. A front door refresh has an extremely high return on investment. The color of your front door can actually say a lot about your personality and style, and it gives a glimpse into the design taste that lies behind it. But picking the hue that will set the scene for your entire home can be daunting. Blue is one of the most popular front door paint colors, but you could swim in a sea of options. "Before choosing a color for your front door, take your home's existing palette into consideration—the siding, trim, shutters, etc. You'll want a shade that creates a cohesive look," says Sue Wadden, director of color marketing at Sherwin-Williams. For inspiration, just turn to the landscape: "If you have a backdrop of trees, consider colors that complement nature." she says. What color works better with nature than a shade of blue? Ahead, we're sharing designer-and editor-loved blue paint colors for your front door. These hues are so beautiful, you just might be inspired to head to the hardware store for a bucket of paint. 01 of 18 Greek Isles Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller This cheery front door was inspired by blue skies. Behr's Greek Isles (P510-1) looks good anywhere, especially on a white exterior (or an adorable Dutch door). This versatile shade of blue promises an instant smile from neighbors as well as curious house hunters. 02 of 18 Mediterranean Charm Photo: Allison Gootee; Styling: Suzonne Stirling Shannon and Joseph Hillenmeyer's Kentucky cottage "brings the outside in" at Christmastime. "We wanted the front of the house to look almost forestlike to convey what it was like to come inside," says Shannon. To pull off this idea, they piled on thick garland around the door. "We think it's easiest to start with a ready-made garland, hang it, and then enhance it with fresh clippings on-site," says Joseph. A shapely boxwood wreath (free of any ribbons) hangs like a holiday bull's-eye on the bright blue door that's painted Behr's Mediterranean Charm (P510-2). 03 of 18 Drawing Room Blue Hector Manuel Sanchez; Design; Meg Lonergan; Styling: Barbara Schmidt Houston designer Meg Lonergan transformed a 100-year-old craftsman with colorful touches inside and out. If a blue door in Drawing Room Blue (No. 253) by Farrow & Ball wasn't eye-catching enough from the street, she also painted the front porch's floors in a fun pattern. "My house is my laboratory—I like to experiment and play with things," she says. 04 of 18 French Blue Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Jenny O'Connor Designer Amy Berry made a young Dallas family's dream home come to life. Traditional French blue was the through line in the color palette with "bright and happy" accent hues. Clean white paint modernized the brick exterior and allowed the classic blue shutters and door to stand out. For a similar paint color, try Greenhow Blue (CW-655) by Benjamin Moore. 05 of 18 Naval Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Barbara Schmidt Michael Pajcic and Katy Debriere built a new home that's full of old Florida soul, which included a 360-degree continuous porch that's 11-feet deep and 9 feet tall. "Because the porch runs all across the front of the home, we didn't want the entry door to overtake the exterior," says interior designer Stephanie Jarvis. She chose a nautical color, Sherwin-Williams' Naval (SW 6244), for the waterfront home's front door. 06 of 18 Blueberry Hill Photo: Helen Norman; Styling: Lizzie Cox Artist Dana Gibson's Richmond, Virginia, home is a master class in pattern mixing. A cheery blue front door in Benjamin Moore's Blueberry Hill (812) is a telltale sign of the fun inside. "That's what you do with your front door. It's the first image somebody gets of your home, so it's important," she says. 07 of 18 Oceanfront Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Frances Bailey Haile and Ben McCollum weren't looking for extravagance in a beach house. "Just something that was down-to-earth and easy to manage," says Haile. She got a little more than "down-to-earth" with the 1939 cottage named "Why Knot," which had been "overcome with years of being forgotten" and was considered a tear-down. However, Haile's "white paint strategy" was just the cure-all the coastal home needed. She only used three shades on the entire project: Benjamin Moore's Super White (OC-152) on the exterior and interior, Sherwin-William's Embellished Blue (SW 6749) on the porch ceiling, and Benjamin Moore's Oceanfront (660) on the screen door. 08 of 18 Bermuda Turquoise Laurey W. Glenn This adorable container garden idea is so easy to make yourself. We chose a mixture of purple, red, white, and yellow flowers that all complement a door painted Bermuda Turquoise (728) by Benjamin Moore. Our editors love that it's less formal than cobalt but not as beachy as most turquoises. They recommend using a high gloss finish, which looks especially sharp next to a white or cream exterior. 09 of 18 Blustery Sky Laurey W. Glenn We dubbed our 2019 Idea House in Crane Island, Florida, the ultimate Southern dream home, and for good reason. The home's exterior paint colors were inspired by the gorgeous surrounding landscape. The white hue echoes the paths made of crushed oyster shells, and the porch's star detailing was "borrowed" from a Fernandina Beach home. The antique front door was given new life with a coat of Sherwin-Williams' Blustery Sky (SW 9140). 10 of 18 Waterscape Kay Volmar bought her Florida dream home online while living 1,000 miles away in New York City, and it was a gamble that paid off. Little by little, Volmar renovated the 1912 cottage herself over the course of five years. "The house was a mess when I moved in, so I thought, 'What will give me hope?' and I painted the front door blue. I knew it would be my happy place to walk into and that one day the entire home would look as good as the door," she says. The smile-inducing shade she chose? Sherwin-Williams Waterscape (SW 6470). "It sets the stage for the rest of my house," Volmar says. 11 of 18 Parma Gray Alison Gootee; Styling: Elizabeth Demos Monica Lavin, founder of the lifestyle blog Lavin Label, knew how to dress her Savannah home up for Christmas. "We want our guests to feel welcome when they step inside," she says. That warm welcome starts with a cool blue door painted in Farrow & Ball's Parma Gray (No. 27). 12 of 18 Skylight Photo: Laurey W. Glenn Architect Bethany Puopolo created a new take on the classic Southern farmhouse with influences from her Swedish heritage, which included a blue and white color palette on the exterior. She chose Skylight (No. 205) by Farrow & Ball for the home's exterior doors. 13 of 18 Blue Sky Hector Manuel Sanchez If you're ready for a front door reset, no color is more refreshing than Blue Sky by Sherwin-Williams (SW 0063). "Preparation is the key to a job well done," says Rick Watson, director of product information and technical services at Sherwin-Williams. First, wash grime from your door using a degreasing cleaner; then rinse and let dry. Next, lightly sand your door with a sanding sponge, and wipe down to remove dust. "The front door doesn't need to be taken off its hinges, but remove or tape off other hardware on it before painting if you can," he advises. 14 of 18 Gentleman's Gray with Lacquer Photo: Hector M. Sanchez; Floral Design/Props: Heather Barrie (Gathering) Shiny brass accessories pair beautifully with a ginger-jar blue door. Though Benjamin Moore's Gentleman's Gray (2062-20) is a deep black-blue, a high-lacquer finish brings out the blue in this example. "The beautiful blue door, surrounded by crisp white architecture, made me long for a zesty contrast," says designer Heather Barrie. She flanked the door with satsuma mandarin topiaries for a fresh splash of orange. Large, sapphire-glazed ceramic pots offer a nice boost and tie back to the door's bold shade. Zinnias, lantanas, and cosmos in citrusy hues pour out of the pots. 15 of 18 Spring Storm Hector M. Sanchez If you've ever explored Charleston, South Carolina, you know what it means to fall in love with countless entryways just off the street. This door in Behr's Spring Storm (S450-3) stopped us in our tracks. The coastal hue pops against a white exterior. 16 of 18 Oceanside Laurey W. Glenn If you want to add a little green to your blue front door with a turquoise shade, Sherwin-Williams Oceanside (SW 6496) is an editor-favorite shade. Not sure yet? "Sample your options before making a final decision," says Sue Wadden, director of color marketing at Sherwin-Williams. "I recommend crossing the street to see what they look like from your neighbor's perspective." 17 of 18 Favorite Jeans Wilson Design and Construction This softer shade of blue, Favorite Jeans by Sherwin Williams (SW 9147), is the perfect complement to the mostly glass front door. It keeps the entry feeling light and fresh while adding a colorful touch to the otherwise monochromatic exterior. 18 of 18 Commodore Wilson Design and Construction A colorful front door is a great way to liven up the front of any classic farmhouse. Here, designer and builder Todd Wilson opted to punch up the front exterior of the Amelia River Cottage SL-2069 by coating the front door in a deep, bold shade—Commodore by Sherwin Williams (SW 6524). Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit