What Does the Color of Your Front Door Say About You?

I’ve never thought very much about the color of my front door. It was red when I bought the home, and when it faded and began to chip and peel, I had it painted the same color again.

But apparently, what color your door is says a lot about your personality, according to Kate Smith, president and “chief color maven” of Sensational Color. She recommends matching the color of your entry door with your personality so folks know what to expect.

Red, according to Smith, tells the world to “look at me!” It says I’m not afraid of standing out or to say what’s on my mind. Hmmm… I am pretty outspoken so maybe there’s something in this color theory. I see a lot of front doors as a Realtor so I decided to check out what she has to say.

Here’s a look at what Smith says other door colors say about the occupants inside:

Orange – Says “I’m friendly, fun loving and enjoy getting together with people” so it would be a good color choice for an extrovert. I don’t personally know many people with orange doors.

White – Says “I prefer things that are organized, neat and clean. Even if my home isn’t always this way, I wish it were.”  

Green – Tells the world that you “have traditional values and enjoy being a member of the community.” At my old house, I had a green door and in fact was more involved with my neighbors and community, but I’m not convinced it had anything to do with my door color.

Black – Says “I’m consistent, conservative, and reserved in my manner as well as my approach to color. With a black door, I’m saying my design style is timeless rather than trendy.”

Blue – Tells people you are “naturally at ease in most situations and people are attracted to your easygoing personality.”

Yellow –  Conveys a personality similar to green but a little less traditional.  

Purple – Reveals a “free spirited person who is comfortable taking risks, thinking differently and dreaming big.” I will say that the few people I’ve known who had purple doors fit that description.

After reading about all these colors, it dawned on me that a couple door colors I see a lot of aren’t covered. What about gray and brown?

Here’s Kate Smith’s take:   A gray door “tells us that the homeowner is smart, dignified and refined. This classic color matches up with people who are responsible and cultured.”

A brown door says that “the homeowner is stable and dependable. This down-to-earth color matches the earthy personality of the homeowner who is also seen as very open and approachable.”

But what about people who don’t paint their doors at all? What does leaving the wood natural or staining it say? According to Kate Smith, these doors “tell the world the home’s occupant is self-motivated and enjoys having a good balance of hard work with leisure activities.”

Or perhaps it simply says they’re indecisive? 

And what happens if you have a consistent, conservative black door type of person who lives with an outspoken, red door kind of person? Maybe that's why we see so many red doors.