Besides providing a first impression, the front door of your home can also establish its aesthetic. And if you believe in feng shui, the front door provides the portal for a home’s energy, or qi. If that sounds intimidating, the good news is that it’s easy to change the appearance of your front door by painting it, changing out fixtures or lighting, adding accessories, or simply sprucing it up. Consider the architectural style of your home and its history when making decisions about its appearance. Study the changing light and surrounding landscape to enhance harmony. Then find what makes you happy when you come home at the end of the day. —Molly Newman
When Kellyn Lemmon bought her historic Wellfleet home from Elden Gray in 2001, she became friends with his daughter, Virginia Gray, who told her the story of the purple front door. Years ago, Elden’s four children gave him a rhododendron for Father’s Day, and he was so smitten by the color of the flowers that he painted the front door to match. Kellyn decided to keep the color, and the rhododendron is still there, too — it now reaches almost to the second floor. (Photos Molly Newman)
Steve Morrison and A.J. Bowman chose Benjamin Moore’s Wild Blueberry for their Provincetown front door. The blue plays off the hydrangeas and sets a classic tone. But their two-year-old son Henry loves the lion knocker the most. He knocks on it every time they come home.
Nancy Civetta calls her yellow front door “a happy color.” It makes a bright backdrop when her classic blue Vespa is parked in the yard.
Jim and Tomi Ziobro’s burnt orange door and floral wreath add to their home’s farmhouse appeal. The west-facing doors get a lot of sun exposure, so they needed a color that would continue to look good after being sun-kissed.
