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Annie Elliott Design, Washington DC

Annie Elliott Design

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You asked…about front doors and friends’ doors

Annie Elliott | August 14, 2009

Hi! My name is Kim and this is my first time to write on a blog.
I have 2 entry doors on the front of my house: the front door and friend’s entry (which is really the laundry room). They are both painted white.


My shutters are Charleston Green. My brick is Spalding Tudor by General Shale. Should I keep both doors white or paint them different colors? Thank you for your help!!!


A: Kim, I’m honored to be your first blog write-in experience.
Thank you.
Because the doors are on the same side of the house, I do think you do have to paint them the same color.


That, or you could paint the front door and leave the friends’ entrance white.

Do not, under any circumstances, keep both doors white, though. That would be, as a favorite professor of mine used to say, “a missed opportunity.”

I think a blue with grey in it, such as Benjamin Moore’s HC-156 Van Deusen Blue, or a slightly brighter one, like 812 Blueberry Hill, would be a great choice.

On your grand brick house, it’s hard to come up with a color that wouldn’t work for the doors. (Oh, all right, maybe not that hard: kelly green wouldn’t look so hot with your dark green shutters…and I wouldn’t do fuschia…)

As you’re considering your options, think about what different color doors might be saying to the world – any of these would be a fine choice:

The same dark green as the shutters: I just want everything to match.

Glossy black: London is my favorite city.

Dark red or dark orange: I like color, but I hate controversy.

Dark purple: My husband leaves the big decisions to me.

Super bright yellow: I read too much bossy blog.

Good luck, Kim! Please send pictures when you’re done!

Category: Color + paint color

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