How about Burnt Russet from Benjamin Moore, Van Deusen Blue HC-156 or Newburyport Blue HC-155?

I think the sutters would look better painted white, if you go with the blue.

I like the idea of a blue door. I would prefer no white on the house.

Here is a 'crude' attempt at the Sherwin Williams color selector. From this you might notice that your door could use some bulky trim and a more substantial light. It might be nice to add house numbers or a mailbox since the house needs more architectural elements.

I like the blue idea. I see the blue pot near the steps, and I see Scott's second door suggestion. I think that could be your color right there. It would be a bit bold. I tried something on Illustrator (and took the liberty of adding black trim to the door).

Edit: Don't know why it got so small. I'll fix it and re-upload. Darn it.

Wow AMN and I are on the exact design page....

i like this blue or this! May be too boring for you though.... ?

Let's try this again. I had to take a screenshot.

Without the black, the door just floats and looks like it could fly away.

Am I seeing a black storm door? If so, paint your door black, too. I would love to see a bigger front light.

Raspberry, deep red or burgundy.

Ditto what yoder178 said! For this house, I don't think a blue shade will "pop". Since you said yellows were out, I'd say your house has "red door" written all over it!

I would paint it the same black as your trim. Very rich looking. To me it will look choppy if you paint blue.

Also, pots on steps tend to make the entry look "crowded" - would you consider window boxes that include flowers of the same color that you paint the front door? If window boxes are a no-go, perhaps just two good-sized pots, on the ground but on either side of the lower step?

You all are wonderful! I hesitate to do all black and create a big, solid black rectangle on a frontage of only 32'. Agree need bigger (and downward pointing light), but not in the current budget - at least I painted the brilliant brass black (brass didn't show up at all) and that led to the shutters/storm door being painted. Wha doesn't really show in the picture is the tremendous amount of 60'-70' trees that surround/invade/shade my property - has it's pros & cons - my front faces east-southeast and gets shaded quickly.

Scott & AMN - great ideas and full black frame under consideration regardless of door color, but probably not the window frames.

Scott - (chuckle) there are door numbers under the light - they could be bolder though. Where I live we are required to have our mailboxes roadside wth number on mailpost AND house.

Judyg & Functional Decor - I love that pic, Judyg! I don't think my frontage is big enough to carry that much black though (32')...but those lantern lights! I'll have to check into them. Looks like another board on pinterest coming up - "Illumination"!

Webs, Yoder & Davenlis - Okay, that pic has my siding, shutters....all that I want to do to mine! I'll have to check out some reds. My biggest concern about red was having it look like it was decorated for Christmas or Valentine's year 'round and also, since I open it often for light, that it wouldn't go well with a gray/ocean vibe on the 1st floor. I grew up on the stormy Atlantic and the ocean is just in my blood!

But you *can* do red! Go to a pro paint store (Benjamin Moore, Sherwin-Williams, et al) and show them the colors you have on the inside, and let them show you on the color wheel what reds would go with gray/ocean and beige/white/black. Am I being a bully?! Especially now that you've mentioned your large trees and subsequent shade, I just think for your house that a red door would be FABULOUS! ;-)

I would also do the same black door as the trim and shutters. I ssuggest also black wrought iron window boxes lined with moss under each window that you can fill up all seaons. Just imagine them filled with pine boughs and little clear lights at christimas. Two great large latern lights on either side of the door and hung lower than the existing one. A great black mail box and larger address numbers or an address plate.
Then on one side of the door a tall black 4 season pot with maybe a toperary shaped green plant.
The window boxes will help balance and draw attention to the windows and less towards the front door.

Houssaon - checking out the colors you recommended. Thank you!

Davenlis - Let's be honest, right now the whole front looks overgrown and it is (thanks to morning glory gone wild!) Yes, I'd love window boxes and will look into building and securing to house. Sure would love that portico in the pic for my front door...and the dormers....and the double front windows...sigh...another year or ten!

Scott - I would love to build up some type of header over the windows/door, but not sure how to do outside. Plan to do that inside. Grew up with that in old 1800s house and love that style along with wainscoting. Whatever I choose to do, I have to do myself. I love that...like arts & crafts on steroids...but I'm not an experienced builder/woodworker so it's a painstaking amount of research.

Mpoulson- I like that gray blue!

This is what I started with so the change to traditional black changed the whole look. There are four of these identical homes on a little over 4 acres of land. We all built them with Habitat for Humanity and all of us are very blessed. That said, we had no input on the outside except for the vinyl siding. I went as neutral as I could since the grey was already taken! Sorry for the poor phone pic. The siding color is truer (on my computer) in the first picture.

Great job, noakwaters! I promise I won't say anything more about the red that you should paint your front door to make it pop given that you have black and beige and tons of shade to boot. (LOL!) Anyway, didn't know if you're familiar with Lamps Plus or not, but they have an Open Box link on their site, and many items are ~50% off. I know you said changing the light isn't in the budget right now, but if you check that site periodically you might find something you love for an affordable price. Just a thought. http://www.lampsplus.com/htmls/clearance/

I think the gray blue color is Stone Fence by behr. You would only need a quart to do the door. Good luck my dear and congrats on your house. I love habitat!!!! :)

Hello friends,

Front doors should be an accent colour. In other words, they should be a strong, dramatic, bold shade. Usually, your front door colour should not be repeated anywhere else on your house although I have seen some exceptions to that rule. Some perfect colours to choose front door colours are Wet Sands 3H2-7, Green Conifer Hills 5141E, Direct Line 436, French Navy Blue SC007, Gitano FD038, Loving it 3C2-8, Grey Eyeshadow SC047, Hidden Mountains 5135EC, Quinte HD016.

Thanks and Regards
William Hayden

http://www.usaequipmentdirect.com/

Several homes in my Michigan town with your colors and all have a shade of red. One is a raspberry/fuischa color and it is BEAUTIFUL! The black trim on the storm door might be throwing me off a bit though.

My vote is for a blue door especially if you like the beachy look. I would paint the trim around the windows the same color as the house. Because the windows read as black from a distance the white looks too harsh. Then I would paint the door a beachy blue () and the trim around the storm door the same as the house too. A welcome mat will ground the front door. Another lighter example A pretty color

Davenlis - Thank you! I'll check out that link! Also, now that I rehung the American Flag, red is looking the way to go...like the red in Old Glory.

MPoulsom - Think I'm changing over to red now that I've been able to step back and get a good look. If nothing else, my son will be very excited as he's been pushing for red "somewhere" and he never got his red bedroom :) Habitat is an incredible organization and it was quite an experience building 4 homes simultaneously...ached where I didn't know I could ache!

Faireden - Those are beautiful blues. Makes the decision between blue and red more difficult.

Webesj - That does sound beautiful and plan to check many shades of red.

Williamhayden -- Thank you for that information and I agree. Here in New England most homes have white, wood or a brilliant color and all usually are quite a contrast to their siding!. I will check out the colors you suggested tonight.

All of you...thank you so much! Whatever I decide, I will post a picture when it's done.

It will be beautiful in a red as well!!!!

Thank you, Mpoulsom...why I agonize over this has no valid answer...it's only paint (oh yeah, and hours of work that I don't want to redo!)!

Boodrury - Those are some wonderful suggestions! Mailbox not an option as it would be a hole in my house for a decoration only. Enlarging the light is on the to-do list. I have a couple of urns that I could use. Gardens are being redesigned so the urns may fit in. Window boxes also on the to-do list!

Just a thought.

Im doing similar only grey siding w/ black shutters. Black door oval with light metal inley fiberglass ~$300

Nohoch, that sounds beautiful! I had wanted grey sidiing, but it had already been chosen by another and we were asked not to duplicate :(

Aja, very nice! Do you know the color? Is it a teal?

I know you said you wanted to avoid yellow and oranges but look how beautiful the mums look against the house on your porch. Brightens up the entire entrance. The blue pot there isn't doing much, in my opinion. I'm not a fan of mixing blue with black.

Hello noankwaters!

The paint color is Benjamin Moore Hale Navy.

“Hale Navy HC-154 Paint”

And I think it would go well with Old Glory!

a deep plum

Here is another example of Benjamin Moore Hale Navy which illustrates the effect of direct sunlight and shade.

I love the little splash of red from the geranium.

My vote is to paint the door with high gloss black paint. It would look striking, especially with a black screen door.

Consider changing the light fixture and the door hardware to something more substantial in size and heft... perhaps in a blackened (oiled?) bronze finished.

A large, heavy black doormat and a boot scraper would round things out.

Aja - Thank you! I really like it on the computer screen as well as the color named 'Stunning". Will have to obtain samples :)

Janis - Thank you for the suggestion. My neighbor has a (nasty) color of purple (and I like purple) on her door with green shutters and a pale yellow siding and I just changed my colors from cranberry/wineberry on the shutters & door to black.

Dan - Light fixture & doormat on my to-do list. The hardware is actually an oil-rubbed bronze finish, but will add "bigger" to the list; makes sense. No on the bootscraper because door rarely used for traffic; mostly sales people are the only ones to use it and I don't invite them in :) Maybe some type of statue would work. Have concerns about big black, solid rectangle on a frontage of only 32' - maybe would work if door had more windows in it to break it up, but that's not remotely in the budget right now. I'll have to Google some pics since you are not the first to suggest black. Need to see it on a small frontage. House numbers also need to be more bold.

Sharynr - They do look nice and bright! I'm just not a yellow/orange person in general outside of the garden. I think I did myself in when I painted my room pumpkin orange as a teen while my parents were out for the day :) Also, even though there are beautiful shades of both, I had enough of golds, ie. Harvest Gold (and Avocado Green) while growing up. I continue to remind myself that I must love it/live with it and that it's not only about how it looks.

noankwaters,

And "Stunning" it is, indeed!

You do have the nautical spirit from your early year on the stormy Atlantic and the ocean.

stunning 826 Paint - Benjamin Moore

Oh my goodness!

This house reminds me of yours!

It is for sale for only $544,000 and comes with a red door!

Definitely consider having a portico supported by 2 columns built to make your front doorway have some presence. It will change the whole look of your home and add tremendously to your curb appeal.

I wanted to thank you all again as I stumble through the color process :) So many suggestions for red, black and blue and I appreciate your input.

The one that haunted me...that I kept refusing to consider was black thinking it would be a big black rectangle on such a small home. But in fairness, I went online and started playing with the picture and door colors. To all of you who kept recommending black, thank you. It turned out to look the nicest on the computer and sitting in my car on the road (75' away), standing in the middle of the yard visualizing, having my cousin stand there with me...black is it! It "feels" right, it will look right, it settles in my spirit right AND it will go with any color (especially grey) that I paint inside! Thanks for your patience (and persistence!).

I lean toward satin finishes, but realize that would cause the feared big black blob so, "risk taker" that I am, I'll be upgrading to gloss using the same color I used on the storm door - SW Tricorn Black.

Boppy - I do want a portico and have a contractor cousin I plan to talk to about it :) At the least, I'll end up knowing what a fair price will be.