You have a beautiful house!! Maybe the door might be better matching the dark brown shingles?

Your house is beautiful, but without any other black on the house it looks out of place to me.

I agree with the previous poster I think a nice medium to dark brown would bring out the darkness in the bricks and the dark brown shingles and lights on either side of the door.

I'm a dissenter. I think the black looks fine. I didn't notice the brown shingles at all when I first looked at the picture.

Dark brown would look fine as well, but if you don't want to go to the trouble of painting again, the black is good, IMO.

I tend to think the black door looks a little harsh in addition to not blending with the shingles. It's a lot of work but would you consider repainting the door?It's very prominent because of the style of your (very lovely) house, and I do believe brown would be more harmonious all the way around.

I think the black is fabulous. It works well with the trim, and I'm not sure brown would. Black is classic and gives a presence your door needs in that big house. It's lovely.

Well, I love the black door but I have no personality and no decor, so what do I know. Put a brownish basket wreath on it with a brown silk and pink polka dot bow and be done with it. It's very pretty.

Golly, the color police are coming after me. I wore a black and white polka dot dress today with dark nylons, black shoes, black hat and (excuse me) a red clutch. What is the world coming to?

i like the black door,looks good IMO,way better than originally

I like the black, but I think a really deep dark brown, so dark it's almost black would be just a bit better. I think the fact that all the other colors on the house are warmish and the black is rather cold by comparison is what's throwing you off.

Sherwin Williams Black Bean coulda been a good contender of a black for your house.

I agree that the darker door is a nice improvement. Gorgeous home.

To me, the black does not work with the rest of the house - singles, trim or brick. Sorry!

I don't know about the color but i definitely would not put the ugly storm door back on.

I think a very dark chocolate brown over the black would look best, but don't repaint if it's too much trouble. You can send the storm door to me ;-). If you leave it black, though, I would replace the hardware with ORB - the brass clashes with the coach lights. But brown with ORB would be too...brown, so don't know then. Maybe nickel?

Is that a ThermaTru door?

I love the black door to me it looks great.

Patricia what do you mean you have no personality or decor? I love reading your comments and suggestions on decor and you have personality plus.

Sorry Kismet08 I didn't mean to highjack you have a lovely home.

.....Jane

I like the darker color door better than the original color.

I would at least live with the black for a while. Remember that people who are walking up to your house will notice the relationship of the door to the bricks more than the door to the shingles.

Do they make a brown-black paint color like they do with mascara?

My 1st thought was that a deep brown would be beautiful. I absolutely LOVE your brick...it is just gorgeous!

Please forgive me for agreeing with christophern, but the storm door does not do justice for your beautiful home. It's a nice storm door, but it becomes way too much the focal point.

I love the black and it looks like your lamp post is also black, so the door isn't the only black thing.

Laurie

I like the black too! I didn't notice the brown shingles (it's not like homes with black doors typically have black shingles- most shingles are brown or gray, right?). I think painting the door brown would just make it disappear, just like the old door. The black adds character to the house for sure. I'd keep it!

Thanks to everyone for their input! Trust me when I say, that storm door is NOT going back on, unless its temporary to facilitate painting the door.

It could very well be I just need to get used to it. Looks like I'm going to have to anyway, since rain is in the forecast for the next 4 days. I still tend to think its just too...harsh. But, it could be just different and I'm having a hard time getting used to it. We drove around yesterday, and it seems nobody has a black door - unless they have black shutters on white siding. I struggle with being a rebel. LOL At any rate, I'm going to take the break forced upon me by mother nature and let it gel for a bit.

The original plan was to also spray paint the lights black, as right now they are actually a pinkish brown that DH hates. We thought also about adding black shutters to the three windows that can take them. I hate to cover the brick though. My other thought was to get some wrought iron window boxes for those same windows, sort of go for a "french chateau" sort of look. My DH is right, I am nuts. LOL

On the other hand, it's really not a ton of work to repaint. I'm weird, I love to paint (everything except ceilings). We removed an old brass kickplate from the door and patched with a putty made for metals, but I'm not happy with the results. It's tough to see, but I can see the dimples left behind in the metal door. I'm thinking of springing for the bondo and going for a better finish anyway.

I just kinda skimmed & saw where you mentioned shutters on the 3 windows....yes, I think I would add shutters in black!!
I think the black looks classy on your very pretty house. And paint out your light fixtures, too.

Smiles:)

The black will be great if you paint those coach lights. Still don't like the brass door handle.

Hmmm - don't know about shutters - do people put shutters on brick houses? The wrought iron window boxes sound nice, though - incl. one on the center bay window (not on side bays if they don't fit).

We never added shutters to our old house but the new owners did right away and it totally changes the look (for the better). I don't want them everywhere on my new house, but am thinking of putting them on the window over the garage and the center window on top floor (under the reverse gable).

Okay, I'm goig out on limb here. You have a wonderful, beautiful home... it just needs a touch of jewlery, to finish the look. It seems that black or dark brown doesn't give your home any color "pop". I would paint a brighter color, or if you want darker try forest green. definitely install the shutters, but board on board style,not the usual slat type and paint them to match the door. If you then still want the wrought iron "balconies", have them in bronze to match the lights and lampost.

thanks again for more input. The more opinions the better, as most seem split! hehe

ajsmama - It must be the way the light is hitting the door in the photo, because the new handleset is brushed nickel. The old door had corroded brass plated stuff on it, which you can see in the before pick. If we go back to a lighter color, I'll swap it for the ORB. I'd prefer ORB, but it disappears against the black.

citytransplant, I feel like I'm outside my comfort zone with black! color would probably send me into a tizzy. I did consider a rusty brick red tone, even bought the paint (first selection). I got it home and held up the test board and immediately retreated.

Black Bean, Black Bean, Black Bean!

Lol! :D

Get a big chip from Sherwin Williams. A flat black isn't the best color option for the non-transient elements of your house. A brown with a pink undertone might not be to your liking, but technically it's a good choice.

Similarly, you need a black that has an undertone -- if you want to use a black. Black Bean has a very complex and unique undertone. It could satisfy that notion of *more color* without it being a full-on additonal color added to the exterior palette. BB is softer, it has layers. Just like the collection of the other colors and tones of the non-transient elements of your house.

The black-black is too harsh, IMO, especially if you're thinking of adding more of it in the way of shutters.

SW Raisin is a very pretty color. I also like the Black Bean.

funcolors, I did consider Black Bean. It was in my pile of paint chips. I probably should have stuck to one of those "looks brown against black, looks black against brown" colors.

dgo1223, I must not have the latest fandeck from SW. I didn't see Raisin. I looked it up on their website though. On the monitor it looks like a deep brown with red/mauve undertones??

I saved one of the pieces of paint that I scraped off the door before I painted. Under the light taupe was a darker shade of chocolatey brown. I think I might see if I can have that color matched. I think it might be the original color, although it is different from the brown on my other exterior doors (laundry room and man door off the garage). Too many shades of brown! You'd think a nice neutral backdrop would make this easier. Maybe if I wasn't such a big chicken. LOL

Anyway, right now that chip of paint I scraped off looks really close to BM Davenport Tan. Signifigantly darker than the previous taupe that matches the garage doors, but not anywhere close to other colors I've been looking at. Light enough that the ORB hardware will work though! That'd be nice, I wasn't caring too much for the nickel.

ARGH! Now I'm just venting. Worst case I can go back to the taupe. I found a half empty quart of it in the garage, complete with the formula.

I love the black, it adds such character... and your home is gorgeous!

Love your house and the black door. I'm also partial to a black door because I have one. I also vote no shutters and if you could I would actually get bigger lights than what you have now. I would add something wonderful to the door that maybe has some brown in it and poof you're done.

If you're counting votes, mine is for dark brown.

When we moved into our house, the shutters were black, and they just seemed so harsh to me. I had them repainted in SW Black Bean, which is a very dark, but very warm, brown. DH thought I was nuts, but even he realizes now what a difference it makes.

So if you don't mind repainting, check out Black Bean.

I have black bean painted on a bathroom cabinet and it is a very dark brown. But in daylight I think it would read more brown than black, which might be good. I like the door in the picture where your brick can be seen up close. You can tell there's black there, so it does work.

But, I do also see how the brown roof sort of makes the door look harsh from a distance. i think the other thing is your trim and garage door has a tiny smidgen of pink/peach tone to the taupe color so the black is such a contrast is really stands out.

But, isn't that what a door is supposed to do? Your other door was a sleeper - just blending in, this one is a total opposite look, so it is going to take some time to get used to.

I would let it be for a week or two, put a wreath on the door, get a nice welcome mat, add a few wrought iron planters for spring and then see what you think.

I think shutters would be great, but I'd wait until you were sure you liked the black! :-)

The other thing I'd do if you're up for it would be to go buy a quart of the black bean - you'll need the real thing not a sample quart so you can see the true finish - colors this dark don't look the same in different finishes. But I'd buy a large foam board and paint it the black bean, put it up beside your brick and against the black door and take a picture. Then you (and us!) can see how the dark brown works against the brick and roof.