Choosing A Door Color For Your MCM Home

Just a few of the colorful doors I have experienced in the many Sacramento mid century neighborhoods.

I knock on a lot of doors. Since I focus on mid century homes like Streng Bros, Eichlers and Carter Sparks custom homes, I have taken lots of photos of these doors. Colorful doors are definitely preferred by mcm owners. And there are an amazing number of carved wood doors as well.

In my informal survey, here are the most popular colors on Sacramento mcm home front doors in order.

Yellow, Teal, Orange, Red, Blue, Brown

Front door colors have a lot of significance in various cultures. This article on realtor.com describes the meaning of different door colors. 

In summary, here are some meanings for door colors that I have gleaned from several articles.

Red - lucky in some cultures, gracious, hospitable

Blue - trustworthy, calm, serene

Green - prosperous, safe, traditional

Black - stately, timely, classic, wise

Orange - stylish (think Hèrmes), refreshing, fun

Yellow - optimistic, extroverted

Brown - relaxed, dependable

Teal - calm, trustworthy

Pink - thoughtful, generous, romantic

White - clean, simple, orderly

Purple - rich, royal

Six mid century modern front doors in the colors of the rainbow.

If you really want to take a deep dive, there is another article from the Housing and Education Alliance. They get into nuance like violet versus lavender.

Black has been shown to actually add value to houses for sale according to the National Association of Realtors. A classic and truly enduring shade, black is one of the most popular color choices for a front door, and according to Zillow, having a black front door can add more than $6000 to the resale value of your home.

However, I don’t see a lot of black doors on mid century homes.

Wood carved front doors are a staple of many Carter Sparks custom homes.

Carved Front Doors

I notice a lot of carved wood front doors on mid century homes. These beautiful doors are intricate and unique. Carter Sparks loved carved wood doors on his homes. One home in our neighborhood has an extra wide wood front door that has a center pivot.

Some of these carved doors are painted as well.

Choosing a Front Door Color

The best news about your front door is that it’s a fairly easy thing to change. Conversely, it is the first impression someone has on your house. Here are some things to consider when picking your color.

Don’t be afraid to go bright. Adding that pop of color can add a lot of personality to your home. One of the most fun things walking around a neighborhood is seeing all the bright colors.

Don’t go cheap on the paint! Your door is in a high contact area of you home. Make sure you prep the door properly and use high quality paint. Use a semi gloss paint for easier cleaning and resistance to dirt. Consider painting the door color on the inside as well. Add a little fun to the inside of your home.

Think about the the door trim as well. It doesn’t need to be the base color of the home. If you painted a trim color on the outside consider using that same color.

Yellow is a very popular front door color for Streng Bros homes in Sacramento.

Selling Your Home

One of the least expensive things to do when selling your home is to paint your front door. With a fresh coat of paint it will give a great first impression. According to the Real Estate Staging Association a buyer forms an opinion in 15 seconds. Your front door is a huge part of that.

Also, consider removing security doors and screen doors that hide your beautiful, newly-painted door. In my experience, not only are security doors uninviting, they give the impression your neighborhood is unsafe. These are not good first impressions to leave with a potential buyer.

In summery, have some fun with your front door. I will be knocking soon to check up on you.