You had me at hello

Feeling a bit bored over your home’s entrance and not sure where to start? Let your front door be your first step. It doesn’t take long to paint a door, nor does it require much paint, and the freshened-up colour will provide a refreshing change.

First impressions last, and that includes the impact of your home, in particular your entrance, whether it’s part of a large porch or a small, understated entrance. A statement front door sets the tone for the rest of the house, whether the aesthetic is bright and cheerful, pretty and pastel or soft and dusky – the ideas for a unique style are endless.

Painting your front door in a colour you love is a way of adding your personality to your home’s exterior. Not only will you be stamping your style, but you're also enhancing the kerb appeal and making a pleasant impression on those who visit your house whether you're looking to sell or not. After all, what’s better than coming home to your dream colour on your front door each day?

It will also give people a hint about who you are as a person and your tastes. So stay true to yourself, not just the current trends, when choosing your colour. If you love people, you could evoke that warmth in your door colour, selecting a cheerful yellow of a warming terracotta to extend that warmth to visitors visually.

You might have an ordinary home exterior colour-wise. A captivating hue can give this an instant lift.

With the front door being a small surface area, it provides a chance to be bold, unexpected and brave, where you may not feel comfortable doing so elsewhere in the house.

For a dose of sunshine or an upbeat ray of happiness, look to colours such as the summery Rese Gorse or the richer tones of Resene Energy Yellow. This implies your home is warm and welcoming, and you’re always happy to invite friends in even if it’s unexpected.

To evoke the azure blue-greens of the beach, perfectly fitting if you have an affinity for coastal-inspired interiors, go for hues such as Resene French Pass, Resene Foam or Resene Seagull. More turquoise tones, such as Resene Curious Blue, Resene Lochmara or Resene Malibu will throw a more resounding punch. These blues speak of someone who is drawn to a calm setting, and who appreciates order and serenity in their home.

Make every time you enter or leave your front door an experience with a patterned mural in fluid shapes. Let it link with storage options and a bench seat to put on your shoes in your foyer. Wall in Resene Quarter Bianca, floor in Resene Quarter Ironsand, bench in Resene Double Foundry, vases in Resene Sante Fe and Resene Dust Storm, accessory organiser (pole) in Resene Double Foundry, light door in Resene Double Alabaster with designs in Resene Galliano, Resene Sante Fe, Resene Dust Storm and Resene Double Foundry and edges in Resene Galliano, pegs in Resene Galliano, Resene Sante Fe, Resene Dust Storm and Resene Double Foundry and hangers in Resene Dust Storm, Resene Galliano and Resene Double Foundry. Project by Laura Lynn Johnston. Image by Bryce Carleton.

For a fun-filled feeling that will elevate your every day, celebrate colours that pop such as the roses of Resene Glorious or Resene Rapture. There are also the upbeat shades of orange in Resene Sunshade or Resene Tango. They indicate that you like a bit of fun, and these hues will pop out from a home's exterior in a pale hue as well as walls in darker shades of indigo or grey.

Gentle pretty hues such as periwinkle blue, soft lavender or dusky pink nod towards more romantic souls.

A serene white will evoke a sense of serenity and peace, and a similar impact is found in green, which conjures up a sense of someone who likes to feel grounded and at peace.

For a playful approach to your home’s exterior, bring in a bold colour onto your door, coating your exterior window trims in the same colour. This works particularly well if your exterior walls are in an understated hue or dark, needing something to offset them.

A front door in gentle grey is understated and elegant, and can be paired beautifully with cheerful yellow and deep charcoal inside your entrance for a balanced look. Wall in Resene Moonlight, floor in Resene Grey Olive, door in Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta with Resene Influential edges, bench in Resene Chorus Line and Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta, kete baskets in Resene Grey Olive and Resene Influential, basket with flowers in Resene Influential, DIY coat rack painted in Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta with Resene Grey Olive knobs, round rattan side table in Resene Sambuca and picture frame in Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta. Project by Kate Alexander.

Resene colour consultant Brenda Ngatai says a painted front door helps to anchor the front of the home, leading whoever is approaching the house where to go.

“Painted front entrance doors are a great idea if the layout and design of the exterior allows,” she says. “It signals the direction and can formalise ‘the front entrance door’. Some exteriors can be confusing as to where or which one is the front door.”

The main aspect to remember, Brenda says, is that the chosen door paint colour has to harmonise with the hue on the rest of the home, no matter how daring or gentle your door colour is. “I’m often asked by homeowners what’s an excellent front entrance door colour? An essential key to it all, is that it needs to work with the overall exterior colour scheme. It could be a bold or subtle colour, but it needs to show individuality and personality.” (I’ve placed the close quote here. There was none in the original story.)

When it comes to enhancing your entrance, you don’t have to stop at your front door. If you have a seat or bench on your porch, plant pots and a trellis nearby, extend your door colour to these too for a harmonious look. You could also repeat your door colour on your exterior window trims for a neat and tidy aesthetic.

Let your door do the talking and say hello in a cheerful yellow, making a stylish statement against its white weatherboard setting. Door in Resene Turbo, trim in Resene Black White, weatherboards in Resene Triple Concrete, deck in Resene Woodsman Mid Greywash, bench in Resene Tuna and pots in Resene Nocturnal and Resene Silver Chalice. House numbers in Resene Nocturnal and door mat house pattern in Resene Tuna. Project by Vanessa Nouwens. Image by Bryce Carleton.

Consider the finish of your paint too, play around with different gloss levels to attract the eye, Brenda says. It can impact the look of your chosen colour, enhancing its appearance. “Using a gloss like Resene Enamacryl elevates and brings a colour to life,” she says. If you’re choosing a dark colour, opt for the Resene CoolColour version to help reflect the sun’s heat and keep your dark colour cooler.

Don’t feel like you have to be in the dark when it comes to choosing your colour. If you have a few colours in mind and can’t make a decision, or simply can’t figure out where to start, there’s always a chance to get some guidance at a Resene ColorShop.

“Resene makes it very easy to choose your colour,” Brenda says. “When you plan a visit to your local Resene store, bring with you a few photos of the exterior and the front entrance area. Have a chat with one of the paint professional staff members, one of the Resene in-store colour specialists or one of the Resene colour consultants.”

“Once you have fine-tuned several colour options, purchase one or two Resene testpots of the colour you want to try out or the palettes that are in the general area. Then discuss them with family or friends about the options you’re considering to get a second opinion.”

For more help choosing colours for your home, visit your Resene ColorShop, www.resene.co.nz/colorshops, or use the free Ask a Colour Expert service online, www.resene.co.nz/colourexpert.