Skip to Content

16 Houses with Red Doors

Brightly colored front doors make a statement no matter the size of the house. We've put together a list of options if you want your front door to pop!

Colonial style grey home, white window and door trim, black shutters, deep red front door, green shrubs and trees, two large white brick chimneys, blue sky

The thing about brightly colored front doors is that they make a statement no matter the size of the house. The great thing is that front doors will come in all shapes and sizes. There’s nothing that I love more than a door that offers me a great deal of variety.

While it’s uncommon for many of us to frequently come across a red front door, these are doors that we should still consider. Trying to find out what color goes with a red door should be something that we look forward to discovering. I have created this amazing list of different red doors for this particular reason.

Let’s find out more about what makes our front red doors more interesting to look at than the ordinary ones that we’re used to.

What’s the History and Symbolic Meaning of Red Doors?

White building, close up of bright red door, chrome door knob, knocker and mail slot

I was surprised to find that there’s a deeper meaning to having a red door in my entryway than aesthetic purposes. It’s common for us to want to find out more about what the story behind houses with red doors meaning is. Fortunately, the answers that I found are very insightful.

And, they’ll sure make my painting a lot more enjoyable now that I know what the history behind these doors is. So, for anyone else, it’s important to know what the meaning is behind something like painting the front door a certain color before doing it.

But the history behind us choosing to use a red door in our homes varies a lot. I can’t seem to trace it to one origin. There are different ideas behind how this one came about.

For instance, according to ancient Chinese philosophy, having a red door means that I’m welcoming my guests. This is actually similar to ancient American tradition. According to this one, if we were traveling and needed a place to rest, we could always enter a house that had a red front door.

Although, it’s not easy to pinpoint where this belief of this color representing a welcoming home came from. However, the Bible also makes reference to red doors. This is when the Hebrew slaves were given thorough instructions to smear red blood on their doors.

The symbolic meaning of this was to provide protection. Moreover, in other countries such as Scotland, painting my door red means that I’ve finally paid off my mortgage. Now that we know what the meaning behind painting our doors red is, we can make a better judgment call to do it or not.

Red Door Entryway Ideas to Try Out

The fact of the matter is that there are so many types of red colors that we can try. From mahogany red, all the way to wine red. This is a very striking color that we can trust to compliment every other color pallet in our home.

A touch of red on any front door is a great way to ensure that we can enhance the most plain looking houses to stand out. The thing is, it doesn’t matter if I live in an old or modern house. My curb appeal is still getting the kind of upgrade that I want it to have.

Since we all want to have a home that’s welcoming and full of positive energy, I want to share some decorating ideas that we should consider when getting a red front door.

A Red Door on a Grey Exterior

Grey building, red door with window in the upper half, gold doorknob, white bench, a potted tree on either side of door

A grey exterior that has a lighter frame will always give any home a great look. Over some time, the red doors on this grey exterior started becoming a popular choice. The thing about picking grey and red is that the former is a neutral color, while the other one is a robust color.

They form a perfect balance for any front door that aims to be more welcoming.

A Red Door with Floral Decor

Cute cottage style building covered in ivy, red wooden door with bronze door handle, huge pink flowers in front, sunlight against building

For a more traditional home, it’s essential to ensure that we use what we can to make sure that the colors stand out. Having a bunch of flowers to enhance any red rustic door is never a bad idea. In fact, we can always take it up a notch by getting shutters that match our rustic red door.

When choosing the flowers, I wouldn’t only stick with red ones. To give the front door more character, I think choosing yellow roses or even green plants should do the trick.

Double Red Door with Window Panels

Gray home with double red front doors, brick columns, white trimmed windows, lots of green trees and shrubs

I don’t think that we should ever compromise on the amount of natural light that we get. So, this is why I think that this double red door with large window panels makes a huge difference in any home. I could even say that this is what becomes the focal centerpiece in any home.

The red door should stand out. Yet, the side panels, upper glass, and wreaths keep us glued to this stellar entryway.

A Red Door with Complementing Features

White house with red front door, black window shutters, green grass, shrubs and trees, white picket fence

Sometimes, the red door isn’t the only thing that can enhance my home’s entryway. I should also consider that there are still other features that I should add to make it what I want it to be. Let’s take a white picket fence as a feature.

Already, the contrast in these colors creates a dreamy front doorway. These are elements that we can agree that complement each other. White is also a neutral color that perfectly complements any other color that I can think of.

A Vibrant Red Door Design

Close up of home with shinny red door, gold door knob and mail slot, small potted plant to the right of the door

There are times when I want to get noticed. The best way that I do this is by ensuring that I use a color that’s loud enough for everyone to see how I look. The same goes for this red door design.

This is the most vibrant selection of red color that I can find. Moreover, I know that it’ll take the spotlight when my guests look over to my neighbor, Joe’s, door. To get my front door noticed more by everyone, in this design, I have opted for a more bright and vibrant color.

A Suburban Red Door Design

Small white cottage-like home with brown trim and a rustic red door with black hardware, green grass and lots of pink and purple flowers, blue sky

One thing that I’ve noticed about the majority of suburban homes is that they tend to look the same. But, we now know that there’s always a way to get any home to look spectacular. So, if I want to boost the appearance of my home on the suburban streets, I should just think of adding a red door.

There are unique details that should make this front door stand out. For example, using white glass paneling should do wonders. Another element that we can always think of are white pediments.

A Red Door on a Brick Wall Exterior

Earth toned brick building with a bright red door and white trim, gold knob and mail slot, stone steps leading up to door with wrought iron railings on either side

A red brick wall or any other kind of brick wall is a good choice for a red door entryway. This is in fact classic architectural work at its finest. The thing is that these types of elements can work well together without worrying about the door or wall stealing the spotlight.

The one thing that I would like to pay attention to is the type of red color that we should choose on our front door. Since the wall is already earthy tones, we should think of opting for a door that’s a medium to dark red instead. This gives the entire design a more elegant feel.

It also helps to soften up the brick wall if it’s in a location with softer features around. I enjoy this modern take on a brick wall exterior so much. The door on its own makes for an ideal focal point.

To give this one a more welcoming feel, I suggest adding some potted plants on the entryway. Having a low-lying window next to the door with a white frame is also a smart decorative decision. Plus, we can have potted plants along the window panels as well.

A Red Door with Deep Colors

Gray stone castle with a deep red colored door

A red door design shouldn’t be void of other color combinations. In fact, I think that it’s usually a better idea to tone it down instead of going for brighter colors. This is why I think that a deeper color like black or grey should be something that can work with a red door.

These colors shouldn’t only be limited to being used on the door frame. I should even consider using them along the fencing of my house. The thing about a red door is that it comes out more when it’s up against some deep colors like these ones that I prefer.

The one thing that I’d recommend is to look at any of the architectural hues. And, see if they can work with the deep colors. But, we can always add more decorative elements to ensure that the different colors can work well with our unique house design.

A Red Door with Metal Design

Western style red front door on blue house, large lion door knocker, lanteren hanging from wooden beam, green wreath and large windows

There are so many ways that we can use our front door to ensure that we enhance the different shades of red that we have. Sometimes I feel like less is more. And this is something that I can firmly believe when it comes to the way that I decorate this door with a metal design.

First things first, changing the color of my exterior means that I get to have more colors to play with. The one color that I can highly recommend is a light blue. In addition, we can add some gray color on the floor entrance. The blue, gray, and red make any entryway feel like a point of attraction.

If we want to pair this with any other decorative features, we should keep it minimal. There are already a lot of different colors that are working well together. So, a potted plant somewhere on the porch should be enough.

A Red Door on Mixed Siding

Cream colored hose with white trim and dark red front door and side pannels, red brick steps leading up to front door

We all know that siding comes in different types. Now, picture having vinyl siding with a combination of a brick wall. There are some houses who have this type of siding.

Yet, it’s amazing what adding a pop of color from a red door can do to make this siding look more trendy. I love a red door because it can go with just about any exterior that I come across. It can also make this siding look more appealing instead of being a messy design.

More Pictures with Red Door Houses

Since I enjoy getting inspiration from various places for my home projects, I’ve decided to do the same for these red front door ideas. The thing about a red door is that it comes in various shades of red that I can think of.

For instance, we can have bright red doors, or a lighter shade of red. The main thing is that it gives my home the personality that I need it to. This means that it shouldn’t matter if I have a red brick house or a traditional home.

I hope that these pictures can make your front door ideas helpful. I know that they’ve done a lot for me to help with my inspiration.

Classic Red Door House Design

White house with bright red front door with black hardware, green grass and shrubs, sunny day

There’s nothing that I find better than a classic red front door that’s been paired with a white paint. It exudes sophistication but in a minimal way. With the right type of lighting, this kind of door can be the only thing that we see whenever we pass it.

I think it’s an excellent idea for anyone who doesn’t want to spend too much time worrying about what red color to use. Painting doors red can require too many details. So, for a beginner like me, it’s always great to stick to the classics.

Traditional Red Door House Design

Close up of red door with two long vertical windows with black wrought iron over top, red brick building

A traditional red door is one that we all love. There’s nothing that says homier than this kind of door. With a window frame to let in enough light while I sit in my living area, there’s no reason why I wouldn’t opt for this kind of door.

It also lets me get a better view of my landscape architecture in the front yard. This traditional red door has all the door features that we all want when we think of a front red door.

A Modern Red Door Entryway

Black brick building with black window and door trim, solid red door with metal handle windows above and on side of door

Over the years, there’s been an increase in the number of modern homes that have a variety of front door colors. However, a red door in a modern entryway is still one of the most beautiful concepts that I like to get a glimpse of. The high white walls against the glass walls, and a splash of red in the middle makes a bold statement.

This is definitely the kind of house that I see myself living in. The red gives it a softer feel instead of the rigid modern feel that it usually has.

Cottage Red Door Design

Vintage white home, lots of windows, red door with small rectangle-shaped windows in the whole door, green trees, pink and purple flowers, sunny day

The main reason why I love cottages is that they’re very warm, especially when the cold weather comes. I was surprised to find that the type of colors that I have in my cottage can affect how warm it feels to me. This is why I think that rustic red door against a dark olive green door is something worth investing in.

To top it all off, we can even add a brick pathway to give us that extra warmth that we need when it gets colder.

A Ridge Red Door Design

White background with double red doors, slightly opened, red door trim, silver round knob on each door

Imagine if we could have more than one red door for one entrance. With the way that architectural designers have improved their work lately, it’s highly possible for us to experience this ridge red door design idea. The one thing that I genuinely love about a large front door entryway is that it invites you to come inside.

This is how I want my guests to feel when they come to find that I have this ridge red door design for my front door.

A Charming Red Door Design

Red brick steps leading up to home with red front door, white trim and window shutters, lots of potted flowers and plants,

I’m sure we’ve all heard that simplicity is the best form of sophistication. Whenever I come across this charming door design, I understand what that means. This is a design that I’ll typically find in a modern farmhouse house design.

It works really great as an entryway for a farmhouse. Plus, the large window panel in the center of the red door makes it easy to peer into what’s happening in the barn.

When we think of what our front door color is going to be, we should take some time. Perhaps, I might even find that at the end of the day, a red door color isn’t what works for me. In some cases, I might also realize that the color combinations do necessarily work with my landscape and curb appeal.

To find more front door color ideas, I’ve decided to get into what other colors are worth exploring. The following summary should be useful.

Cream stone building, with light blue door, climbing red roses and lavendar plants along front, sunny day
  • Since I enjoy unconventional color choices, I think that going for a cool contemporary door that’s either lime or turquoise is a good choice.
Red brick wall, white door and lower wainscoting, gray concrete floor, tall black lamp
  • For a brick wall, I think that pairing it up with a classic white door frame should be something worth thinking of.
Earth toned brick wall, solid black painted door
  • Again, a red brick exterior can do a lot if paired up with a darker door.
Tan colored wall, light colored hard wood floor, dark brown wood door and trim
  • For a classic wooden wall exterior, I’ve found that nothing works as well as a dark brown door.
Close up of earth toned brick house, brown wood door with large window, teal window shutters, blue door mat, green shrubs
  • To make the most of my entryway, I’ve noticed that going for leaded glass isn’t such a bad idea. In fact, it’s one feature that cam upscale any entryway to make it look grand.

What Can Coloring the Front Door Red Do to our Brains?

When we look at all the colors, we can see that they evoke different emotions in us. In fact, according to what’s popularly known as color psychology, each color has its different meanings. When we think of red, there are a lot of dominant emotions that are attached to it.

So, painting our front door red is a good way to provoke some really strong emotions from ourselves or those passing by. The fact is that this color is very contradictory. In some cases, we can look at our front door and feel calm.

In other cases, it won’t be so. The following are some of the emotions that we can expect this color to stimulate if we use it to make a bold statement on our entryway.

  1. This color grabs our attention instantly. So, if anyone is on their way to our house, they sure won’t miss their turn when they see this bright red front door.
  2. This color is associated with a lot of exciting energy. This should surely help to spike up any low energies.
  3. It increases the blood flow when we feel certain emotions. This means that it can elevate our blood pressure.
  4. The color red has always been associated with dominance.
  5. This is a color that can spark up our passion when we least expect it.