Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Undecided.

After weeks of agonizing over a new color for the front door, I finally bit the bullet this past weekend and painted it. I had gotten samples of every color from Spring Cactus to Blue Coal to Heirloom Red to Antique Copper. I even considered Deepest Aqua, but couldn't quite commit to it. Plus, that was the one color that Luke seemed truly opposed to. (I know, I shouldn't pay attention to him so much :)

Let's take a look at the Before door. It was actually the same color as the siding and the garage door, and calling it a "color" is pretty generous.
(Now you know we're K-staters! Thanks to my handy hubby for painting the limestone rock. :)

As you can see, it was very beige and boring. So I wanted to give it a bit more personality. I finally settled on Valspar's Chocolate Raspberry. (I must have been hungry at the time...) I guess I'd describe it as kind of a smoky purplish-brownish. I thought it would have a nice contrast against the white trim and pull out some of the colors of the brick.

And the verdict?
Ok, so it's not exactly earth-shattering.

It's definitely richer than the non-color that was there before, but it seems to be a little more on the purple side than what I was going for, at least from certain angles. (Although from the street, it's hard to tell what color it is at all.) The Chocolate Raspberry is growing on me, but I still don't know if I'm totally satisfied. While it does make all the white trim pop nicely, there's a nagging voice in the back of my head telling me I should have done something more adventurous. I mean, it's just paint, right? Then I started thinking that a gloss black would look really sharp, but in that case we'd probably want to switch out the dark doorknob, lock, and hardware. I don't think I want to deal with that just yet.

Can you tell I'm still all over the map? I had no idea this would be such a tough decision! Give me your honest opinions about the new color! Is it an improvement? What would YOU have chosen? Should I have gone with a lighter, brighter color instead?

(And yes, I know I still need to make our vast front porch more homey... adding a couple planters and a chairs would make a big difference!)

13 comments:

micah said...

It's not bad... but it kind of blends in with the brick. I still think the color we painted our dresser would look fab (Woodlawn Charm). Black would look good too. Maybe you could spray paint the hardware?

kristi.w. said...

I agree with Micah - it does kind of blend in with the brick. I think black would look awesome but I totally understand not wanting to re-do it right away. Maybe live with it a few months and see how you feel at that time?

Sara @ Russet Street Reno said...

I really like that color, but it is a little hard to see it under that covered porch. I think whatever you decide to do will look lovely with that white trim.

Kelly@TearingUpHouses said...

I second what everyone else said!

Kelly

The Brick Cottage said...

Yes, it is an improvement! I like monochromatic looks but also love me some pops of color. I think that a nice smokey bluish gray would be pretty. It would be dark and still have nice contrast with white trim and you wouldn't have to change out your door hardware because it would still stand out.

Danielle and Clint said...

No joke, I picked out a similar paint sample for our front door! I do like the color with the tan and brick. I think if you want something to stand out more, this isn't it. But it is nicer than the plain door.

Anonymous said...

Hmm. I like it up close, but I agree that from a distance it kind of just blends in with the brick. I'm not sure what "Deepest Aqua" really looks like, but from the sounds of it that one would probably be my first choice. :-)

Unknown said...

I so in lvoe with your deep front porch!!! It's huge, ok - back to your q's

I like the color of your door, however - from a distance and upclose, it kind of blends into the brick you already have on your house.

How about a Bright Navy Blue or a Green/Teal Color if you wanted to add more color and contrast from yuor brick??

Unknown said...

ps, I have a giveaway going on right now! :)

Sharon@Sharon at Home said...

Amanda .... firstly, I love that colour and can see why you picked it (aside from the chocolate thing!). From the front yard it more clearly defines the door.

But ... it does blend in with your brick and doesn't give that POP that I think you were going for.

Decisions ... Decisions.

Carrie @ Two Poms and a House said...

Fabulous! Goes nicely with the brick but doesn't really stand out if thats what you were going for. Ive been thinking of painting our front door too...it's so overwheling to think of colors!! I know your pain :)

Kim @ NewlyWoodwards said...

I like the color you chose, and I don't think black would be much different, to be honest. But, I think there would be a heckuva lotta "pop" with a brighter color.

And I totally understand the heartache that goes with door colors. Oh dear Lordy, do I understnad. ;)

Good luck!

Karen said...

Repainting my front door is on my to do list for this weekend too. We currently have a black door and I love it. I'm planning to re-paint it black. We also have a dark brick home. I love the way the black looks with the brick.

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