You're walking around your town, admiring the scenery when you notice a striking red door on a beautiful home. It gets you thinking about door colors and why people choose to paint front doors bright colors. What exactly does a red front door mean?
A red front door can mean a number of things:
- Symbolize welcoming energy
- Mean you're mortgage-free
- Announce a place of protection
- Indicate a welcoming spot for travelers to rest for the night
- Bring luck and prosperity
- It's a beautiful color that many people love, just for its beauty
Different traditions and cultures have different beliefs around the meaning of a door painted red. We're going to look at these in our post, so please read on.
A red door has symbolized different things over time to different cultures. In Scotland, a red door was said to symbolize a home that had its mortgage paid off. For certain religious communities, a red door was supposed to provide protection for those who entered.
In Feng Shui traditions, a red door symbolizes welcoming energies. During early American times, a red door symbolized a welcome place for passing travelers to find a resting spot for the night. This eventually morphed into a symbol of welcome. Every culture has its own unique interpretation of a red door, but all in all, a red door is seen as a positive sign.
Is It Good Luck To Have A Red Front Door?
Yes! In Eastern culture and mythology, red is considered the color of luck. So for many families, painting your front door red, especially during the holidays, is a way to bring luck and good fortune to your household. In China, red not only symbolizes good fortune, but it symbolizes joy. Which might explain why a beautiful red entry door makes us so happy.
What Does A Red Door On A Church Mean?
Way back during Biblical times, people were instructed to smear the blood of a lamb on their front doors. This was thought to protect the home and its occupants from losing a firstborn child to the Angel of Death. Catholic churches would often paint their doors red to symbolize the blood of Christ.
These days, there are several faiths that typically have red doors on their churches to symbolize safety and sanctuary to those who enter. Some of these are Episcopal churches, Lutheran churches, Methodist churches, and Roman Catholic churches.
What Does A Red Ribbon On A Door Mean?
One Italian superstition is that a red ribbon tied on a door handle kept away the "envious", and similarly, in Feng Shui, it's used to keep out bad Chi.
What Does An Orange Front Door Mean?
Though the color orange does not have the many-layered meanings that a red door has, it does have some of its own. This bright and happy color speaks to the vibrance and enthusiasm of the homeowner inside. In Feng Shui, orange, like red, is associated with fire and is recommended as a color for a south-facing entry door. It is also recommended for a southwest-facing door.
(Fun fact: For Dutch carrot farmers the orange ones were a symbol of good luck because the William of Orange led a successful revolution in the 1500s. It's why most carrots today are orange.)
Is Red A Good Color For A Front Door?
Now that you've read all about the various symbolisms of a red door, do you even need to ask if it's a good color? It's not just a good color, it's a GREAT color for your front door. It wards off evil, brings good fortune, announces a welcoming environment, and has loads and loads of positive energy associated with it. You're not going to want to think about it. You're going to run out and paint that door this week. Which brings us to our next section.
How Do I Paint My Front Door Red?
The first thing you're going to want to do is to pick out which shade of red you want to go with. Benjamin Moore has good ones, and this palette below gives you a starting off point for your choice. Much of it will depend on the color of your home and its exterior trim. The next thought is which finish paint. High gloss, semi-gloss, or satin are typical choices for exterior doors.
Your next step after you've procured your paint is to gather your supplies. You'll need a 2" angled brush. Our favorite long-lasting brand is Purdy, but you might choose another.
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You'll need fine-grit sandpaper, a damp cloth, a drop cloth, painters tape, and a scraper.
This original blue painters tape is awesome because it doesn't leave marks and is easy to take off when your project is done.
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Razorblade scrapers are great for getting paint off of windows, and if your door has sidelights or panels, this is a handy tool to have. The paint comes off of glass easily with this type of scraper.
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The third step is to prep your door. Use your sandpaper and lightly sand the surface to be painted. Wipe up the sanding dust with your damp cloth. Then tape off any areas you don't want to be painted. Finally, lay down your drop cloth beneath your door.
These sanding sponges are super easy to use and come in a pack of different grits.
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The fourth step is to start painting. Start by painting inside the molding, then paint your larger areas. Use long and even strokes to minimize brush marks. You'll want at least two coats of paint for a nice smooth finish on your door.
Give your paint plenty of time to dry, then remove your tape, fold up your drop cloth, and voila! You have the red door of your dreams.
Are you ready to go forth into the world and create that beautiful red door? We sure hope so. And we hope that if you enjoyed this post that you will check out these others: