If you’re thinking about having a white front door and wondering if it suits your home and personality, we’ve gathered information on the different meanings of having a white front door. Have a look at what this color says about your entryway, in design and symbolism.
A white front door generally means cleanliness, simplicity, organization, and neutrality. The white entryway establishes a calm, serene, and welcoming atmosphere. It may also indicate the homeowner’s personality as simple, pleasant, and organized.
In architectural design, a white front door is usually seen in modern homes, victorian style, or brick houses to give a lovely contrast to the color of the exterior.
A white front door can have different meanings in other cultures, which you’ll learn more about as you read on. And if you’re changing or repainting your front door to turn it white, we’ve got information on the right type of paint for different door types to get a perfect finish.
What Does A Front Door Say About You?
There are no strict design rules to a front door’s color, it’s mainly the homeowner’s preference. A front door is more than just an entryway to your home, it can be a bold statement that reflects the personality of the homeowner.
White doors usually indicate that the owner is clean, tidy, organized, and likes things simple and neutral.
If a house has a white front door, you can expect the interiors to be of neutral colors or earthy tones. White is a very relaxing color that creates a sense of space and can make a room look bigger. Some people go to the extent of not just painting the door white, but also the entire house.
Is A White Door Good Luck?
In some cultures, door colors have underlying meanings. For instance, in Chinese feng shui, white represents the metal element, qualities of righteousness, cleanliness, purity, and simplicity.
If your front door is facing west, the recommended colors are white, yellow, gray, and light brown. It can bring good luck, joy, and good communication inside the home.
Do White Doors Get Dirty?
White-colored doors are suitable for homeowners with simple and classic tastes. Some think that white front doors just make dirt and dust more visible, but those who choose white colors would rather see the dirt so they know exactly where to clean up.
People who prefer white are usually very clean and meticulous, not just about their surroundings, but also about their personal hygiene.
When Should You Use A White Front Door?
A white door is a neutral color that will go with any home design and exterior paint. You can use a white front door to achieve a monochromatic look on your entryway.
For the best contrast, some suggested exterior colors to pair with a white door are gray and blue hues because it is suitable for modern and traditional-style homes.
Types Of Front Doors
Some houses have simple door designs, while others have large, elegant, and heavy ones. Door types differ based on design and material. If you’re looking into changing your front door, here are some of your choices:
Double Door
Double doors make a very bold statement in a home. It can make the house look big and elegant. Double doors are durable and are typically metal or solid wood. You can customize it and have the wood or metal material painted white.
Check out this beautiful Wrought Iron Double Door on Amazon!
UPVC Doors
Unplasticized polyvinyl chloride or UPVC doors are lightweight plastic materials often seen in the construction of windows and doors. They look like painted wooden doors but require less maintenance because they are solid plastic.
They are suitable for exterior and interior doors and come in different colors, including white.
Door With Sidelights
If you want natural light into your entryway or foyer, a front door with sidelights is a beautiful option that will make your home entrance elegant and interesting. Sidelights are narrow, vertical windows either on one side or both sides of the front door.
You can place blackout curtains on the sidelights for a bit of privacy and lighting control. Doors with sidelights are mostly made of wooden material, giving you an option to paint them in white.
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Fiberglass Doors
Fiberglass material makes excellent front doors because they are durable, safe, secure, and low maintenance. They are resistant to extreme climate weathering and won’t crack, rust, corrode, or warp.
It may not have the rich authenticity of wood, but fiberglass doors can be made to look just like wood with intricate designs and colors.
Check out this Smooth Primed Fiberglass Front Door on Amazon!
Composite Doors
Composite doors are made from a mixture of UPVC, wood, glass-reinforced plastics, and foam material. There are advantages to having a composite door, including thermal efficiency and noise reduction.
Composite doors are strong, durable, and easy to clean, with very little maintenance. It comes in a variety of designs and colors, including white.
Solid Wooden Doors
Solid wooden doors are very common and are probably the most popular and traditional type of wooden door. But while it is sturdy and durable, it is also very prone to weathering.
Varnish or paint usually helps to add a layer of protection. Filling in the tiny cracks in the wood material to make it more resistant to weather changes.
Check out this Pine Wood Door on Amazon!
Can I Just Paint Over My Front Door?
If you want to change to a white door, you might be wondering what to do with your existing door. You can replace your current door if you want a new design, material, or if your door is too worn and is due for replacement.
If you still like your existing door but want a new color, you can paint over it using white, but this depends on its material.
Recommended Paint For Different Door Types
You can paint over doors made of wood, metal, steel, aluminum, fiberglass, and composite material, but there are specific types of paint recommended for each one:
Wooden Doors
For wooden doors, lightly sand and then use latex-based or acrylic resin paints to fill in tiny gaps and cracks. You can use either gloss or semi-gloss paints, but the latter is the more popular choice.
Check out this Flat White Premium Latex Paint on Amazon!
Metal Doors
For metal doors, it’s best to use acrylic latex paints for the exterior in gloss or semi-gloss. Metal doors will be easier to clean if they have a glossy finish. You also need to remove the old paint first using a paint stripper, scrape it, then use a primer before applying the new paint.
Check out this Sparkling White Acrylic Latex Paint!
Fiberglass Doors
For fiberglass doors, it’s best to use polyurethane, epoxy resin paints, 100% acrylic, or anything else that’s not oil-based that can cause damage to the material. For best results, it’s best to use the same type of paint originally used by the manufacturer.
Check out this Acrylic Enamal White Paint on Amazon!
Composite Doors
Composite doors are not ideally painted on because of its smooth finish and any paint over it will be prone to flaking. However, it is possible if you do it correctly and use the right materials. You need to use a solvent-based paint because it sticks best to composite material.
Check out this Solvent-based White Enamel Paint on Amazon!
UPVC Doors
A UPVC door’s composition is similar to hard, smooth plastic, that’s why it is difficult to paint over it. To make the paint bond with the UPVC material, you need to use a molecular bond paint or a multi-surface paint.
Check out this Multi-Surface Paint on Amazon!
In Closing
White front doors are very generic and used in many of today’s homes. White is the safest color for both interior and exterior doors that suits almost any home style.
If you’re thinking about changing your front door to a white door, you should go for it. There’s no negative meaning connected to it and it’s a very relaxing color that will surely give your home a calming atmosphere.
If you’re feeling bold about colors and thinking of painting your door yellow, you can read this article on what a yellow front door means.
If you’re painting your interior walls white to complement your front door, you can check out this article on how to choose white paint for the living room.