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Hot Pink Front Door: Yay or Nay?

By 05/22/2013October 16th, 201858 Comments

Hot Pink Planter

We received 481 possible front doors to choose from for my Free Choose a Colour for your Front Door Webinar this Friday. Irene curated them all for me and I added the colours!

You’ll be interested to know that the big theme is orange!!  There are countless orange roofs and lots of orange brick out there! It’s going to be great, you can still sign up here.

Hot Pink Front Door: Yay or Nay?

via pinterest

You know how I talk about how mixing clean and dirty colours mostly doesn’t work? Well I thought I’d show you a pretty example of an exception to the rule.

See the dirty pinky beige brick steps and the clean, hot pink front door? Well this combination works because the door is actually on a white house and there’s lots of greenery all around it along with a pretty black railing.

In my webinar, I have a photo with the same brick on the body of a different house combined with a clean colour and in that particular example, it does not work at all!

Being able to spot the exception to the rule is so important in every aspect of design, especially colour!

What do you think of the hot pink door?

Related posts:

Rules are for Amateurs: Exceptions for the Professional

Clean vs. Dirty Colours

Clean Always Trumps Dirty

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To make sure the undertones in your home are right, get some large samples here!

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58 Comments

  • Absolutely LOVE the front door – simply gorgeous, I’d do it, if I had the right house!

    • Amie says:

      We almost purchased a house last year that was white – it would have looked fab with a bright pink door. I figured if my husband really had a problem with it – then I’d settle for a neat pink chair for the front porch – what a statement! And it shows that the home owners are not conservative. LOVE IT! This is the first time I’ve seen it.

  • maria says:

    I am surprised, no shocked, to say I actually like the pink door. (shhhh, don’t tell my husband) Never would have thought it. However, it does bother me a bit with the peach patch above the door–for me that just feels like it clashes. But, just paint the peach white and it would be perfect.

  • Donna Frasca says:

    No, not if there’s a man living here or if there’s a Home Owners Association. Just oo cutesy.

  • tara dillard says:

    Love seeing the glass door, and it’s painted correctly.

    Have done them many times. A necessity for dark foyers. Alas, always custom. They should be off-the-shelf.

    Garden & Be Well, XO Tara

  • Cathy Z says:

    I’m guessing Maria that it also works because the undertones are the same, pink obviously. If it was a cleaner opposite color, say lemon yellow or apple green, I’m guessing it would not make the exception list, right?

  • Megan says:

    Love it!!!!

    As a gardener please note: reason it works is specifically the “blue” of what looks to be a princes holly ” plants right next to it. it trumps the brick and stucco, coupled with the brighter, cleaner green of the box wood

  • Absolutely LOVE it!!!!

  • Jill Baum says:

    NO! Only in Key West or some other tropical paradise. That house is too traditional for Hot Pink in my opinion.

  • Sandy F says:

    It’s interesting that no one has mentioned the solid red door behind the pink one. I like the comment about the blue-green hollies — don’t you think the (cool red) red door also has a role in grounding the pink, and keeping the palette from being all too-pastel?

    • Maria Killam says:

      Hi Sandy,
      I think it’s the same colour, it’s definitely pink, maybe deeper. . . that’s how it is on my screen anyway!
      Love the comments from the gardeners, I have no idea what the names of these shrubs are!
      Maria

  • I couldn’t do hot pink – just don’t love it. Would those same steps/railing/bushes/house work with a clean bright orange or turquoise? I could do both of those.

  • samantha says:

    What a shame we live in a society where you can’t paint your door whatever color makes you happy without negative stereotypes abounding. Fear about color is so sad and repressive.

    • Why not? says:

      Werd! Some people negate the choices of others in order to reframe the world as it “should” be.

      Those who can, create. Those who can’t, erase.

  • Roberta says:

    It’s daring and inviting! Love it!

  • Susan@Susan Silverman Designs says:

    Maybe if I painted my front door hot pink my son (who I think is here for life) would move out.

    In the right setting I think it might look ok but not in an urban area. I feel it would ruin the street scape. I’m not a fan.

  • Desiré Foard says:

    Love it! I think the pink adds a modern vibe to a traditional setting. Lifts the house out of “staid and safe” to a “daring and bold” level.

  • Pamela says:

    Love, love, love the pink door! Love anyone that isn’t afraid to use color! More of us should try it. We are becoming a nation of lemmings, only using colors that some (usually) faceless, nameless person decides is best, or what will be the color of the year. Reminds me of the Harry Chapin song, “Flowers are Red” we all should be a bit bolder. Grab those brushes and add some color to your lives!

  • Lisa Lucas says:

    Makes you want to know the person who lives there! Feels way too personal for selling but love the personal choice of a door color for adding some fun to a white house. It isn’t like the whole house is pink so the neighborhood should not be too concerned about it affecting their streetscape. I love a punch of color at the door for a great welcome and focal point.

  • BillP says:

    The door was painted as a tribute to beast cancer awareness. The fun of painting a front door is that it is easy and can transform the mood of the house. The pink could look good in a tropical setting, like Key West , or traditional, Boston, DC, or London. It can look good against old brick.

    The other fun thing with doors is the use of the ultra gloss finishes.

    And yes, I believe that the pink storm door is over a red door.

  • Sharon Charboneau says:

    it works in this setting for sure.

    I am a huge fan of interesting, fun colours

  • TracyB says:

    I LOVE it!!!

  • DAS says:

    I would love to see the door in complete context with the entire building and the rest of the landscape. Design elements viewed in context are important, such as the Victorian “painted ladies” in San Francisco with terribly bright colors which work brilliantly. I think the question is not, “would you like having a pink door” but rather, “can you see how there are exceptions to the clean-and-dirty-color rule.”

  • Susan S says:

    Raspberry yes, but hot pink is a bit much for me, but having said that, it is striking with the correct backdrops as you pointed out. I think the tall greenery “framing” the door on either side makes all the difference.

  • Becky says:

    I think it is attractive but I would not want it for my own home.

  • Jammer310 says:

    Like the idea…but does not work for me…I also see the secondary door as red…I might feel differently about if the screen door were removed and the front door painted pink…Like the idea of raspberry and the comment about a “modern vibe on a traditional” front door…but color is such a personal choice…if the homeowner loves it…why not? 🙂

  • teresa says:

    I like it a lot. It’s hard to see if the door colour is the same, but seems to be. I think an inner door always looks darker. It’s very fresh and welcoming and would look great next to your house, Maria. I love pink and green!

    Tis reminds me of the brightly painted doors in Englan…so pretty and unexpected…always in a gloss paint. Normally I HATE it when the interior windo molding on doors is painted out white, but here it seems to unify it a bit. Can’t wait for Friday’s Webinar. CTD

  • Betsy OShea says:

    Refreshing to see a bright color on a front door which still relates to the brick’s pink undertone. To Grace; a coral or terra orange would work too but not turquoise( and that is my fave color) i hv seen pretty blue green doors which look great w sage green or gray green exteriors) i painted my fr door a deep orange/currant red and i hv red brick piers and knee wall on fr porch and though its bright i love it. So tired of boring front doors: black, wood, white…..where is tge imagination. Take a trip to ireland and check out their door colors. Very colorful( to compensate for all the rain and clouds there).

  • Betsy OShea says:

    Oh and i agree that the fresh green shrubs r the key reason that clean/dirty works here. I am a landscape designer too and all the shades of green in a landscape makes mixing of otherwise “clashing ” colors work in a garden… Like coral, red, and fuschia. Never in an interior room but can look beautiful in one pot/ basket or border. Love GREEN. Nature’s neutral!!

  • SandyCGC says:

    I love it! I’d never do a pink door because I’m not a pink person nor would I ever do a blue door becuase I’m not a blue person. But that has nothing to do with anything. I love it for what it is and it’s super fun! Our HOA would never allow something that dramatic, though one house has a happy turqoise security door that’s very inviting. I’ll point that out someday, though will probably be told it was “grandfathered in” or some similiar silliness.

    Missed responding to your post a couple of days ago. Love your landscaping project for the beauty that unfolding as well as for the wealth of ideas you’re giving me for my itty bitty teensy weensy courtyard in the future.

  • mrsben says:

    Not generally a fan of ‘pink’, but for what it is worth ….. I LOVE IT! ☺
    -Brenda-

  • Doris says:

    Love it and always great for directions….I’m the house with the pink door!

  • amyks says:

    Love, love, love the hot pink door on that house. I think it is awesome. We have raincoat yellow door on our historic brick house and I just love it, it makes me smile and so does that hot pink door!!!

  • Mapleleafgirl says:

    It made me smile! Not sure I would do it but I definitely appreciate the boldness of the person who could.

  • Susan McCargar says:

    Hi Maria! It was nice meeting you at CDECA AGM. In answer to Hot Pink – yay or nay? As soon as I read that I immediately thought was YAY and I hope it’s paired with a butter yellow exterior. And voila! It is. Such a lovely colour combo. Fresh, edgy and inviting.
    Please feel free to visit my pinterest. 🙂
    Susan Gordon McCargar

  • Susan McCargar says:

    … that’s Susan McCargar and Promise You Pretty is my Pinterest.

  • LaJuana says:

    Never could get the webinar to start here. Looking forward to seeing the video!

  • Maria says:

    L.O.V.E. IT!!!!!!
    I have four reasons for not living in a hot pink house. Three sons and husband.
    Here is my DREAM house:the one in the forth image .Hot pink with iron balcony in black
    http://chicagogirlgonemild.blogspot.com/2011/07/hot-pink-houses.html
    Also love the pink window in the third image.

  • BillP says:

    Loved the webinar Maria. Thank you! In your pics we saw a lot of bad garage doors- maybe that is a topic for the future?

    And some of us from USA know that it is a holiday today in Canada. Hope you had a good one!

  • Victoria says:

    I would do it if i didn’t live with a husband who would freak. He kinda freaked at my turquoise door, but he didn’t chastise me or paint it over. And I didn’t paint over his red, black and gray garage. Wish I could attend!

  • Sandy says:

    I’m just not a pure pink person. So the door would never be on my home. If the door were painted so it matched the entry door my comfort point would be there. Even though you said that door is the same color, what I’m seeing is a darker color. My daughter would do this in a minute and work just fine. Honoring breast cancer makes the results an honor.

    Maria, the link you posted….Not a purple person either, but am in love with the stucco house. There looks to be a bit of blue in the purple. It is popular here to stucco houses built in the 50s to 80s. Gone are the vinyl sidings, thankfully. If I could afford to do stucco, those shutters and doors would be on my home. I like all the details added…is that a fabric valance on the outside of the upper right window? I also like the hanging lanterns, this creative idea would work. Off to look through my stash.

    • Sandy says:

      Apologies…didn’t mean to bash vinyl siding, just noticed your home was such. It is the homes that are recovered and take away from their original design that bother me. But some of the stucco results are in the same boat.

  • Meger Anski says:

    Was fortunate to attend your webinar on Choosing Front Door Colours, (FABULOUS!!), and as a take away from that, wonder what our reactions to the pink front door would be if we saw the entire house and setting?

    I love it, cause of the immediate proximity of the ‘blue’ shrugs immediately next to it, and that pop of bright green at the bottom of the photo.

    Wonder, now, with my newly ‘educated eye’ how I’d feel about it after seeing the ‘whole’.

    :-)!!!!!

  • Betty says:

    I was unable to make the webinar yesterday. sniff. do you have any idea when the link will be shared? I’m dying of anticipation.

  • Barbra says:

    Will the Front Door Seminar be available on line to be viewed at a later date? Cost?

  • Judy says:

    Yuck! The color would look great on a child’s playhouse!

  • Deborah McKenzie says:

    Love the door……for someone else, but love it just them same. I signed up but missed the frontdoor webinar, will it be posted to view?

  • Nancy says:

    Loved watching your webinar. Got some good ideas. However, you never addressed what color to paint the actual door frame. Many doors, especially the ones with sidelights, had white frames but the rest of the door and sidelights had some other color (like mine). Should the door frame match the main color of the door? Thanks in advance for your answer!

  • Elizabeth Snowden says:

    I am not a pink person usually but I love the pink storm door overlaying the red front door. It is happy and amusing with a I-don’t-take-myself-too-seriously attitude. I love it. It does look like the same color as the front door behind it just with a bunch of white added to it. It looks like they cut the red with a modern clean white maybe 1:1 possibly 1:2. At least on my monitor thats how it appears. I may steal this idea using a deep perwinkle. I love happy front doors.

  • sara says:

    Lovin the pink! Hot or not? I’d say hot!

    sara

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