I feel your pain! I have had several threads up recently about my front door color, and my current color choices are up for a vote right now :)

I like the suggestion of a yellow or deep gold, and I like the second door pic (although the child is precious in the first pic!)

One of the things that I like in the second is that the sidelights are white, and the door color is framed by the white. Would you consider painting your sidelights to match your trim (looks like a creamy white on my monitor)? I think that would help bring focus on the door.

I don't have a very good pic, but we painted our house a dark grey (well, pretty much black) last summer and did a highlight and door in what looks like the same dark gold posted above. Everyone comments on how the dark gold goes so well with the grey/black.

If you look just above the front porch windows you can see the thin strip of gold.

I like the second one, too. Very pretty.

I agree with Sugar plum--to start, the sidelights should be painted white like the rest of your trim. As for the door, the light gold is nice (not mustard or yellow).Personally, I advise driving thru neighborhoods to find similiarly colored houses and see what color they chose for their front door. (It helps to rule colors out).The current lighting seems a bit too contemporary and finally, why isn't there a walkway up to your front door?? That would really help with the WOW of the front entry.

ratherbesewing - there is a front walkway, you just can't see it from the angle that I took the pic. The driveway is on the right side of the house and that is where the walkway begins. It is located in front of the landscaping.

Unfortunately, there are not many houses that are my house color. And even if there were, I can't say people really step out around here,beyond the reds, as far as door colors go.

I love the 2nd and third colors. The shiny brass hardware doesn't work for either though. That 2nd house is a perfect inspiration fir your home. I never would have imagined grey and yellow could be so happy and inviting.

I think the gold will be beautiful with your home. What a happy combination!

I like the gold on the house in the photo. Is that swatch you posted below it the same color? It seems to look more orange. The color in the house photo looks a lot like BM Cork which is a nice gold.

The swatch color is BM Gold Rush. I don't know what the gold color on the grey house is :(. However, someone on another thread had a link to the BM recommended fall colors and lo and behold, they recommend Marblehead Gold with the Dolphin AF 715 color I actually have on my house. If you scroll down to the "Autumnal Equinox" grouping, you can see the suggestion combination. Maybe it's a sign that this is the way to go...... I just wonder if it will be too gold and clash with the steps. I think that's why I was leaning more towards the "rusty" colors, even though I do love the grey/gold combo I posted.

Here is a link that might be useful: Autumnal Equinox

I'm not sure the color of the steps is that big a deal, personally. The marblehead gold may be the most natural option, and possibly the classiest; however, I'm fond of the orange idea (disclaimer: I also suggested rusty/pumpkin colors for Sugar-Plum's door...and I love Halloween).

I almost love the Behr door, but not quite; either it's a tad too glossy, or it's the idea of that shade of orange paint coming from Home Depot, like advertising for HD (my own quirky hang-up).

Here is a link that might be useful: More orange doors! I love the one from Country Living.

I hope this helps.

{{!gwi}}

{{!gwi}}

I love the first option aktillery did above, but that's about the same as ours so I'm biased :-) Both look good, but I would second what others have said about doing the side panels the same colour as the other trim.

Just wanted to add, that I love your home. It has wonderful charm.

What a beautiful home! I vote for the first option posted by aktillery too. The 2nd seems too washed out in contrast to the siding.

There's a house nearby that is painted a dark grey with green window boxes and door. The green is hard to describe...kind of like an apple green, but not too bright? Maybe something along the lines of BM Frasier Fir? Anyway, the combination is absolutely stunning, imho.

Found this through google images search for a better visual:

Black! look how gorgeous that black pot is against your house and stairs. White side lights black door with stainless hardware.

I don't know why all the "magazine" houses with colored doors and similar main house color look so much better to me then it does on my house(thanks aktillery for your help!!!). I think I'll go get a couple of sample pots and then if I'm not happy with any I'm going to paint the door black. It had always been my default color(not that I don't think it will look good), but was just hoping for something with a little more of a WOW factor. Maybe this isn't the place to do it.

If I remember right from your old post I was thinking magenta or a darkish eggplant.
I think I would figure out what side lights you want - once you pick the style and hang them the color you want just might come more easily to you.
The lights will change the entire look.
I like the green that hlove posted - but since you have sooo many trees the green may get lost.
Have you thought about an orange shade? It may look really pretty in the fall when your leaves are changing

Here is black.

{{!gwi}}

The black is lovely...but try gold first!! :)

Although i am not a proponent of painting the front door a distinctive color simply to call attention to it, I do like the apple green or a deep gold on your house----both seem to go well with your landscaping. The orange looks like an attempt to make the door stand out with color. (Does anybody know where that idea came from, anyway? HGTV?)

Here is the door from a distance in an orange yellow. I think it looks great.

{{!gwi}}

I like the black, but I think it needs a shiny brass kickplate and handle (which I think your actual door has, no?).

One more thought - I think you need to decide what look you want. The black looks formal and elegant, the yellow more cottage casual. What about the inside, what is your style?

Very nice home.

IMO, black would make your house look dreary. I think black looks great as an accent for you with the grey, but not as the door color. I would love a soft yellow on your door. You would just need to find the right shade. I am thinking soft (not goldie or glaring). I would do black hardware and keep the black pot and plant yellow flowers. Maybe a color like this?

I agree that the black looks too heavy and might appear dreary. I love both of your options, but the lighter yellow is my favorite. I love how it picks up the fall foliage colors. You have a charming house!!

I liked the 2nd of the two "gold" choices.

I really like the rich yellow gold for the door, and I think it works just fine with the tones in the brick walkway.

I keep coming back and looking at the pix of the house, and I wonder if you have considered changing the shutters to the same color as the trim on the large windows on the first floor? I think with the very lovely dark charcoal color of the siding, the black shutters kind of disappear, leaving the wide bands around the house and the wide trim on the large windows to really stand out. By having the shutters the same color, I think it will balance the visual weight of the windows downstairs.

Or, change all that trim and the shutters to a very soft grey shade.

I agree with the people suggesting black, or whatever color dark gray your shutters are. I don't think it looks dreary at all, but creates a cohesive color palette across the facade of your home. Perhaps a stainless steel kickplate could perk it up, but I'm not sure that is even needed. In the picture of the black door you posted looked a bit bizarre because the sidelights are still the existing beige. I would paint those to match the black, because usually the door and sidelights are thought of as one "piece." That all being said, I strongly advise to change the two exterior sconces. They are so distracting, no matter what color your door is, it might look odd with those adjacent to it. You can pick up some pretty inexpensive and nice looking exterior lights at one of the big box home improvement stores that will make all the difference. Sorry if this post seems a bit critical/pompous. You're home is absolutely gorgeous (shingle-style colonial is timeless), and I got a bit excited about improvement ideas. Hope this helps a bit and wasn't just annoying.

You're considering some really interesting choices and I admire your out-of-the-box thinking. I wouldn't worry about the color of the steps. Whatever you decide for the door, I'd paint the sidelights and door frame the same white as your other trim (as was done in each of the inspiration pics posted).

Yes, do paint the sidelights and trim the same as your other trim. The sidelights are nicer, imo, when they give the feel of windows, not door. Let the door be the color star!

Thanks for all the opinions!! Still trying to figure out which way to go. I know many of you say to disregard the steps, but I'm not sure that I can. I'm going to head over to the paint store and see what suggestions the color experts there have.

I do think les917 makes a good point about painting the shutters the same color as the trim. I do think it would help balance the house visually.

Aktillery - if you happen to see this and have some time, could I ask you to photoshop the shutters in white? If you could also do the sidelights in white where you made the door orange, yellow and black I'd be really grateful. Thanks in advance if you are able to help.

I am planning on changing the lighting to something that is more CHC appropriate. It's just hard for me because my style is definitely not CHC!!! Anyone have any suggestions for something modern that might still work?