Here is a closer up picture of the brick

Glossy black. Or refinish the wood.

Stunning front door, btw.

This post was edited by Tibbrix on Wed, Apr 9, 14 at 21:27

Love the doors. I prefer them stained to painted....is the wood good? If so, do them with sikkens and it will make them very weather proof.

And get the hardware to a nice brass shine.

If you paint it, it will peel.

I would stay with a transparent stain like you current have & simply renew it. If you would like a colored door, then use an solid, opaque stain. That has a better chance of adhering to your door surface.

I like your walnut stained door, but if you must change, then perhaps a bit more red in the stain to pull out the color of your bricks.

Strayer, we have almost the same identical bricks, doors, quoins and recessed front. My house faces west and I get no pretty play of sunlight in the mornings and when it reaches there in the afternoon, it is full-blown hot, and I have struggled with door color every time we paint. I am not particularly fond of the stain and want to change it, but each time, we just restain. Our treatment above the door is more palladian like and the general contractor painted it, so it gives my house a disjointed look.

Yours looks beautiful with the play of light at the front. I think I would keep it stained. Incidentally, I have two similar planters to yours but mine are larger cobalt blue with red geraniums and white petunias, gives the front a little more umph since my door is hard to see from the street and the sunlight does not favor it.