gorgeous house,

first, i agree, love the glass detail and sidelights - but, i would definitely paint the door. but, maybe not the trim or sidelights - check out these doors I photographed in Ireland where the trim/sidelights were left white... its kinda dramatic. what do you think?

second, your house looks smart, so I would choose a glossy black - try BM Impervo� Alkyd Enamel High Gloss paints

third, I love the copper above the window on the left. If you ever need to replace the shingle on the porch I would suggest copying this.

Here is a link that might be useful: Colorful Front Doors

Awesome house, I also love the copper! I vote for a color on the door. You have such a great neutral look canvas that almost any rich color could work. Black is always a classy option, but so many people are stuck using black as a default (to match shutters or because nothing else really works). You have an opportunity to go a number of directions. If you really can't decide, find the feng shui recommendation for the direction your door faces:-) Might bring you some luck or wealth.

I like the white sidelights and trim that design wotcha posted, I second that

Would you consider a rich glossy navy blue? I think it would look lovely with your body color.

f you decide to try it, make sure to paint a sample in both the color and the gloss you are considering. Blue can look much brighter than you expect, and the gloss can lighten the less deep colors. B. Moore's Van Deusen blue is a pretty one - I used it on a house not unlike yours, mixed with a little black to navy it down a little more. Sherwin WIlliams Naval SW 6244 is a wonderful true navy.

Thank you for the help. The photos of the doors with white trim were very helpful! There are a lot of black doors in the neighborhood and the side lites are typically painted to match. Drives me crazy though since most have divided lites that are still white!

I really like the idea of a glossy navy blue. I think it would tie in nicely with our interior color scheme since our 1st floor is primarily creamy yellow (BM Cornsilk). There's a SW store on my way home from work so I'll try to pick up some samples next week.

I might also try a few reds since its good feng shui for my South facing door :) Maybe something with blue or orange undertones since the neighbor's is very red-brown. Any suggestions?

Beautiful home, and I think there are many colors that could work on your front door. I like the idea of the navy blue. I also think a deep, warm green could work, or even a dark chocolate color.

The colors of our house are similar to yours, and we recently painted the front door BM Heritage Red. It is a beautiful, bright red. I know you said you are concerned about the neighbor's red door, but there are plenty of shades of red to go around.

Here is a link to an image with a front door this color (not my house):

Here is a link that might be useful: BM Heritage Red Front Door

If you do decide to paint the door, don't forget that copper ages. We have copper over a window, sort of like yours, and it's in the process of darkening with age. As the process continues, the copper will eventually turn to a verdigris color.

I've always liked purple & green so...what about a rich purple, one that will coordinate with verdigris?

One caveat about your south-facing door.
If your porch roof offers some shade most of the time (and it does appear to), you should be fine, but a southern exposure can generate a lot of heat on a very dark door if the sun beats away on it for hours. And that can be bad for a wood door.
Red is particularly unstable in bright sunlight, and will fade some.
The high gloss will help deflect some of that radiant heat, and since the sun is highest in the sky during the hottest months, your roof should do the job. Still, it's worth taking a look at various times of day, and think about how many hours of exposure you have on the door.

On most houses, I'd say paint the door, the sidelights, and the vertical trim between them with the door shade, and keep the surrounding outer trim white. But since you have a window above with the same configuration, painting just the door might be best.

What do the rest of you think about that?

Great ideas, and bronwynsmom makes great points as always.

I love the idea of a bright navy for the door - a classic feel. BM Hale Navy is a great navy blue.

With the copper in the roof going verdegris eventually, the color of the japanese maple and the neutral of the siding, I also think your idea of a rich teal would be stunning. BM Olympus Green or Polished Slate might be worth a look.

I almost always prefer the sidelights and trim in the same as the trim on the rest of the house, and the door gets its own distinct color.