The Best Colors to Paint Your Interior Doors, According to Real Estate Agents

When you think about painting a door in your home, you’d probably agree that the most attention to detail is given to the front door. While it’s certainly a plus to put careful consideration into your home’s exterior, what you see on the inside is just as important. Interior doors specifically are an overlooked part of a home. Here’s what curb appeal experts — also known as real estate agents — say are the best colors to paint doors on the inside of a house.

When choosing a color for a door, it’s recommended to seek inspiration from the home’s existing palette.

“It depends on the aesthetic of the house in terms of choosing a finish for the home,” says Arrik Weathers, a luxury real estate broker and interior designer based in Beverly Hills.

He suggests taking the metal finish of the door handle into consideration as an example. “No black door knob for a black door because it would make it hard to see, especially in the dark,” he explains.

According to Barrie Livingstone, an interior designer, Realtor, and author based in Malibu, California, it’s best to keep the color scheme of a smaller home or apartment monochromatic so as to open it up. 

“I would keep the door the same color as the walls because if you start changing colors it could make the space look smaller,” he says. “It’s a color block that draws attention to it in a small space. You want it as monochromatic as possible.”

If your home is, or will ever be, on the market, it is important to choose a color with more universal appeal. 

“Something that is current but not too specific allows you to appeal to the highest number of buyers,” says Weathers.  

Interior colors in trend at the moment include white, gray tones, black, and even taupe — which is gray or beige with undertones of the other in it, according to Weathers. 

In the event that you don’t have to worry about creating the illusion of more space, a pop of color is more than welcome for inside and outside the house. 

“If you’re doing a bright color on the front door, it should translate to the interior as well,” says Livingstone. “Sometimes people paint the front door red or blue but the inside is white.”

He cites markets like Palm Springs, California, where people choose colors like orange, yellow, and turquoise, which translates to a fabulous pop of color inside the house.

A solidly decorated door can also serve more than just aesthetic purposes, according to the Realtor. 

“Doors are very important statements because they are symbols of power,” he says, listing feng shui as an example, under which red doors symbolize prosperity and wealth. 

The biggest mistake many make when it comes to doors is not the color, but the finish of the paint, according to Livingstone. 

“Interior doors get a lot of wear and tear, so it needs to be wipeable,” he says. “The finish needs to be satin or semi gloss to ensure you can wipe the doors clean.”

He also suggests having the doors painted by way of a paint roller or spray so as not to see the brush strokes. 

This post originally appeared on Apartment Therapy. See it there: The Best Color to Paint Interior Doors, According to Real Estate Agents