Choosing the right color scheme for your house is a great way to make it your home. Changing the color of interior doors can give a room a new pizazz. You may have questions about when to paint interior doors the same as the walls and when to use a different color. The research is done to answer all your interior door color questions.
You have many color choices for painting your home's interior doors. You can paint them a different color than the walls. Choose a color in the same family of colors as the walls, or you can color the doors the same as the walls.
Keep reading to learn when to consider painting the interior doors the same as the room walls and when to color them differently. How you paint the interior doors opens lots of design options.
Should Interior Doors Match the Walls?
The color scheme you choose will help you decide. Interior doors can match the walls or be in contrast. You have lots of options when choosing the coloring for the rooms of your home. The doors should match the walls in small rooms to make them feel bigger. In larger rooms, you can paint the doors a different color than the walls to give the room's walls some visual variety.
When to Paint an Interior Door the Same Color as the Wall
If your room is small or the door is near a corner or in an odd spot of the wall, paint the interior door the same color as the walls. When you paint the door the same color as the room's wall the door will blend into the room. This will make the room look bigger.
A Corner Interior Door
For interior doors near the room's corner or at an awkward-looking spot on the wall, you can make the doors blend into the design by painting them the wall color. A contrasting colored door will draw attention to the odd door placement.
When Should Interior Doors be Painted a Different Color than the Walls?
You can give the expanse of walls a design pop by painting the interior doors a different color in a larger room. Choose a color in the same family of colors as the walls. The contrasting color will draw one's eye to the door sparking interest.
Should Doors be Darker or Lighter than Walls?
You can make this design decision based on how much natural sunlight the room gets and your personal style. Rooms with lots of natural light may look better with lighter-colored walls and darker doors. If you paint the room a dark color, the door should be the same color or a deeper shade of that color.
Choosing Neutral Colors
If you want the interior door a different color than the walls, choosing a neutral color like white, vanilla, cream, or an ecru will give your wall a contrast that does not distract from other design choices. Neutral colors create contrast without drawing a lot of attention.
Classic Wood Doors
Instead of painting an older door, you might choose a classic oak, maple, or walnut door. A door that has the classic wood color looks great in darker painted rooms. If the door is old, it may need to be taken down, sanded, and restained. This can restore an old door to its natural beauty.
Doors With Interesting Architectural Details
Interior doors that have great architectural detail and/or elevated panels should be a different color than the walls. Architectural doors can be a great focal point for your room. But consider using a neutral color so they don't overpower the room.
Should all interior doors match?
The interior doors in your home do not have to all match. But you may want them to match. When you are planning the color scheme for your home, consider questions such as these:
- Do you want one color scheme for an entire floor?
- How about a different color scheme for each room?
- Do you want all the hallways to have one color scheme?
- Or a different color scheme for each hallway?
- Will the door frame match the trim in the room or hallway?
- Or will the door frames be painted the same color as the doors?
- Will the doors complement the wood floor or carpet color?
- Do you want the interior door to complement the staircase color.
Are Painted Interior Doors in Style?
Yes, painted interior doors are in style for many home decors. The explosion of home design websites and Pinterest pages will give you many places to explore color schemes as well as painted interior door options.
How to Choose a Door Color
You get to choose the color scheme or design of your home. Stay within a color family when selecting the walls, door, and trim color. The key is choosing a color family that interests you. Choose the wall color first. Then choose the trim color. The door frame can either match the trim or the door color.
Contrasting Color
A great way to choose an interior door color is to pick a color a few shades lighter or darker than the walls. The door will blend nicely with the wall by using a different shade. If the room gets a lot of natural sunlight consider using a slightly darker door.
Should Interior Doors be Light or Dark?
Interior doors can be painted a light or a dark color. Both are used in classic color schemes. Choose the color that looks good to you and fits the color vision you have for your home.
What about Wallpaper?
When you pick an interior door color in a room with wallpaper, choose the dominant color in the wallpaper. Then find a door paint that matches the dominant color. Paint the door this color. Another option is to paint the door a neutral color.
Should Interior Doors Be Painted The Same Color on Both Sides?
Interior doors do not have to be painted the same color on both sides. Many people choose to paint both sides the same color to continue the color scheme throughout the house. Many modern homes will have one color door throughout a floor to unify the space.
If you want to paint the door sides a different color, pay attention to the wall colors of both sides of the door. Interior doors often stand open so the color of both sides of the door may be visible.
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What Color Should an Interior Door Edge Be?
When you paint an interior door two colors, paint the edges the same color as the side of the door that swings into the room. This way, anyone in the room will see the door and its edge as one color when the door is open into that room.
Remember to paint all edges, including the top and bottom, trim, and door frame. You should paint the entire door even though the top will rarely be seen.
Should Interior Doors Match the Trim?
The color of your interior door should complement the trim. It does not have to match the trim. Consider carefully if you want to paint the door frame differently than the trim and the door itself. It may look better to have the door frame either match the room's trim or match the door's color.
Should Interior Door Frames Be Painted White?
The door frame color should complement the door and the color of the walls. Often the door frame matches the color of the door. Or you can have it match the room's trim. A shade of white is a classic in many home designs.
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Should Closet Doors Be Painted The Same Color as the Walls?
Closet doors are a unique case of interior doors. Often you would paint the closet door the same color as the wall. Or your design may have all interior doors in a room painted the same. Some designers paint all the interior doors that lead somewhere, like the hallway or a bathroom, These designs often have the closet doors painted the same color as the walls, so they blend into the wall.
Modern Home Design and Trim
Many modern home designs have the interior doors match the room and hallway trim, particularly in homes with one color scheme throughout an entire floor. Another reason to match the trim is that interior doors are often left open which means the colors are seen together.
Final Thoughts
The color scheme you use in your home gives you many choices. Improving the look and feel of your home will add value to it. So go to your local paint store and find the colors that fit your personality and style to make your home a great place to live.
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