The 3 Best Black Front Door or Shutter Colors for Timeless Curb Appeal

ByKylie M

What do licorice, lingerie, and front door paint colors all have in common? They can all look good in black. However, just because black’s a popular choice (for front doors and shutters; if you ask me, red is better when it comes to licorice and lingerie), doesn’t mean it suits every home – in fact, it suits fewer than you might think.

That’s why we’re not just looking at the best black front door (& shutter) colors, we’re going to learn whether your home even suits them.

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Red brick traditional exterior, black shutters and Black front door, red orange brick, Keystone Gray greige trim colour, dark charcoal roof

HOMES THAT SUIT BLACK FRONT DOORS OR SHUTTERS

While there are always exceptions, if your home has one or more of these features, you have a good chance of painting your front door black.  

  • Gray siding with white trim.
  • Regardless of siding, render, or stucco color (to a point), a super dark gray/charcoal or black roof is a great start. However, other dark gray accents on your home, such as shades of gray in your stone or brick, can help. The same goes for black address numbers, shutters, and light fixture finishes.
  • Black stonework.
  • White exterior with wood or black accents (ideally with a darker roof).
  • Many brick exteriors look stunning with a black front door, but are best paired with a dark charcoal/black roof as well.

The gist of the above, is that a dark gray or black roof is a great place to start. While it’s not mandatory, your home may have to work harder to suit a black door without it. 

Do you think an exterior palette like this next one suits a black front door?

Exterior with black gutters, drainspout, trim, windows and garage door. Kylie M Interiors Edesign

You bet your cute little booty it does.

How about this next one?

LImewash on bricks Romabio bianco exterior painted brick, Pure White siding, White Duck soffits, Iron Ore painted front door and curved arched window, dark gray roof

While it has features to support a black front door, this home desperately needed more personality, which I was happy to give it through my Online Color Consulting…

Sherwin Williams Oyster Bay green gray front door paint color with cottage style home painted brick in off-white Romabio finish with dark black charcoal roof and front garden

The Best Green-Gray Paint Colors

Now, assuming you think black is beautiful and want the most badass shade for your front door, let’s get this color party started.

the best black front door paint colors, shades of black from sherwin williams and benjamin moore

1. SHERWIN WILLIAMS TRICORN BLACK 6258

In the battle of the blacks, it’s hard to beat Tricorn Black. This beautiful, timeless color is the epitome of black with no noticeable undertones and a wickedly dark LRV of 3. 

Exterior paint palette. Similar to Benjamin Moore Dior Gray. Sherwin Tricorn Black, white trim, gray, black stacked ledgestone. black front doors. Kylie M E-design

Notice how the above home has…

  • medium-depth gray siding
  • charcoal gray stone pillars and pavers
  • black address numbers and light fixtures

Here’s a modern farmhouse beauty that makes black look right at home…

James Hardie siding board and batten, Artic White, dark gray black shingle roof. White Garage door, black front door. Kylie M Interiors Edesign

This next exterior has warm gray painted brick, black light fixtures, and shutters that match the front door, which is Tricorn Black… 

Exterior textured thick stucco, Sherwin Williams Dorian Gray, Extra White, Tricorn Black front door and shutters. Kylie M Interiors Edesign, online paint color expert and diy decorating blogger (2)

Sherwin Williams Tricorn Black: IMAGES, Info, & More

2. SHERWIN WILLIAMS IRON ORE 7069

Not every home suits a sharp, classic black front door. However, some can pull off a soft black color like Iron Ore. 

Front door exterior painted Sherwin Williams Iron Ore, Mink siding, Alabaster trim. Kylie M INteriors Edesign, online paint colour consultant

Iron Ore’s subtle green undertone is a beautiful complement to the darker warm gray/taupe siding color.

Sherwin Williams Iron Ore is a soft shade of black thanks to its LRV of 6. Along with this softness, it has a vague green undertone.

Iron Ore was the perfect choice for this next home, as it ties in nicely with the green undertone in the siding, while contrasting and complementing the orange-toned brick…

brick exterior with Sherwin Williams Jogging Path best greige paint color on siding and matching trim, dark black gray front door

Sherwin Williams Iron Ore: IMAGES, Info, & More

3. BENJAMIN MOORE BLACK 2132-10

If you’re a fan of Benjamin Moore and your home suits a black front door, look no further than the appropriately named…Black. Someone had their big boy thinking cap on when they named this one. 

Here’s your Peel & Stick sample of Black 2132-10…

Benjamin MOore Black 2132-10, the best true, blackest shade of paint color. Samplize peel and stick with Kylie M Interiors Edesign, color expert

If you order Benjamin Moore Black, you must mention its number (2132-10); otherwise, the paint store employee will say, ‘Which black do you want?‘ of which there are dozens. 

Black front door with red orange brick exterior, white trim, gray front porch, christmas decor.

The Best Shutter Colors with Brick Exteriors

Of course, there are dozens more gorgeous black paint colors. If you want to explore a few more, check out my Curated Black Paint Color Bundle to compare undertones and LRVs.

But if you want to keep your life simple and sane, focus on the above 3 shades of black. If your home doesn’t suit one of these (or any in the suggested bundle), there’s a good chance it doesn’t suit ANY black. 

Front door of home with red brick exterior. Charcoal dark gray black roof. Cream trim, Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron front door. Kylie M Interiors Edesign, update ideas

Does your front door have sidelights and/or a transom window? Read this next…

Should Sidelights Match the Front Door or the Trim?

But don’t give up yet. Sometimes a home needs a softer approach and a special undertone. In this case, check out…

THE BEST ALTERNATIVES TO BLACK FOR YOUR FRONT DOOR

If black hits your home’s exterior palette a bit too hard, I’ve got some gorgeous backups for you to explore…

SHERWIN WILLIAMS DARKROOM 7083

Whether Darkroom is a soft black with purple or a dark purple paint color is open to perception. However, if you have a home with stonework or brickwork that demands a subtle purple backdrop, it could be just the ticket. 

Front door with sidelights painted a dark purple black paint colour with stone on exterior. Kylie M Interiors Edesign, Certa pro visualizer

In the above photo…

  • Compare Darkroom to the black hardware on the door – this makes it easier to see its purple undertone. 
  • Notice how Darkroom attracts the very darkest color in the stone – it’s like I know what I’m doing. 

Darkroom adds instant drama to a front door, AS LONG AS it visually connects with a similar shade in the surrounding stone or brick. 

BENJAMIN MOORE WROUGHT IRON OR CHEATING HEART

If black is too harsh, you’d be smart to explore Wrought Iron and Cheating Heart.

Compared to black, these two colors suit WAY more exterior paint color palettes. This is thanks to their softness and pretty blue undertones. 

Exterior, terra cotta tile roof, orange pink tones, stone and brick, green painted siding, light greige trim, Wrought Iron painted front door

Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron has an LRV of 8.17, making it lighter than all the previous colors, but it definitely winks at the black world with a come-hither glance. It looks gorgeous with many brick exteriors, especially red brick.

As for Cheating Heart, rather than being more of a super dark gray-black with some blue-purple, Cheating Heart’s blue undertone rises a bit more. It has an LRV of 8.79, which is close enough to Wrought Iron to make them about the same depth, with only a few short n’ curlies separating them. 

Benjamin Moore Cheating Heart, dark navy blue black front door paint colour with stone and gray siding. Kylie M Interiors Edesign

While black would be ooookay on the above home, without nearby light fixtures or house numbers, it would come off a bit harsh. Instead, the softer look of Cheating Heart settled in perfectly. 

Benjamin Moore Cheating Heart & Wrought Iron: Paint Color Review

I love how the darkness of Cheating Heart is well-supported by the light fixtures and mailbox on this next beautiful exterior…

Benjamin Moore Cheating Heart, dark blue black front door, Sea Pearl exterior painted brick with black light fixtures. Kylie M Interiors Edesign

The Best Off-White Paint Colors

Here’s Wrought Iron again, but this time on garage doors – again, not as harsh as black, but still impactful…

Exterior, Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray, Wrought Iron remodel, garage doors dark. Kylie M Interiors Edesign, diy udpate ideas

Again, there are many more beautiful black paint colors for front doors. My advice is to start simple, listen to your home and its needs first, and then see what colors it suggests you play with! 

Soffits, Gutters, Downspouts – What Color Should They Be?

SHERWIN WILLIAMS URBANE BRONZE 7048

Where blacks fail, Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze often comes to the rescue. 

red brick exterior, Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze greige front door paint color, Alabaster warm white trim

Look at how Urbane Bronze hits such a magical spot in the brick, whereas black would’ve missed the mark. 

Urbane Bronze is a gorgeous, dark shade of greige, characterized by a warm green undertone. Urbane Bronze’s blend is well-suited to many exterior palettes, especially those created in the early 2000s, but also hits it off with tons of brick colors from the 1990s, as shown above. 

Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze: IMAGES, Info, & More

And don’t forget to give the inside of your front door a little love, too! 

Benjamin Moore Chamois walls, Revere PEwter board and batten in entryway, dark oak wood floor, black front door, Sherwin Retreat green in den, home decor, transitional style

WHAT’S THE BEST PAINT FINISH FOR A FRONT DOOR?

While some opt for a glossy look, it has to be near perfect to look good (and even then, it rarely does). Satin finish is the most popular for front doors. 

DOES THE INSIDE OF MY FRONT DOOR NEED TO BE THE SAME AS THE OUTSIDE?

HECK NO! While ideally, what suits a home’s exterior suits its interior, not every home is well-coordinated inside and out. And even if it is, your interior might better suit a striking shade of navy blue, beautiful burgundy, sage green, blue-green, or something else wild and wonderful. 

Sherwin Williams Tin Lizzie painted inside of front door, White Dove trim, Benjamin Moore Ballet White off white walls, golden red oak floor.

The Best Paint Colors for the INSIDE of Your Front Door

Look around your entryway at its hard and soft finishes, as well as attached rooms, to see which accent colors might work. 

WHAT’S THE MOST TIMELESS FRONT DOOR PAINT COLOR?

Assuming your home suits it, black is the most timeless and classic shade for front doors and is said to add the most value to your home’s resale. This said, black is also reasonably trendy by today’s standards. 

READ MORE

The 8 Best Black Paint Colors

The 9 Best Front Door Paint Colors

Front Door Paint Colors Even Your HOA Will Love

Get the best color advice…

The best paint colors for front door exterior. Benjamin or Sherwin. Edesign, Kylie M Interiors Colour consulting and home decorating and diy ideas blogger.market (1)

 

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