Update Your Front Door to Boost Your Westchester Home’s Curb Appeal

Local expert Debra Kling, of Debra Kling Colour Consultant, provides tips on how to spruce up your front door in Westchester County.

Local authority Debra Kling of Debra Kling Colour Consultant says, “While the front door has always been an important focal point of any house and has long inspired creativity on the part of its owner, its significance has soared recently with the increased influence of social media. Come spring, homeowners start preparing for an annual back-to-school tradition: Instagram posts of their children on the first day of school. An unspoken competition has emerged: Who has the best front door?”

Kling, a design-and-color expert, has helped homeowners paint doors in every hue. “[It is] a unique opportunity to get creative in a public way.”

red door
Adobe Stock/ Kishore Newton

Her Tips:

  1. Almost no colors are out-of-bounds. Make it a color you love, and you will smile every time you insert your key.
  2. Ensure your front door and roof colors can coexist peacefully. House colors are important but are not as permanent as a roof!
  3. Always test your chosen color(s) on the door itself, in exactly the sheen planned, before committing. When you see color on your house, fully 50% of what you see is the natural light, which is absorbed and/or reflected by pigment. Color and sheen interact with your light to determine the exact hue you perceive.
  4. Especially if your home’s façade faces south, avoid bright colors with a high light reflective value (LRV). The LRV can normally be found next to a color’s name in the paint-color fan deck. A high LRV means that a lot of the captured light is reflected back to you, creating a very bright or garish version of your chosen color.
  5. Use a high-gloss finish. If you’re unsure of a vivid front door, try a high-gloss door in a less controversial shade (such as London’s 10 Downing Street). The higher a paint’s sheen, the more the imperfections of the surface show. Make sure your door is prepped to a smooth finish.
  6. Don’t underestimate the impact of door hardware. Its color and design are the “jewelry” of your entry: Check that it complements the shade of your “new” front door and repeat the same finish for outdoor lighting and other architectural elements.

Related: A Larchmont Designer Shares Her Take on Pantone’s Very Peri Color

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