Who doesn’t love a unique front door? Yellow doors add a pop of personality, black front doors keep it on trend, and red doors—well, that takes a bit of explaining.
The color red on doors has a long tradition in our country. Red was red hot since the Republic’s early days, not just during the Colonial era, which roughly spanned from 1605 to 1775 but also in the years beyond it during the Civil War.
Red paint on the front door means many different things—and since February is when we turn our thoughts to a couple of famous presidents (namely Washington and Lincoln), now’s the time to learn a little enlightening history.
Read on for more information about red front doors, what they signify, and some nifty ways you can pump up your entryway’s look with some red (and white and blue) this patriotic season.
Why red paint was popular in the early days
Photo by Tim McCarthy Architect PC
You can see examples of red’s popularity nationwide by looking at fields and farms and checking out the color of many barns. Why was red paint the go-to hue? Good ol’ American thriftiness.
The first settlers who first came to till this land ended up painting their barns red because it was inexpensive to create. The ruddy red shade combines two common elements—iron and oxygen—which were used as paint additives.
Red paint also found its way to the front doors of these early pioneer homes as a symbol for travelers. When a door was covered in a rosy hue, it signaled the house as a welcome place to rest for those on the road.
“You could call it the Colonial-day Airbnb logo,” quips Leslie Young, a real estate broker with Premier Sotheby’s International Realty in Asheville, NC. “Today, red on doors persists, both for aesthetic reasons and as a nod to historical traditions.”
Red front doors and U.S. history
Photo by Union Studio, Architecture & Community Design
Red doors have an even deeper historical meaning as the color is tied to the Underground Railroad—a network of safe houses and travel routes once used by enslaved people who escaped from the South to get to the northern states and Canada. In some cases, these safe havens displayed red doors as guideposts.
Back then, an enslaved person could “knock on a red door for help on their way to freedom,” says Debra Kling, a color consultant at the eponymous firm.
Some churches have sported red doors in their history to indicate that the same type of sanctuary could be found within.
“Red was thought to represent safety and comfort, but also human blood that was historically sacrificed in defense of the church,” explains Kling. “In ancient Jewish mysticism, red wards off the ‘evil eye’ and invites good luck and well-being.”
Red doors and financial success
Want to channel your prosperity with color? A red front door can do just that. In Ireland, says Kling, this shade has also been used to demonstrate that the homeowners inside no longer owe the bank money.
Yup, a red door says, “I’m mortgage-free!”—and who wouldn’t love that?
Red paint and feng shui
Plants, neatness, natural light, and, yes, certain colors are part of the Chinese design philosophy known as feng shui.
And according to these principles, it’s lucky when the color of your front door is red. And the direction it’s facing matters, too.
“In the practice of feng shui, south-facing doors are frequently painted red to align with good luck, protection, prosperity, and fire energy,” says Young.
Pick a patriotic front door
A bright red coat of paint on your front door is the perfect flag-forward touch and a pretty easy project to accomplish this spring. Not a big fan of red? A sea of blues awaits, whether you dig soft robin’s-egg hues, gray-blue midtones, or a darker navy.
If red and blue don’t speak to you, “go with a neutral door color like white or black and then use a door mat or wreath that ties in with red and blue shades for a patriotic look,” says Young.
The beauty of this idea is that you can change these items seasonally and bring them back for Memorial Day, July 4, and Labor Day, too.
“From a design standpoint, red is a peppy hue that contrasts well with other paint colors, and it’s easy to see from the street,” says Pamela O’Brien, principal designer at Pamela Hope Designs.
Red is particularly eye-catching with holiday decor and snow around, she adds, and “it pairs nicely with painted and brick-style homes.”
Accessorizing a red door
When considering decor around your door, look to simple patterns, like the stars and stripes on seat cushions and a big outdoor pillow.
As for hardware on your door’s handle or house numbers, stick to styles and metals that match your home’s look.
“Hardware in hues of gold, bronze, matte black, or iron are historically significant,” says Young.
And don’t forget the knocker on your front door, she continues. “You might place an eagle or star knocker for a pop of patriotic symbolism.”
