When a door is more than a door

Have you ever had to make a decision about what colour to paint your front door? Knowing that it will be there for many years and be seen by many can make this an agonizing decision. Did you realise that different colours symbolize different meanings? So, what does your front door say about you?

Many cultures have complex interpretations of the colours we choose to decorate our homes with, and in particular, the front door. As the ‘mouth’ of the home, it symbolizes the flow of energy, opportunities and luck that might come knocking. For Dublin Composite Doors, visit http://www.keanewindows.ie/composite-doors.html.

Red doors have huge cultural significance in many faiths and religions. In Feng Shui, a red door is welcoming and it meant the same in early American tradition too. A red door signalled to travellers that here they would find a welcome, warmth and a place to rest for the night. In scotland, a red door means you’ve paid off your mortgage! It is a bright, friendly and vibrant colour for a front door and suggests a passion for life.

White is a very popular for doors and throughout history this colour has represented purity, virtue and peace. Similarly, cream is the colour most associated with having a peaceful home.

Purple is an interesting one and is not seen a huge amount. Some people believe that you can improve your luck and opportunities by painting your front door purple. Apparently this will help if you’re looking for a better career or better health, so what are you waiting for? It symbolizes energy and is thought to attract good things your way. The only exception to this is if you have a northwest facing door which you should be painting white, silver, grey or gold.

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Green is a colour that is popular in hospitals and surgeries due to it’s peaceful, calming effects but could this work for a door? A light shade of green is great for representing balance, compassion, harmony and peace so is indeed a good choice for a front door.

If you really want to make an impression then how about yellow? This colour is said to evoke mental clarity, wisdom, humour and confidence so if these are the qualities you want to exude, then paint your door yellow. It will make a lovely, bright statement, especially on an overcast, grey day and people with yellow doors are said to be the happiest and most welcoming hosts.

Dark blue is another colour that evokes peace and calm and is said to attract a great deal of positive energy into your home. Blue represents many things in nature, such as water and the sky. Feng shui incorporates this hue and it is thought that it shows your home to be abundant, prosperous and peaceful.

People with pink doors are the most outgoing and cheeky and grey is meant to represent sincerity and honesty. Black is, apparently, the colour chosen by those who are most mysterious. Maybe this is why No.10 Downing Street is black – we never really know what’s going on in there!