Choosing a front door paint for a victorian home
Door in Arts Club No.281
How to create a stylish front door for your Victorian home
Beautiful homes start with their front doors, so how do you choose a colour to compliment the building and reflect your personality, but still feel as though you have a bespoke entrance to your home?
With over 172 shades of stylish door paint and four different decorative paint finishes, find a unique front door finish that stands out from the crowd. Our colours range from the softest white and warm neutrals through to lime green or deep purples so we have a front door colour to suit every taste and period property.
According to Mylands CEO, Dominic Myland, his experience has taught him that people tend to use “colour on their door when they have been more traditional in their interior design” to “contrast the period style or to give it a personal stamp.”
One of the main things to take into account when painting a front door on a period home is the colour of the brickwork that the door is set into. If your home is built in red brick, then a strong colour may be needed so that the door doesn’t lose its impact. On the other hand, if your home has light brickwork or paintwork then you may want to tone down the front door colour so that it looks harmonious.
Front door designs, in particular glazing designs, can also impact your choice of colour, especially if your front door has stained glass panels. Picking out a complementary colour may lead you into colourways that you had never previously considered.
The paint finish you choose can have a drastic effect on the finished article. Full gloss paint works particularly well on rich, dark colours but for soft pale colour, an eggshell finish can be more in keeping with a period property. Daylight also has an impact on the way we see colour making it appear a few shades lighter; therefore you can afford to go a little bolder with your external door colour than you would your interior.
Door in Lolly Pop No.275
Door in Mortlake Red No.290
Unique door colours for a Victorian house
For a statement front door that contrasts the period style of your property you may want to consider, colours such as; Haymarket No.47, a dusty mustard-yellow that contrasts well with darker shades; Lolly Pop No.275 a bright orange which adds a pop of colour; Mortlake Red No.290 is a pastel dusty pink with a slight terracotta undertone that offers a muted yet individual vibe, or even a striking warm lime green (New Lime No.149) which has an eye-catching result for all the right reasons.
Traditional colours for a period front door
As paints in the Victorian era were made using natural earth pigments, there was not have the variety of colours that are available today. The most popular hues for period houses are blues such as Bond Street. No.219, Oratory No.237, an elegant dark green/blue such as Market Green No.38, or an iconic black door such as Downing Street No.10 - named after the UK's most famous front door.
The best way to test paint colour for a front door
Dominic’s top tip for selecting your perfect hue is to test the colour and paint a sample onto a surface such as cardboard or wood, and then pin it to the door. If you paint directly onto the door surface then the background colour and finish of the current door paint may distort the shade and finish of the test patch.
How to paint the perfect finish on your wooden door
A beautiful door can be a joy to behold but, as with most things, it’s the preparation before you start to paint that is the key to getting a finish that not only looks great but will stand the test of time. If you have an original Victorian front door then there may be many layers of paint to consider. Firstly, you should remove any door furniture and then sand down the surface as much as possible to smooth out any lumps and bumps. Then you should clean the door with a damp cloth to ensure there is no dirt or dust on the surface that can get caught under the paint. Use wood filler to fill any dents or chips in the woodwork and then sand down again to get a smooth surface and then you’re ready to paint. A good quality primer should always be used for the best results. Our Wood Primer and Undercoat range comes in 5 shades and is specially formulated to work in harmony with Mylands Wood & Metal Paint. Apply two coats of this fast-drying primer and you are ready to go with your chosen colour. As Mylands paint is very thick, we recommend using an acrylic brush, and roller where possible just to get the best coverage and apply two coats to ensure longevity. Remember to also prepare and paint your door frame to get maximum impact.
Why choose Mylands paint for your front door
Mylands has over 135 years of paint expertise and manufactures low VOC, highly pigmented luxury paints for interiors and exteriors. We are one of the last remaining paint manufacturers in the UK to use only natural earth pigments which are not only beautiful to look at, they are kinder to the environment. We also have a heritage range of paints which are perfect for many styles of period property from Georgian and Edwardian homes to mid-century and modern properties. Our Wood & Metal range of eco friendly paints are perfect for front doors and, if applied correctly they can last a lifetime, helping you to achieve a stylish front door to be proud of.
