You see that messy house? Well thats not what this post is about;)
These french doors are some of my most favorite things about this house. Not only do they let a lot of light in, but they fully open so when its not 100 degrees out, it makes the house feel larger by expanding the living space. The doors also have built-in blinds…hello heavenly lack of cleaning! It took me a while to decide which doors to get, there were so many options! I read a great french doors prices guide before I got them installed so I knew roughly how much they’d cost beforehand. They’re worth every penny in my opinion. I love them! Maybe after I get the doors installed, I might look into the windows part also. I definitely would want the windows to blend with my door. For that, I can contact any home improvement team nearby (like boonewindow.com) to help me figure it out. That said, windows is a story for another day!
Right now the doors are just primed in an off white color, and we are changing that ASAP! Heres the deal though. At first we were 100% wanting to go bold. Go big or go home. We thought we wanted to do a pitch black in high gloss (using Sherwin Williams ProClassic or All Surface Paint). We were so certain that we wanted black that we even got the paint for it. And then we freaked out…
Quick Photoshop example of Black Doors
Now I {we} are thinking of just going with the same white we have on the wainscoting. I love white, light, airy spaces, and by having the doors white it definitely helps with that. We are going to have so much color in accessories in the room that I am not concerned at all about a lack of color. I am just worried that the black could darken the room too much. And with as much light as the beautifully designed french doors allow in the room, the room is still a noticeably darker room without help from lamps and such.
So, what would you do? Play it safe and keep it light with the beautiful white? Or would you go bold and take the chance that the black darkens the room a little? Give us your two cents!
White or an accessory color – I agree that black would darken the room too much as your floors are dark.
White! Keep it light!
Oh I’d pick a bright colour like the yellow in that pillow and make those doors really pop (in a light, happy way!) Black would make the room seem closed in I think.
Go for the black – it will be awesome!
I don’t think it would darken the room, but it would shrink the doors and kind of be a distraction. Good luck!
I’d paint just the doors a contrasting darker color even black would be OK. Before deciding on the color though, are you going to have window treatments? I’d let the color be a frame to whatever fabric you choose. Jo @ Let’s Face the Music
I’m totally thinking black!! I had to google image black french doors to kind of see what it might look like. I love it! Here are some examples. It draws your eyes to the light.
http://indulgy.com/post/PXS8OW7hL1/white-counter-black-doors
http://digthisdesign.net/diy-design/living/black-doors-and-trim-design-trend/
I recently painted my single pair of back french doors black. I had the same concerns as you, but they had been white for our first two years in this house, and I was bored. I too have very light walls, tons of white trim, and a light vibe, but I totally love the doors. During the day, when the room is naturally bright, they provide a nice pop of contrast to all my light. But the big surprise is at night. When it’s dark out, the black blends with the darkness of the outdoors and makes the room look bigger. Win! I haven’t been sorry yet. 🙂
We have french doors in our living room and bedroom that open onto our back patio. Our house tends to be a little dark inside, so we painted the doors white gloss on the inside and black on the outside. Our contractor who installed the doors was nervous about the black color on the outside, but once we were done, he loved it. Our front door and shutters are also painted black and I loved the pop of color against our brick.
So my vote is to keep the white inside, but use that black paint for the outside. 🙂
Good idea MeganB Then you would have the best of both worlds. Light and dark and no worries about the outside, black would probably look awesome out there.
But i do agree that black on the inside looks weird, I do the white so it matches the room’s ambiance.
Oh, I would SO do the black. I have seen a lot of black window sashes and black door frames and I LOVE them! Especially when the majority of your trim and such are white. Also, doors are fairly easy to paint over so if you use them for a month and think they darken the place up too much, you can easily go a different color. Im all for Team Black 😉
I sort of love the black, but I know whatever you choose will be awesome!
I think white is beautiful and neutral and does lighten the space up against the dark floors, BUT, if it were me, I’d do super high gloss black like you originally planned to do. I am obsessed with the look of bright white house with black windows/doors. It is very rich looking and more interesting than white. With white, the doors kind of just “go away” (it is expected). With black, although yes, a bit darker, they will draw attention and become more of a design element. 🙂 just my opinion, of course. whatever you do will be awesome.
(also, I asked in a comment a while ago where you purchased your ceiling fans, but haven’t heard yet….can you plz let me know? thanks!)
I’m obsessed with black doors! I think it makes a home look a little more classy and gives it some character. I’ve got my own black paint for my doors sitting in the garage, waiting for me to break it out! 🙂
I vote black!
Stick with the white! With the dark floors and furniture, the white keeps it light and airy like you said. The black, while very pretty, puts too much focus on the doors and makes the room feel choppy – it fights for your attention from whatever else is going on in the space.
White…
Either would be gorgeous. I am loving the look of high-gloss black doors right now, but do think that white is nice and light too. (Aren’t I helpful?) We have 5 sets of what looks to be similar french doors leading to the back yard and we are planning on painting the exterior (like Megan B suggested) in a high-gloss black. Our front doors and shutters are already painted in a high-gloss black that we love. Not sure my hubs would be down with the black on the interior either, he’s so obsessed with white on everything I barely got any color on the walls. 😉 Good luck!
I would definitely go white! I love the light and airy look, and knowing you guys it will have plenty of style and color with accessories.
Because your wainscotting is white, I think the doors should be white. It gives the room a much more finished look. And I agree with Susan about the accessories.
I like black doors as a rule, a lot. BUT in the photo the white doors just seem to look so much better in this particular space. The room looks way larger with white doors it seems, and everything, the doors and all your wonderful trim just flow beautifully.
I’d go for white. The black seems to darken the room. We have white in two rooms and I wouldn’t change them. Still love them after a number of years. I am contemplating painting the front door high gloss black though, which is now good old white.