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People create red doors all over the world. Where did this colorful practice originate? Like many design traditions, it was formed by religious practices—the most notable: feng shui and Catholicism.
Thought to be a feng shui tradition, a red door is believed to be a bringer of stability and fortune. My sources tell me that this is an Americanized interpretation of the importance of a door in feng shui practice. Red is considered to be the most auspicious (of good omen, indicating future success) of all colors. But to say that a red door is good for any home would be a remedial interpretation of the practice of feng shui.
In Catholicism, a red door signifies that a sacrifice has been made and that ill fortune should pass by. The North, South, East and West doors of the church were painted red to signify the sacrifice of Jesus, and that those who enter would be safe from harm. It was upon a red church door that Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses, thus marking reformed churches and giving specific meaning to the red door for Protestants and Lutherans.
Red doors are simply popular in the U.S. and all over the world. They are believed by many cultures to be welcoming and inviting. My own home was purchased with red doors and I have not had the urge to change them.
My Front Door
Below are some thoughtful reds for doors from the Valspar collection. You can use any finish for a door, but most people use gloss or semi gloss for doors for easy cleaning and a nice, crisp look.
For a Dark Brown or Black home try:
Fabulous Red 1011-2
For a white home try:
Classic Red 1009-2
For a light neutral or cream colored home try:
Baked Bahama 1006-3A
For a yellow or green home try:
La Fonda Antique Red 2002-5A
For a blue or grey home try:
Jekyll Clubhouse Terra Cotta 2002-5C
THANK you so much for posting this! It's timely for me because I was just trying to learn some of the history behind red painted doors. I just saw a beautiful yellow one (http://twitter.com/eloisemoorehead/status/10186939740) and it sparked my curiosity!
Posted by: eloise | March 12, 2010 at 03:38 PM
Love the red doors and the history behind them. BTW, I have a green color on my home's exterior and the La Fonda Antique Red is calling my name...yum!
Posted by: Regina - Fauxology | March 12, 2010 at 11:10 PM
Eloise and Regina - I'm glad we could satiate your desire to learn about red doors.
Eloise - That yellow door is a great color!
Regina - If you end up painting your door, let us know how it goes!
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Love the red doors and the history behind them. BTW, I have a green color on my home's exterior and the La Fonda Antique Red is calling my name...yum!
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