The Red Front Door- Trend or Symbol?

Over the last couple of years you may have noticed that more and more homeowners are deciding to add a pop of color to their front door. Many people have gone with an array of colors that can span all colors of the rainbow to really make the home stand out. One of the most common being the color red. Some of you may be asking is this all part of a trend that has come and decided to stick around, or is there a meaning behind the painting of the front door?

In early American tradition a red front door had a meaning, it meant a welcome place to come in and rest. The red door basically stated that you could come in, eat and stay for awhile. This strikes a cord with me because I like the idea that when you see a home with a colorful door or you decide to paint your own you can feel welcomed and relaxed.

In Feng Shui a red door is said to represent a sense of welcome, a welcoming energy. The Chinese practice Feng Shui which is the creating of harmonious surroundings that enhance the balance of yin and yang. Feng Shui’s meaning is similar to the early American tradition in the sense that they both represent that same idea of welcoming visitors into the home.

The biblical meaning for the red door was protection. In the Old Testament the Hebrew slaves were instructed to rub blood of the lamb on the doors so that they would be protected from the Angel of Death. Catholics would also paint the doors of their churches red to represent the blood of Christ and represent that you were stepping onto holy ground. To this day many Catholic churches still practice the red door tradition.

The last representation that the red door is said to have is a Scottish tradition. The red door represents a Mortgage free home. When someone was able to pay off their home they would paint their door red! What a great way to celebrate. You make your last payment and buy yourself a bucket of red paint and essentially proclaim you own your home free and clear!

There are meanings for many other colors of doors. Blue, orange, green and yellow are all colors of doors that hold meaning. Blue for example can also represent calm, loyalty and stability.

So do some research, do you choose to stick to the more common neutral colored front door, or do you take a risk and add a pop of color? What color best suits you and your home? Remember just because you choose to paint your door a certain color doesn’t mean that it has to symbolize something either, it could just happen to be your favorite color. Now that you know what a red and blue door represent, I imagine you will stop to think if the homeowner chose to paint their door a certain color for a specific reason.