Interior Doors: Red or Brown? {Or Blue?}


Ah. More color decisions. I know I've asked before, but I'm getting down to the wire deciding on a paint color for our interior doors throughout our cottage. The door leading into studio {above, old photo taken before beadboard was added} is on sawhorses already, primed with a basecoat of white! Whatever color I decide I will distress slightly so some of the white will peek through.



I know that I don't want the doors painted white. However, the trim around them will be white just like the beadboard.

The options that I'm considering are:

A} Red, just like cabinets

OR

B} Dark, dark, chocolate brown

I would like to have a third option {C} which would be some kind of greenish blue color{with a brown glaze applied and wiped off to tone down the color}. It would be similar to the color my studio was once painted or something even richer and darker. This would be really different and unexpected but I'm not sure about it. Hubs already says he's not at all crazy about it. I don't know...but I'll throw that out there for some opinions as well.

The doors inside the studio will be red. No question. They just have to be.:) It's the rest of the doors that I'm up in the air about. As usual!



Edited to add a couple of examples of darker blue/green shades that could work. I guess it's apparent by now that I'm not afraid of color for the doors!




What say you? Ideas? Your suggestions are most appreciated! Thank you!

30 comments:

  1. I'm thinking not red. I'm leaning towards the dark brown but if you are using the blue/green color as an accent in the kitchen or nearby then that could work too. I just think that it would be nice to do a different color than the cabinets. And you said it would be red on the other side right?

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  2. Yes, the other side of this particular door will be red because that side is the studio. :)

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  3. Actually I think they will all look good. But I would lean more towards the brown and blue/green. I kind of lean more towards brown then blue/green. But any of them would look great. Sorry not a decision maker here for you.

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  4. I vote for the greenish-blue color! Although I totally understand what it is like to disagree on colors with your hubbs! I am currently in a debate with mine over paint colors for our home. However, after a conversation we had last evening, I believe I am starting to win! Good luck!!

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  5. I vote brown, I just took the plunge and started painting all the trim in my house cream and the doors are stained dark brown I know it is not the same but I have to say I am loving it. I can email you some pictures if you would like.

    Cha Cha

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  6. I love the distressed turquoise with red cabinets and white trim! Oh, I can just visualize it now! Lovely!

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  7. I just wanted to let you know I painted my tv armoire the same color as the the Nester at Nesting Place blog, its a bluish/green color and it actually looks a little darker in my house than in her pic's it a really pretty color, its from Sherwin Williams called Halcyon Green. I have my cabinets in the same red as yours and it looks pretty with the red. Personally I would have never picked the color myself but it looks totally different when you put it on. Good luck!

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  8. My first thought was 'red like the cabinets', even before reading your options.

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  9. Kim,

    I think the blue/green (aqua) is too trendy. Everyone has that color now and it will date itself. I prefer the classic rich chocolate. If you want to add the blue/green into your design I would do it with accessories or a piece of furniture.
    I know whatever you choose will look beautiful. It always does.
    I'll soon be asking you for your thoughts!

    Your Friend,
    Deborah

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  10. I'm partial to the red because the other side that's already red looks awesome. I have some interior doors painted black against all of my white trim and light walls and it looks great (and doesn't show dirt from dogs and kids). However, I'm thinking of repainting them red after seeing yours! So, I vote red. (The greenish ones are very pretty too)

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  11. I was going to suggest dark, dark, gray blue.

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  12. I like them all... :) I know very helpful!! :) though have to say my first thought was Red!! then saw your samples of the green/blue and thought green and red always look classic together! :) Whatever you decide it will be beautiful!!

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  13. I like the idea of painting inside the panels a different color than the rest of the door. You could choose two colors then.
    -Danielle

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  14. Sorry Kim. I'm not much help. In fact, I'm actually going to throw one more option out there for you. Have you considered staining the door so that the beautiful wood grain will show through? That might look nice too. :)
    Good luck on your decision. And have a great weekend!
    Beth.

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  15. I love your options! I choose red like the cabinets but not a solid distressed red color. I like the way in your last inspiration photo it's like a color wash with the white showing through....it's not a solid color of paint. I think the red of your cabinets done like a color wash on the doors would be lovely. I'm not particularly fond of the brown option because it just doesn't fit in my mind with your style. If you don't go with red, I'd suggest a warm stain to bring out the wonderful grain of the wood. This is fun and I know whatever you choose will be fantastic as always.

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  16. I like the greenish blue color. I really liked the last picture on your post. Something like a whitewashing finish would look really cool. Good Luck! Can't wait to see what you decide.

    Nicole

    www.sobeautifullyinspired.blogspot.com

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  17. Hmmmm....since you're asking... my humble opinion....blue or red...blue would be my first choice....love the examples. I'm not a fan of dark brown paint on woodwork. It seems like it's fake wood....Just my opinion.. :-) Love your room and am green with envy...what a great space. Mine is eeeesie-beeeensie.

    Warm blessings,
    Spencer

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  18. Ok, here's an idea...paint a coat of your red. Then the yummy blue/green...then distress. I love the red-blue combo and think that doing that will incorporate all of your colors! Plus, it will totally be an attention getter!
    ~kristin

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  19. OHHH I love that first picture of the distress off green color. Think it's rich enough to set off the red of your cabinets without clashing and would look good on the inside of your studio.

    Smiles~
    Marilyn

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  20. Hi Kim,
    I'm thinking not red as well. Painting doors is such a huge job & what if you tire of red some day. What I was wondering is what about a faux wood grain color. I know this would be a bunch of work, but what about painting them to look like real pale wood (like the door in your kitchen) but really distressed looking like almost all the paint (robins egg blue, white & cream) has worn off.?
    Similar to one of the pics you posted of the blue/green doors but just very little paint left. Just a thought. :)

    xo,
    Shellagh

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  21. Here's my vote...blue green. The red would be too much in my humble opinion. The dark brown can look like fake wood, although that would be my second choice. Blue green is trendy but I think we've got a while yet before it is dated. And when that sad day comes, you can always paint them!!!

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  22. I like both the red option and the blue. I can't wait to see what you come up with.

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  23. After seeing the pictures of doors with the blue/green...I think I like it a lot. As long as that is a color that is carried through your home. I LOVE the red cabinets!!

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  24. I love the red cabinets, but red doors would be A LOT of red. Brown seems too safe and your house is not safe. I love the blue green but I also like the idea given by Ticking and Toile of doing more a robin's egg blue with white in a worn look. Or even a pale turquoise. It would look fabulous with the white beadboard. If you hate it, it's paint. Easy to change--relatively :)

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  25. I'm voting for the blue green color. I plan to do the same on my bedroom door (one of these days!) Flea market style magazine painted a cabinet in a similar color to your pictures and got a similar weathered/aged look by diluting the color with water by 50% then painting on layer after layer until they were happy with it. It turned out looking old and beautiful! Good luck choosing!
    ☺ Celeste

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  26. I LOVE reds and blues together. The blueish green is my vote. :)

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  27. You all have given such wonderful ideas and input! I can always count on you...thank you! I've made a decision and will post about it soon! Another paint choice behind me!

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  28. personally, I hate to ruin good wood with paint, I prefer stain and polyurethane or just polyurethane.

    Those are beautiful doors, I think I would just poly them,as they are!!

    Susan

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  29. I just think that it would be nice to do a different color than the cabinets.
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