Painting your home black isn’t for the faint-hearted. Whether you opt for an inky hue like Sherwin-Williams Tricorn Black, a cool charcoal like Iron Ore, or a bewitching shade like Black Magic, a black exterior is bound to be bold. Although ultimately a neutral color, black homes are a study in contrast. If you’re the first family on the block to go black, your home won’t just pop against the surrounding landscaping but will also stand out from nearby homes in more expected colors. If you’re doing the black house trend, there are 12 front door colors that can help you keep the look moody, modern, mystical, or even macabre.

Your surroundings can make or break the black house look. Going pitch black in the middle of a colorful coastal town may look out of place, and if you’re trying to create a monochromatic moment, a warm brown roof could clash in all the wrong ways. From getting the shade and sheen right to making sure you’ll stay on speaking terms with the neighbors before picking up a paintbrush, there are several things to consider before painting your home black. But getting your front door color right is among the most important decisions you’ll make. You’ll want to consider both the door and trim color, along with your gutter and garage door, while picking out the perfect palette.

Are you concerned that painting your house black will look too goth? If so, painting your front door a mustard yellow could be just the perfect antidote. The optimistic and inviting color stays sophisticated when you shy away from primary hues and lean into more complex yellows like Farrow & Ball’s India Yellow or Benjamin Moore’s Ochre. The low light reflectance value (LRV) of these shades aren’t as bright, which will help keep the overall look moody but multi-faceted. They’ll pair well with either warmer black colors like Sherwin-Williams’ Black Fox or the bluish undertones in hues like Magnolia’s Fine Black.

Whether you’re having a hard time getting your homeowner’s association on board or you’re a little nervous about dipping your toe in the (black) water of this bold exterior paint choice, try the timeless look of black and white. To make sure it looks chic, stick to either warm, cool, or neutral undertones for both your exterior wall and front door paint choices. From a cool and crisp white like Sherwin-Williams’ Ice Cube or a creamy hue like Valspar’s Tahitian Vanilla, these color combinations always pair beautifully with a black roof. 

Most landscaping will really pop against a black exterior, which can bring unique plant specimens or interestingly shaped trees into sharp focus. This makes sage green a good color for your front door, especially if you coordinate the tint or shade with the stunning purple flowers you should grow in your garden, like iris, allium, or salvia. For a mesmerizing effect, try slightly minty colors, like Farrow & Ball’s No. 84 Green Blue or Magnolia’s Texas Summer, that change slightly throughout the day depending on the surrounding light.

From honeyed pine to rich oak, wood doors contrast beautifully against all black home exteriors. But if you’re working with a fiberglass or steel door and staining just isn’t possible, you can achieve a similar effect by painting your front door brown. If you love Mocha Mousse, Pantone’s nuanced 2025 Color of the Year, try a paint color like Benjamin Moore’s Butternut Brown. For something with more eye-catching contrast, pick a more saturated color like Sherwin-Williams Antiquarian Brown. And to capture a subtle look if your home’s black exterior is more charcoal than onyx, versatile colors like Behr’s Wild Truffle work well.

Painting your front door red demonstrates more than just a sophisticated sense of style. When paired with a black exterior, colors like Benjamin Moore’s Vermilion, Sherwin-Williams’ Salute, and Valspar’s Thai Chili are sure to make passersby take notice. Red doors also have a strong historical link, frequently signaling that a home was a haven of rest and safety for weary travelers, sanctuary seekers, and even enslaved refugees on the Underground Railroad. And, if you want to Feng Shui your home to ward off bad luck, you’ll be glad to know a red front door symbolizes protection and prosperity.

Certain black hues have cool, almost greenish undertones that you can draw out by pairing them with the right front door color. Vivid lime green is a courageous choice that looks stellar with exterior colors like Sherwin Williams’ Greenblack or Obsidian Green from Little Greene Paint & Paper. You’ll only need a little splash of color like Glidden’s Goody Gumdrop to make a serious statement. Stick with black or white trim, shutters, gutters, and fascia to keep the look cool and contemporary instead of gaudy and garish.

You can play with sheen to punch up the black hues for your house, using a matte charcoal on your siding with a glossy jet black on the trim, for example. But the look goes from good to great when you also incorporate a punchy color like magenta or fuchsia on your front door. Look to the undertones of your flowerbeds to pick the right hue. A color like Mischief from Little Greene is great if you’ve planted lots of purple and blue flowers. Meanwhile, hues similar to Benjamin Moore’s Peony are pretty if your garden is full of pink and white. 

Many of the black home exteriors you find on Instagram showcase the deepest pitch black shades out there. But what if you want something that looks more earthy? Try combining soft black paint colors like Benjamin Moore’s Raccoon Fur or Magnolia’s Prairie Smoke with a terracotta colored front door painted with Dunn-Edwards’ Deep Coral or Behr’s Balcony Sunset. It’s easy and inexpensive to carry the color out from the front door onto your front porch or patio when you also garden with terracotta pots. 

We already mentioned that an all black house isn’t exactly beachy. If you love the look but still need to keep things coastal, don’t worry. Using misty blue colors like Sherwin-Williams’ Billowy Breeze or Farrow & Ball’s No. CC6 Hazy looks downright dreamy when paired with crisp white trim and a black color with cool undertones. In addition to painting your front door light blue, opting for sidelights, transoms, or stained glass panels can lighten things up even further. Use black or chrome door hardware and street numbers to unify the entire look. 

Salmon is anything but spooky when it’s used as a front door color for a black exterior house. Sure, you could pull off the pink and black look with bubblegum or ballet slipper hues. But it’s that slightly orangey cast that you get from paint colors like Sherwin-Williams’ Stone Fruit, Behr’s Guava Jelly, and Valspar’s Poppy Petal that make salmon a standout choice. If you’re struggling with how to incorporate a brown brick patio or other landscaping feature, pick a salmon-inspired front door color with warm undertones that matches the brick to create a colorful but cohesive look.

Do you love cozying up with black watch flannel blankets, traipsing through the forest in a pair of classic hunter rain boots, or dreaming about building a bold barndominium? The new modern farmhouse leaves white in its wake and commits to deep, dark, daring colors instead. Colors like Behr’s Equestrian Green and Sherwin-Williams’ Olympic Range are saturated enough to make your front door a strong focal point. But, they still remain subtly sophisticated when paired with bright white trim and glossy black finishes on the rest of your home’s exterior.

To highlight your home’s interesting architectural features, stand out from other cookie-cutter colored boxes in your boring neighborhood, or if goth isn’t just a look you embrace but a lifestyle you love, you can’t go wrong with black on black on black. Choose the same color and finish as your exterior walls if you want to make your front door practically disappear. Or, pick a different shade or sheen to create contrast. But before you pick up a paintbrush, remember that there’s more to picking a black paint color than meets the eye.