10 paint colours for a front door

Our black bears the name of the address whose door it painted. It is a deep, barely warm black that in gloss becomes a dark mirror reflecting the street. It goes with every façade — brick, stone, white render — and every piece of hardware, from polished brass to black iron. The choice of those who don't want to get it wrong, and don't.

A deep inky night blue, less severe than a black and more discreet than a bright blue. It has the elegance of a navy blazer: classic, crisp, never dated. On a white or grey façade it is the door that says seaside house; on brick it turns smart and urban.

A deep, proper blue — brighter than a navy, more serious than a sky blue — that gives a door cheer without costing it composure. It is the blue of Notting Hill doors, between the pastel façades. It is at its best in sunlight, when the light restores its saturation, and it loves brass.

A black shot through with aubergine, which reads black from a distance and reveals itself as plum up close, in sunlight. It is a choice for those who want the seriousness of a black door with something more — a secret. Sublime with aged brass and a honey-stone façade.

A proper but sobered red, more brick than vermilion, that gives a door the smile of a telephone box without the aggression of a pure red. It is the red of English village doors, cheerful and welcoming. It needs a neutral façade — white, grey, stone — so as not to fight with it.