I am painting my front door. Please vote gloss or eggshell

[Tealtroubles]

This is the colour… https://www.farrow-ball.com/paint/coppice-blue

Farrow and ball coppice blue.

Should we use gloss or modern eggshell?!?!

It’s from the archive so I need to order it online. Preferably soon or it’s never getting done this summer. 😅 And I am in decision paralysis! Help please 🙏

YABU - Gloss
YANBU - Eggshell

I painted my door in eggshell in a lighter blue. I generally avoid gloss but on my door the eggshell didn't look right. It looked unfinished, like and undercoat. I ended up going over it in gloss.

I really regret using eggshell on my front door; it is a lovely colour,(bluey green) but it marks easily and is prone to scratching and chipping. Wish I had used gloss, in fact I was debating repainting it with gloss and then saw this thread. Used to have gloss and it was easy to clean and seemed to resist muck far more than eggshell does. I always admire the gloss on the doot to No10, it looks so very glossy!

Colour drench do the whole lot door and trim

I always go eggshell for everything EXCEPT after several repaints of front door because it always looked weirdly unfinished/ like an undercoat I have decided it’s eggshell for everything except front doors.

Eggshell! Never paint anything in gloss.

Gloss is much smarter and easier to keep clean.

Actually I think op it depends a bit on the style of house. Cottagey I think eggshell is ok; anything remotely grand I think requires a bit of “ polish” ie; gloss. But ONLY on the front door!

One way of looking at it is door furniture. If you’d have a door boss I think you need gloss.

Also F and B gloss isn’t hugely glossy.

I think a front door is the one and only time I would use gloss.

Do the trim the same colour as the door - I was hesitant but it’s one of the best decisions I made. I’d go for eggshell or satin on the finish

I haven’t used F&B gloss but they say it’s glossy! Cannot see why it wouldn’t be. I think using gloss does depend on style of door and type of house.

Ive wanted to paint our door too. Is it hard-wearing though? My parents dog when he visits scratches to get in!!

I would have thought gloss was necessary for a front door as it is more hard wearing, easier to wipe down and so on.
I think the white surround is a matter of taste. I prefer the surround to be the same colour as the door but the contrast can look good too.
I'm with you on these little decisions by the way, I find them impossible. It took me 8 weeks to pick a front door colour 4 yrs ago, only took me a few weeks to pick the door style. I just get professional advice for colours now and find it inexpensive for the hassle it saves me.

I am learning a lot here 🤣 what is a door boss?

The house is quite imposing in architecture so I do think in the grander category.

We have the side gates and the garage doors which I also wanted to paint. I could do those in eggshell first and see if I like the finish. Leave the front door to last and go gloss if inclined. This seems like a good plan actually.

Thank you so much @Easter2020 ! I was hoping someone would post a colour drench door but felt too cheeky to ask. Yours is glorious. Definitely painting the surround!

Neither. Satin.

Not an option in F&B. I know you can colour match but I have done that in the past and the colours never the same. I love this colour!

And to edit- the photo online really doesn’t do it justice. It’s a super dark teal. Actually leans quite green but still good amount of blue. Looks really luxe next to the red brick.

For this colour: eggshell.

White, black, red, emerald green look good in gloss, these more ‘chalky ‘ colours don’t look right in gloss. IMO.

For a traditional door on a grand house I don’t like the colour, I don’t like eggshell, I hate “drenching”. When are you inviting me round for a cuppa and a laugh? 😹

I definitely wouldn't go for F&B. Ever decorator I know raves about what dreadful paint it is. I would get Johnsons to colour match it.

Gloss is a LOT more hard wearing I wouldn’t do eggshell outside
you’ll also need a VERY good primer like Zinsser

😂

To clarify it’s grandER. Not necessarily grand per se. Imposing is the word I like to use. House is north facing and massively out of scale with rest of street. It needs softening somehow.

So black (as much as I love that look); I think is going to make it even more imposing.

And it’s not a pastel house either.

Would always be the matt egg shell for me, over the gloss.

To me, gloss always has the tendency to look plasticky, and the inevitable knocks and scratches always look really glaring. Whereas on a matt finish, they're less noticeable, and look a bit more "natural aging." They're easier to patch up as well.

@Tealtroubles good luck with it, send us some photos when it’s done. If you ever want to investigate repro stained glass for a front door, I think I’m an expert (as usual!).
Strong, not too much milk and plenty of biccies please ☕️ 😹

Gloss for dark colours and to reflect and capture the depth of this beautiful teal.

Glorious shade. I really love it.