Could Boris Johnson or Jeremy Hunt's front door colours influence the leadership race?

Boris Johnson's is grey; Jeremy Hunt's is white – what does it say about them, especially if they swap it for black?

contemporary yellow front door from urban front
(Image credit: Urban Front)

What does your front door say about you? This is the question answered for us this week by some new research that made its way into the Realhomes.com office. The study into front door colours has highlighted some interesting findings, mainly that choosing a particular door colour shows off more than just your taste in decor; it can give a good indication of your character, too. 

So it obviously got us wondering and then Googling 'celebrity front doors' to find out if Kylie is really as nice as she seems (good luck with the Legend Slot tonight, K); whether Donald Trump's front door was gold (too many houses, so many doors); and what colour Jay Z's front door was (ditto). And then, of course, we wondered whether the front door colour personality predictor could possibly give us a little more insight into the Conservative Party Leadership Race (of course it couldn't but we enjoyed). So, what did we find out?

What do the front doors of these famous faces say about them?

Boris Johnson: Muted green/grey – fresh, natural, energising, but we all know he wants to change to black, which is glamorous, elegant, timeless.

Jeremy Hunt: White – spiritual and pure, but again, would swap it in a heartbeat for the elegant, timeless glamour of No.10's front door.

Jeremy Corbyn: White – as with Hunt. Who'd have thought it?

The Queen: Black and Gold – glamorous, elegant, timeless, with a touch of majesty.

Donald Trump: Gold? We're just guessing. And we're not going there. You can't make us.

White and black are, of course, classic neutrals that appear everywhere, some people want to inject a little personality front of house, or give a hint of their own taste and what to expect decor-wise when entering.

So, what if you've painted your front door a brilliant shade of orange? It will give off a warm, sociable and lively aura – so, no doubt, do you. No wonder people want to visit! 

Going through a door that's a more a restrained blue, guests can assume the occupants, or at least the paint picker, is expressing a cool, calm and meditative streak. 

And a red door is bold, powerful, and confident (according to colour expert Elinor Pitt, co-founder at curtain and blinds specialist Stitched).

So who is painting their doors a thrilling hue? Based on research done for Harvey Water Softeners (see the table, below), it is likely to be houses on the coast where home owners are picking more colourful door fronts.

Shades of purple (inventive, imaginative, mysterious); yellow (radiant, cheerful, optimistic); pink (gentle, delicate, soft) crop up frequently on homes in Brighton, Eastbourne, Bournemouth and Southampton. But seaside towns have a history of using vibrant colours on their homes – all the better to be seen from the sea by their returning loved ones.

What about inland?

The face of Britain's front doors - most popular colours for doors by town

(Image credit: Harvey Water Softeners)

Further inland, where visibility from the ocean is less of an issue, the choice is for more restrained colours. In Stevenage, muted blue/green (fresh, natural, energising), black (glamorous, elegant, timeless), brown (rich, warm, earthy) and white (spiritual and pure) are the shades that welcome people in. 

These are also the preferred paint colours in Northampton. In Bedford, a sliver of rebellious red and orange does creep in. And a bold streak of scarlet in Reading is perhaps influenced by it being a hotbed of creativity and showmanship every August as a legendary festival town.

Commenting on the findings, property expert and TV presenter Kunle Barker says, 'First impressions count and they last. Try not to think of your front door as a barrier but rather as a gateway into your home, hinting at your design style. A bright colour can make a real difference. Last year I painted my front door pink which transformed the entrance to my house and gave our home an injection of personality.

'Typically people ignore the front door due to the fact that, as residents, we don’t actually look at it very much. I have found that it can take just a couple of people to change the colour of their front door for it to catch on in a street. Before long even less adventurous areas can have multi-coloured frontages.'

So, what are our tips for BoJo and Hunt? Boris is clearly having no trouble in the 'I've got a personality' stakes Hunt is less out there on that. So, we'd suggest Boris keeps his front door firmly shut, and Jeremy Hunt goes for a bolder shade – we're thinking red. Thoughts? Let us know of Facebook or Twitter.

Alison Jones
Assistant Editor

Alison is Assistant Editor on Real Homes magazine. She previously worked on national newspapers, in later years as a film critic and has also written on property, fashion and lifestyle. Having recently purchased a Victorian property in severe need of some updating, much of her time is spent solving the usual issues renovators encounter.

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