I’ve always been fascinated with red doors. I think that houses with red doors look so inviting and classic. But, when I found out the meaning behind them, I knew that for our next house we’d have a red door for certain.
This is our front door before. All white and not red. I love red…I love red and white together. This was the first time I had ever painted something like this before, so I was a tad nervous…but I was determined and I got it done. Don’t mess around with a motivated pregnant woman.
Red doors have 3 meanings. I like the meaning of them all!
1. In Feng Shui, a red door means “Welcome.” Actually it means something about welcoming energy. Since I’m not into all that energy and oo-la-la stuff, I just choose to think that a red front door means “Hey! Welcome to our home! Come on in and eat!”
I always want people to feel welcome in our home. Hospitality is very important to us.
In traditional America, if someone saw a red front door, they would know it was a welcome place to stay the night and eat. Better than a “Vacant” sign.
NOTE – If you see someone with a red front door, don’t automatically assume they know it means “welcome.” They might wonder why you knock and say “Hey, what’s cookin’, baby?”
2. A red door means “protection.” This is a Biblical meaning. In the Old Testament, the Hebrew children were instructed to rub blood on their doorposts so that the Angel of Death would pass over their home. A home with red on the door was protected.
You’ll still see this today at churches if you pay attention. Many of them have their doors painted red. It’s symbolic for the protection of God.
I know our home is covered in the Blood of Jesus, so why not proclaim it with my door?
3.And finally, the reason we painted our door red – a red front door means a mortgage-free home.
This first started in Scotland. When someone paid off their home, they would then paint the front door red. It was an announcement to the world “Hey! We’re debt free!” Barry and I would rather shout it over the phone, but a red front door works too.
Now every time I look at our door, I’ll get a smile. 😀
Come on in, y’all….you’re welcome here.
The protection meaning also inspires the bracelets with seven knots seen on people’s wrist. May as well match our door with the ones on both our left wrists.
It also signified a place for runaway slaves to stay in the Underground Railroad.
How interesting! I didn’t know that. Thank you for sharing, Cynthia!
— Julie, HH Team
What brand of paint and color did you use? I have a hard time finding the right shade of red.
It is Valspar Ultra Paint + Primer, semi-gloss exterior. They didn’t put the color name on there and I don’t recall. 🙁
We have used ‘Sun dried tomatoes’ color from Pittsburgh Paint. We love the color
I read this post when it was much newer and the idea of painting our door stuck in my mind. Now that we’re six months away from finishing off the mortgage (five years early), my husband and I are ready to select that perfect shade of red.
I loved this post.. I never knew what red doors meant but I have always liked them. 🙂
Me too!
So neat! I’ve always loved red doors too 🙂 We can’t technically have one yet, though, due to tradition #3 😉
Sure you can….just claim #1 or #2 and then when you’re #3, you can scream it from the front door…or make a sign. 😉
Yes! somehow you always are right on!! I’ve always liked the red doors on houses. Lately been thinking and wanting a new door….way too expensive for the glass one I like so why not go another route on something I also like? Red door it will be…soon I hope. Thank you Stacy for your thoughts and help. May God bless you and your family. You are very much His servant in helping others in MANY ways.
You paint that door, girl! 🙂
How cool is that? I’m a lover of red front doors as well. When we buy? I’ll have a red front door like Stacy. 🙂
And when I grow up, I wanna be just like you.
Thanks Nikki! I wish you girls could come and visit. 🙁
Ours is burgandy…a reddish burgandy…so close enough..haha! I guess it means that we are close to paying off our mortgage. Our home will be PAID for in TWO and a half YEARS!! wootwoot! Maybe then we can go all out red! haha! 🙂
It would be an excellent way to celebrate! 🙂
We bought a home in Oct. The front door is red. I wanted to paint it white since the house is brick. No we will just add a fresh coat of red paint!
🙂 Yay!!!
It is lovely that the red door means all of these things from around the world. For me, in religious tradition, the red door has always symbolized the presence of the Holy Spirit. Many churches, especially Episcopal churches, have red doors. Behind the red door is physical and spiritual sanctuary. Red for the passion of Christ, and our passion for him, and red for the blood of Christ. I have always been fond of red doors!
I LOVE seeing churches with red doors! 🙂
Wow, I had no clue that red doors had all those meanings!
I know, right? Now you’ll start noticing them. 🙂
How incredibly cool is that. Oh and I did not comment Monday I think it was, but I want to try the sponge method. The recipe I use already has it… but only for 15 minutes. Boy am I glad we can have gluten again.
Boy, I’m glad too!!
How neat! I mentioned to my hubby a few weeks ago that I wanted to paint our white front door to match our shutters which are a rust red. I really like the look of red doors, too.
I love doors and shutters that match!
I am one of those that does believe in all that “energy and oo-la-la stuff” and I think it’s great that we can all take something from your post. Thanks for including the mortgage-free meaning. Not sure that I will ever be able to say that but it’s good to know.
I don’t currently have a painted front door (our entry door is glass) but we have incorporated the colour red at the entry to our house. Red is definitely a great, inviting and friendly colour.
I think glass doors are pretty. 🙂
Absolutely beautiful!! LOVE red doors. No idea it actually had this much meaning behind it though 😀
Isn’t it awesome!? 🙂
That is way cool info! (I did not know that!) I assume you meant you are NOT into all that “energy and oo-lala”, what I call “eastern mysticism influence”.
Your home is absolutely BEAUTIFUL. Can’t wait to be able to paint our front door red (when the mortgage is paid off)! Well…..Maybe I’ll just paint it red, anyway…we ARE covered by the Blood of the Lamb! And we are a Hebrews 13:2 home.
Hebrews 13:2
Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.
Oops!!! Thanks for catching that! I’ll fix it right now. 🙂
Did you mean since you’re NOT into energy and all that ooh la la stuff?
LOL I’m glad I have y’all to watch out for me.
This is so cool! Definitely going to paint the door red when it’s paid off. I LOVE it!
And you better let me know so I can rejoice with you!
I definitely will, I tweeted your post to Dave Ramsey : )
Wow! Thanks! 🙂
Thanx for sharing Stacy.This post was very informative and enlightning! And your place looks great!
We didn’t show the flower beds. LOL
We ARE rich, aren’t we? Living in America with a roof over our heads and cars to drive? One of the comments above made me think of how I feel when I see a flashy red Porsche….but I’ll take hospitality, Jesus, and no debt over that old car any day. Hallelujah!
Hey, when’s the open house….:):)
Whew girl! I felt the Spirit in that! Preach it! 🙂
Probably sometime this winter after The Bean arrives. 🙂 Are you coming? 😉
Did not know the significance of the red door! I’ve been wanting to paint ours red, but our neighbors beat us to it, and now I don’t want to look like a copycat. When we pay off our mortgage in a few years, I’ll just do it anyway. By the way, yours looks fabulous…it totally sets off your adorable house! 🙂
Well, at that point you’ll have a pretty good reason! 🙂
We have a red door too and I LOVE it!
I just love red…it’s so happy.
Ilive the red door, looks like you did a good job, and I love the meaning of the red door good job
It was very interesting to research. 🙂
i always thought it meant you were rich. i remember seeing that fancy smanchy red door perfume when i went to the mall as a little girl. being covered by the blood of Jesus is pretty rich indeed. no other way i’d rather be! thanks for the info and enjoy your new home. 🙂
I totally agree! 🙂
I had no idea a red door meant all of that! We painted our front door red after we bought our house but we only did it because I liked how other homes looked with a red door hahaha. I will proudly say that we are in camp 2, and will shout it to everyone that our house and all who walk in are protected by God! Love this and thanks for sharing.
🙂 Covered by the blood!