The Offbeat Color Hilary Farr Chose For A Front Door (And If We Love It!)

Hilary Farr is known for her elegant and timeless designs, which means she usually leans toward a neutral color scheme. Hues like white, cream, gray, and navy never go out of style, so those spaces have some real lasting power. Additionally, an all-white kitchen will likely stay in style for well over 10 years if maintained, and a bathroom that uses blues, whites, and grays won't feel dated any time soon. However, that doesn't mean the HGTV designer never dabbles with color. She likes to use it as a bold accent now and then, like when she chose to modernize a gray house with a teal front door on "Love It Or List It."

Rather than choosing something more understated — such as black or gray — Farr decided to create a statement with a pop of blue. This not only was an easy way to boost curb appeal, but made the house much more memorable. One can imagine that they became "the house with the teal door" in their neighborhood, helping them stand out. Here is a closer look into Farr's daring design move, and if it's worth copying. 

In Season 12, Episode 13 of "Love It Or List It," Hilary Farr was introduced to couple Ryan and Ashley, who just had their first child and had no time for repairs in their disjointed fixer upper. It was a mix of white siding, yellow siding, and red brick, coupled with black shutters and a black front door. "The outside of this house is a major issue," Ryan said in the episode. "When I come home from work, I literally want to drive past my house and leave the cul-de-sac." He called it a "haunted house look," so Farr had her work cut out for her. When deciding how to make the front space look more cohesive, she landed on a gray color named "Cityscape," which is a blueish-gray. To help make the undertone pop, she added a teal front door.

"I love the door!" exclaimed Ashley during the reveal. While this might seem out-of-the-box for Farr's usual style, this isn't the first time she did it. Blue turns out to be one of Farr's top choices of front door colors. In an interview with TODAY, she shared that repainting your door with an eye-catching color can help you sell it faster, and she recommended blue as a go-to hue. That's because it's safe, but it also stands out. While she chose bold teal in this house flip, you could also try a more subdued color, such as navy or a true blue.

So, is it worth following Farr's advice? There are two things to weigh before picking up a paint brush. The first is whether or not you like the look. If you love teal or enjoy houses with unexpected door colors, then take this as your sign to makeover your door this weekend with a fresh coat of paint. However, if you want to know if this makeover will help your resale value in any way, you'll be happy to know that blue doors often fetch more on the market than other colors. 

According to a 2022 survey from Zillow, slate blue doors in particular are a fan-favorite. This is a powdery, blueish gray color, and prospective buyers like this color choice the most. In fact, they like it so much that they would be willing to pay an average of $1,537 more to buy a house with that feature. "A front door is often the first thing that captures a buyer's eye, and first impressions matter when buyers need to make swift decisions in today's fast-moving market," Amanda Pendleton, Zillow's home trends expert, shared (via Zillow). By strategically painting your house this color, you can help stand out in buyers' minds and cinch a sale faster.