Closet doors can be painted any color you like, reflecting your own personal style and taste. The color you select to paint closet doors will be impacted by your personal preferences and the overall design and color scheme of the room or space where the closet is located.
Here we look at tips to help you choose the best paint color for your closet doors, and explore some of the most popular closet door paint colors.
How to Choose Closet Door Color
Coordinate
The key to choosing closet door paint for any room is to coordinate with the rest of the color scheme in the space. This could mean painting the closet doors to match the existing trim, or it could mean painting the closet doors the same color as your lamp shade or throw pillows.
Avoid using a color that doesn’t match with any other items in your room, as this can make the closet appear separate from the space and it will make for an unbalanced look.
Match with Walls
If you want the closet doors to blend seamlessly with the rest of the room, consider painting them the same color as the walls or trim. This creates a cohesive and harmonious look and prevents the room from being broken up into different areas.
If the closet is located in a small or compact room, painting the closet the same color as the walls creates the illusion of a longer wall, therefore making the room feel larger than it really is. By contrast, if the closet is painted in a different color to the walls it will punctuate the wall and make the space feel smaller.
Contrast
Choose a contrasting color if you want the closet doors to stand out and add visual interest to the room. For example, if your walls are a light color, you could paint the closet doors a darker shade to create contrast. Alternatively, choose a contrasting color from the color wheel for a bold look, such as orange walls and blue closet doors.
Neutral Tones
Neutral colors like white, beige, gray, or soft shades of brown are popular choices for closet doors because they work well with various color schemes and interior styles.
They also create a clean and timeless look. If you would like to change the color scheme in your room every few years, then a neutral-painted closet would be a good choice because it would work with a wide range of future color palettes.
Material
The material of your closet doors may influence your choice of paint color. For example, if you have wooden closet doors, you might want to consider staining them to showcase the wood grain rather than painting them.
Balance
When thinking about the color for your closet doors, consider how your choice will affect the overall balance of the room. For example, if you have lots of black furniture in a bedroom, such as a black dressing table, a black bed, black nightstands, and a black chest of drawers, then a large closet painted in black may make the room feel too heavy and overwhelming.
Try to balance out the colors in the space so that your main color, typically the wall color, accounts for between 60 and 70% of the surface color that you can see.
Popular Closet Door Colors
White
White closet doors create a clean, fresh, and timeless look that works well in virtually any room and complements various color schemes and interior styles. White closet doors can also make a room feel brighter and more open. They reflect natural and artificial light, creating a sense of spaciousness, which can be especially beneficial in smaller rooms.
White is also a fairly practical choice because it is relatively forgiving when it comes to showing dirt and scuffs, which can be advantageous for closet doors that may see a lot of use. White is incredibly versatile, pairing easily with various color schemes and decor styles.
Whether your room features bold, vibrant colors or a neutral palette, white closet doors are likely to complement the overall design. The main drawback of painting your closet doors white is that it is the standard and predictable choice. If you like to show more personality and design flair in your color options, then white probably isn’t the ideal paint color for your closet doors.
Black
Like white, black is a timeless color that doesn’t go out of style, making it a sensible choice for painting closet doors. It can work well in various design schemes, including traditional, industrial, and eclectic interiors. Black can be versatile in terms of coordinating with other colors and materials, working well with a wide range of pastel, neutral, bright, and bold colors.
Black closet doors can create a striking contrast when paired with lighter-colored walls or trim. This contrast can draw attention to the doors and make them a focal point. Black can also be forgiving when it comes to hiding minor imperfections or wear and tear, making it a practical choice for closet doors that may see frequent use.
If your closet is in small rooms, black doors may not be the best choice because they can make the space feel more enclosed. Ensure that you have adequate lighting in the room to prevent it from feeling too dark or gloomy with black doors. Good lighting can balance the dark color and create a visually appealing environment.
Gray
Gray is a popular color choice for closet doors because it is neutral, modern, and versatile. It is easy to complement with various color schemes and decor styles, making it a safe bet if you struggle with selecting colors that go together. Gray can pair well with both warm and cool colors, helping to create balance and harmony in a space.
There is such a huge range of gray colors available, from cool light grays through to deep and dark grays, as well as warm grays or even lilac-tinted grays. This means you will be able to find a shade of gray for your closet doors that work with the rest of the space, whether that is a gray that creates contrast or a gray that blends in with the existing decor.
Cream
Cream paint serves as a soft backdrop, allowing other elements in the room to take center stage, making it a good choice if you don’t want to make a feature of your closet doors. Like white, cream reflects light nicely, which can help to make a room feel brighter and more open.
The benefit of using cream paint for closet doors instead of white is that cream has warm undertones, which can create a cozy and inviting atmosphere in a room. It can make a space feel comfortable and relaxed, compared to white which can feel clinical or cold. Cream is a timeless and classic color that exudes elegance and sophistication. It can lend a sense of refinement to your closet doors.
Alternatives to Painting Closet Doors
If you want to give your closet doors a new look but don’t want to paint them, then there are alternative ways to change their style and color.
Apply Mirrors
If your closet doors have a flat surface, then you can apply mirrors to them to hide their existing color. Use mirrors that are the same size as the closet doors if you want to entirely hide the existing closet door surface, or choose smaller mirrors if you want to be able to see some of the closet doors.
Mirrors can be applied using a strong adhesive, or some lightweight mirrors come with a sticky-back surface, making them easy to fix into place. Mirrors on closet doors can make a room feel bigger since they reflect light and create the illusion of more space, and they also give you somewhere to check out your reflection when getting ready to go out.
Wallpaper
Wallpaper can be applied to the surface of a flat closet door if you want to give it a patterned or textured look. Cut your wallpaper to size and then use layers of Mod Podge to stick the wallpaper in place, and give it a hardened finish to make it hardwearing.
Vinyl Wrap
Like wallpaper, vinyl wrap can be applied to closet doors to give them an entirely new look without the need to paint them. Vinyl wrap is available in a huge variety of styles and colors, and it works with a simple peel-and-stick method so you can transform your closet doors in a matter of minutes.
Stain
If your closet doors are made from solid wood then you may prefer to stain them rather than paint them to preserve the natural look of the wood. Closet doors should be sanded until smooth, with any existing paint or varnish removed before they are stained. Your choice of stain should then be sealed in order to maintain the color and make the doors more hardwearing.
