How to Paint a Front Door {Without Removing it!}
October 13, 2011
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Step-by-step tutorial on how to paint your front door for a fresh and new look!
Painting your front door is one of the easiest and quickest DIY projects that also makes a huge impact on your curb appeal.These instructions show how to paint doors for the best final result...and there's no need to remove the door from the hinges!
I first showed you our front door transformation with paint here:
I also painted the inside of that front door months ago. I’ve painted a few doors in my day, and there’s a few things I’ve learned along the way. Hopefully this post will help you if you decide to do the same!
Got it? ;)
I rarely use oil-based paint -- latex is SO much easier to work with. Oil creates a lovely finish, but takes much longer to dry, and that was the kicker with a front door. I didn’t want to take the door off the hinges and I knew I’d need to shut it (at least a few times) during the process. Oil-based makes that harder to do.
You just need a tiny bit -- rub some on the door with a rag, and if the paint comes off, it’s latex. If it doesn’t, it’s oil-based paint. I knew once I tested it that ours was the latter and I'd need to prime over it.
I love it because it dries CRAZY fast, so it's especially great for a door. And an impatient do-it-yourselfer. ;)
When it comes to painting doors, I have a plan of attack that works for me. This is the order I go -- it cuts down on brush marks:
This is my method – I have no idea if this is the right method. ;) I start with the areas around the panels by using a good angled paint brush:
The BIN primer is so thin, you don’t have to worry about brush strokes:
I didn’t take the hardware off to paint the back of the door – I just taped around it and it worked out pretty well. After years of painting doors, I do recommend taking your knobs off if possible, but on a front door that may be a little more difficult.
I started the same process again with my black paint. I use Black Suede from Behr for all of my black paint projects and LOVE it:
I find most quality paints like Sherwin-Williams cover well and don't show brush marks. If you're having issues with that, an additive like Floetrol will help the paint level out and eliminate brush strokes:
I added the exact amount it called for, but it didn’t help much, as far as I can tell. I will try it again though. It sounds like it (usually) helps tone down brush strokes quite a bit!
Even with the tinted primer (I have my BIN tinted gray for under dark paint), it still took three coats of paint to get it completely covered:
But it was SO worth it. So worth it, in fact, that I am going to try out a few more black doors inside. ;)
Then it was time to move on to the front of the door. Before starting, I made sure to clean it really well before starting:
I just used my cleaning wipes, and then wiped it down with a damp towel after that.
I also took off the door hardware between coats:
I left the door handles off as long as possible after each coat, but you’ll see later why I had to keep putting them back on. ;) I believe I took that hardware off about 15 times. Gah.
I used the same process with the primer as the inside, and if there were any brush marks or imperfections, I just knocked them down a bit with some sanding between coats with a fine-grit sandpaper:
Paint colors look completely different under different light, so a color in the incandescent lights in the store will look way different than the same front door paint in the natural light.
I went back to paint store to see if they could adjust it:
I found a Porter Paint color that was more what I was thinking. The paint guy was SO helpful and spent a good 20 minutes adding to it, (for FREE!), and he got it to the “new” red -- a color called Brick Dust.
Well. Brick Dust was more like Pink Brick Dust:
It was at this point that I was about to give up and live with a pink front door. ;)
These were both pictures take after the first coats, so they would have darkened and deepened a bit with more coats -- but I just knew they weren’t right.
So I gave it one more try – this time I started from scratch. I checked out the Martha Stewart colors from Home Depot and found the one – a lovely TRUE brick red called Chocolate Cosmos:
Finally! The red door I was after from the start!
A fresh coat of paint on the front door will do wonders for the exterior of your home! This door update is not a hard project at all -- it just takes some time and patience.
So have you painted your front door? Did you get the color right the first time?
I first showed you our front door transformation with paint here:
I also painted the inside of that front door months ago. I’ve painted a few doors in my day, and there’s a few things I’ve learned along the way. Hopefully this post will help you if you decide to do the same!
BEFORE you paint, do this!
The first thing you’ll want to do is test to see if your current paint is oil-based or latex paint. I’m not sure about interior doors, but I’d be willing to bet most exterior doors are oil-based. The thing is, you can paint oil over oil and latex over latex, but not latex over oil.
Got it? ;)
I rarely use oil-based paint -- latex is SO much easier to work with. Oil creates a lovely finish, but takes much longer to dry, and that was the kicker with a front door. I didn’t want to take the door off the hinges and I knew I’d need to shut it (at least a few times) during the process. Oil-based makes that harder to do.
I wanted to stick with my latex, so I needed to do a couple steps first.
To determine if a door is painted in oil-based or latex paint, you'll need denatured alcohol to test out the old paint:
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You just need a tiny bit -- rub some on the door with a rag, and if the paint comes off, it’s latex. If it doesn’t, it’s oil-based paint. I knew once I tested it that ours was the latter and I'd need to prime over it.
I use BIN primer for so many painting projects. It is VERY thin and it goes on easily because of that. It’s stinky though, so make sure to ventilate the area you’re working in.
I love it because it dries CRAZY fast, so it's especially great for a door. And an impatient do-it-yourselfer. ;)
When it comes to painting doors, I have a plan of attack that works for me. This is the order I go -- it cuts down on brush marks:
Brushes are great for those detailed areas, and then I use these small foam rollers to paint the flat surfaces on doors and furniture.
I used the 1.5 inch angled brush for the detailed insets in the door:
The BIN primer is so thin, you don’t have to worry about brush strokes:
I didn’t take the hardware off to paint the back of the door – I just taped around it and it worked out pretty well. After years of painting doors, I do recommend taking your knobs off if possible, but on a front door that may be a little more difficult.
I use painter's tape around the hinges and then cut along the edges with a razor blade:
Make to let the coat of primer dry well before continuing:
I use a small roller for the raised panels and the area around them. (Steps 2, 3 and 4 on the pic above.)
I use a small roller for the raised panels and the area around them. (Steps 2, 3 and 4 on the pic above.)
I started the same process again with my black paint. I use Black Suede from Behr for all of my black paint projects and LOVE it:
I find most quality paints like Sherwin-Williams cover well and don't show brush marks. If you're having issues with that, an additive like Floetrol will help the paint level out and eliminate brush strokes:
I added the exact amount it called for, but it didn’t help much, as far as I can tell. I will try it again though. It sounds like it (usually) helps tone down brush strokes quite a bit!
I use small foam rollers to paint the flat surfaces doors and furniture.
Even with the tinted primer (I have my BIN tinted gray for under dark paint), it still took three coats of paint to get it completely covered:
But it was SO worth it. So worth it, in fact, that I am going to try out a few more black doors inside. ;)
Then it was time to move on to the front of the door. Before starting, I made sure to clean it really well before starting:
I just used my cleaning wipes, and then wiped it down with a damp towel after that.
I also took off the door hardware between coats:
I left the door handles off as long as possible after each coat, but you’ll see later why I had to keep putting them back on. ;) I believe I took that hardware off about 15 times. Gah.
Make sure to cover your front porch a drop cloth or tarp so you don't have to worry about paint drips on your cement.
I used the same process with the primer as the inside, and if there were any brush marks or imperfections, I just knocked them down a bit with some sanding between coats with a fine-grit sandpaper:
I love using sanding blocks for projects like these. They make it easy to get into the nooks and crannies.
I always recommend doing this quick sanding, especially on an exterior door that may get dust or dirt stuck to the paint during the process. Use a damp rag or tack cloth to remove any of the debris after sanding.
Now...learn from my mistakes with this paint color debacle! Reds are especially hard, and I knew that. I can't stress enough how important it is to get a sample of paint before starting.
I recommend painting couple coats on a poster board, then hanging it on your front door.
Paint colors look completely different under different light, so a color in the incandescent lights in the store will look way different than the same front door paint in the natural light.
I started with a red paint that had the word “brick” in it – and it was not brick. It was more of a coral/orange, not at all the look I was going for:
The photos don’t do it justice. It looked like the entrance to a seafood restaurant. :)
The photos don’t do it justice. It looked like the entrance to a seafood restaurant. :)
I went back to paint store to see if they could adjust it:
I found a Porter Paint color that was more what I was thinking. The paint guy was SO helpful and spent a good 20 minutes adding to it, (for FREE!), and he got it to the “new” red -- a color called Brick Dust.
Well. Brick Dust was more like Pink Brick Dust:
It was at this point that I was about to give up and live with a pink front door. ;)
These were both pictures take after the first coats, so they would have darkened and deepened a bit with more coats -- but I just knew they weren’t right.
So I gave it one more try – this time I started from scratch. I checked out the Martha Stewart colors from Home Depot and found the one – a lovely TRUE brick red called Chocolate Cosmos:
Finally! The red door I was after from the start!
A few more tips for painting your front door:
- I always recommend a semi-gloss or high gloss paint for a front exterior door.
- Use an exterior paint for your front door, even if it doesn't get a lot of the elements. The temperature fluctuations and moisture will do a number on regular interior paint over time.
- In my experience, the type of paint doesn't matter too much, but oil-based will hold up better over time. Latex has come a long way though -- a good quality latex will look great for years!
- Remember to check for oil or latex-based paint before starting. If you paint latex over oil-based, your paint will eventually peel right off.
- Also, make sure to get a sample of your color before you start, especially for an exterior door. The color on the swatch in the store will look different in your house and will look even more different outside.
A fresh coat of paint on the front door will do wonders for the exterior of your home! This door update is not a hard project at all -- it just takes some time and patience.
So have you painted your front door? Did you get the color right the first time?
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Your door looks great, Sarah. But then I'm a sucker for a red door. My old house was white with black shutters and a Talbot's-red front door. I loved it. When we lived in Michigan, our front door was what I call "Charleston Green"--a deep, deep green that's almost black. Our local hardware store sold Ben Moore paints, and they were so helpful. We had a dark green mixed, but it was much too light when we actually got it on the door outside in God's natural light. So we kept going back, and they kept adding black--for free! Paint people must be really patient folks!
ReplyDeleteI didn't know how to test to see if you were working with oil vs latex so I definitely learned something new. Something I desperately needed to know before embarking on the same venture. Thanks for sharing Sarah! Have a marvelous weekend!
ReplyDeleteWhat an adventure! I love how it looks now. I've been wanting to repaint my front door for years now (literally years), but I can't bear the whole "hardware on, hardware off" situation, so I keep putting it off!
ReplyDeleteLooks fab!
~Angela~
I'm so excited to read this! I'm planning on painting our front door black tulip, I think it's called... Its dark, dark purple really. I've been waiting for direction from my husband, but I'm not waiting anymore!!
ReplyDeleteGreat tips. I've been anxious to start my front door painting project so this was a perfect post. I'm going Legacy from Behr, it's a dusty purple. My house is mint green and I want to paint the house so bad, but that cost $$$ so I figured I might as well play with it while I have it and do something unexpected. Purple front doors means prosperity and honor live within. ;)
ReplyDeleteWe recently took out our duct taped sliding glass door and replaced it with a wall and a door with blinds between the glass. We wanted something fun for the door since it is in the back and not very many people will see it besides us. We chose Georgian Leather in Valspar Antirust Armor paint from Lowes. It looks like University of Texas orange, and we adore it!!! See it here: http://leaveittodavis.blogspot.com/2011/09/our-door-before-paint.html
ReplyDeleteYour door looks beautiful!! Of course, everything you do does and you inspire us all!
Oh, and one more thing....we loved the color of our door so much, we decided to paint our metal patio chairs and tables the same color. We are not quite finished, but it is going to look GREAT!
ReplyDeleteLove your door, and the perspective of your photo! It looks so pretty with your decor and plants.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to do my door soon - shiny black oil-based inside and out! Mine is red now - it has been red for 8 years and I love red doors, but wanted a little change. It's red inside and out now, and I've enjoyed it, but again, change is fun!
-Revi
I love the color you settled on for the door...it's not your typical bright red...looks great! We have a purple front door...Behr's "Blackberry Harvest". I love it!
ReplyDeleteOh, and thanks for sharing the tip about how to test for oil or latex paint...learn something new every day, right?!
Thanks for the tutorial! I've painted my front door twice (from navy to red, and then red to black) and both times I have ended up with some brush marks! I'll have to try your method out!
ReplyDeleteHi, I painted my front door red. Surprisingly it was a can of miss-tint paint! It worked great, and was actually left over from the wall I painted in my craft room. I was a painting-my-front-door-virgin so I didn't do anything you just posted about (which I have now repented of and will do next time) and I just started painting! I cleaned it off of course but that is about it. It worked well and I liked it. Funny story though...soon after I painted said front door my parents came to visit and my mom kept making comments over the weekend about red front doors and how she thought it was crazy that anyone would choose to paint their front door red. At the end of the weekend she asked if I chose to and I proudly said yes! haha
ReplyDeleteLove the tute! I also purchased/added a floetrol to some paint and didn't see a difference. Then someone that knows his stuff told me not to go by the amounts on the container - to keep adding it until the paint is the right consistency. Wow, what a difference that made. The paint went on so much easier and it definitely got rid of the brush strokes. He also said the painters told him to use the small foam rollers to eliminate brush strokes on doors.
ReplyDeleteGlad you told me about the oil-based paint. I have no idea if my front door is painted in latex or oil, now I can check before I paint and that's exactly what I plan to do next week! Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI'm about to embark on my own front door. Unfortunately due to HOA rules we can only pick from about 5 colors and our door can not be the same color as the neighbors. GAH! I'm so sick of brown, I picked Cranberry.
ReplyDeleteAnyway...I was not even sure where to begin as I've never painted a door before. Thanks for the info...and wish me luck!
sure could have used this post a month ago...oh well, the paint is on my door and hasn't fallen off yet. ;-)
ReplyDeleteReds can be hard. I sent my husband to the H.D. for
a barn red. Gave him the sample and off he went with our 7 year old son. He came back with a pepto bismal
color paint (seriously!) and said that the guy said it would darken.... I looked at him, he looked at me, crickets chirped and my son said " I know Mom, I tried to tell him." ;-) I then handled getting the paint from that point on!
Thanks for the tutorial. Our front door is on our project list.
ReplyDelete~Mrs. Delightful
ourdelightfulhome.blogspot.com
I painted our front door... except I didn't strip any of the old paint off... MISTAKE! Now that I have come across this tute I am going to attack my door with a vengeance when the weather isn't so warm... yes, warm, TX stays hot until November :( My color is a sagey green to complement the trees and the limestone of the house... I love Red, but not brave enough to do it...
ReplyDeleteThanks for the Tute!!
Slam dunk on the final door color! I guess you had to kiss a few frogs?? ;) Your front porch area looks so, so pretty, Sarah!
ReplyDeleteWe have a red front door, too. And you are right--it's hard to find the right color! At first ours was hot pink--I am sure the neighbors were scared. But the perfect color we found was Benjamin Moore Classic Burgundy. It is not burgundy AT ALL, though. So I don't know why that is the name. It's the perfect deep red classic door color. :-)
ReplyDeleteThis is timely... I'm getting ready to paint my front door. I'm gonna be bold and try a pear green color. If that doesn't work... I'll cover it up with black. LOL
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the great tips.
I just painted my front door black with the new gel based door paint and had a lot of trouble - been wanting to paint it for 8 years, but like you, I need to sand all the new paint down and start over. I love the black, but I'm going back to latex paint! Might even go find me some Behr Black Suede... :-)
ReplyDeleteYou inspired me to paint my first door back when you did your black garage door. I think it was the first "blog project" I ever attempted :) I still, to this day, am not completely happy with my talent but after this tutorial I might give that door another whirl. I love the black, think it really was a great idea for our garage. . .it just always looks dirty. Ugh. A week or so ago I did paint our front door. . .I went into it "blind". . .my daughter suggested a color (I was so tired of white!) and I went with it. . .the one I had on hand didn't look too great after the first coat so I went to the store and bought a quart that we matched. I didn't know and bought a flat finish. . .I'm sorry I did but am not going to spend another $14.25 on an eggshell. This time it turned out GREAT (maybe because it's a lighter color?) and I didn't use rollers but just a brush (I agree with you on the Purdy!). Brush marks don't bother me too much and I don't notice them. Maybe I'll ask others and go over it one more time with a roller if others comment. Do you think a protective coating of some kind should be added? I'm do "dumb" in this dept. . .ever since you inspired me all those years ago, though, I do tend to just jump in now, realizing most mistakes can be fixed :)
ReplyDeleteGreat tips. That black has such a nice presence in your foyer. It makes a whole new statement.
ReplyDeleteI just painted our outside door which has a window panel. I tried to skip the taping by sliding paper behind those plastic panes. Big mistake, they stuck to the paint and all. Kind of messy.
Glad you took this on. Some people don't paint things like doors but it makes such a difference :-)
thanks for the test tutorial - very helpful! I'm trying to find a front door red hubs and I can agree on, but I know from past experience painting purple and red walls and such that it was always a disaster without a really good tinted primer first.
ReplyDeleteSarah,
ReplyDeleteI love your front door - so fresh and pretty. MMM's front door is screaming for paint. It's a beautiful door with lots of detail, and it's plain. white. boring. Thanks for the tips and tricks. I'm sure I'll be using them!
Great job inside and out.
ReplyDeleteI would LOVE a red front door but our HOA won't allow it - such a bummer.
Thanks for this post! I've been kicking around the idea of painting my door. We had the house painted 2 years ago and it's beige but your red might be more fun!
ReplyDeleteThanks also for the info on Floetrol--I painted a china cabinet this week and it did not go well. :( Brush marks everywhere! I considered getting some Floetrol and now I wish I had. I HATE brushmarks and the little bubble marks left by foam rollers. I'm going to try the regular nap roller next time and invest in some Floetrol.
We recently painted our front door red. It seemed to bright at first but with 2 coats, it dried darker and I'm happy with it now. Didn't have to use a roller, just a brush. Our door has a wood-grain finish to it so the paint formed to the door's cracks. Looks good. Check it out: http://decoratingcents.blogspot.com/2011/09/red-front-door.html.
ReplyDeleteI am completely obsessed with your blog!! I love it! When my blog grows up, it wants to be just like your blog! Keep writing! You've given me all sorts of inspiration for my home!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great tip on telling the difference between latex & oil paint! When we built our house with HFH (and the 3 next door), the head of painting (who did that as a job for real) taught us to paint just like your drawing. That way our doors look like solid built wood doors because of the direction of the paint strokes!
ReplyDeleteWe just installed a new fiber glass front door it was primed white and we painted the inside white and the outside a deep green i did 3 coats with Behr latex exterior and its only been a couple of months but i've already noticed it chipping in some places (the white priming showing through). Obviously I'm going to need to touch up those spots. Any advice?
ReplyDeleteI've been dying to paint my front door inside and out!
ReplyDeleteI'm waiting till the weather cools. I'm in Texas it's still in the 90's!
xo
I rarely post comments on your blog but I do follow it religiously. I painted my door over the summer, barn door red! Great color. Now, what I need help with is the sidelights. I already stripped them, now what? LOL
ReplyDeleteJackie
Galexicupcakes & Sweets
Thanks so much for the info, Sarah!! Your door looks great. I used Floetrol on my last furniture project and found I had to use much more of the product than the instructions indicated I should use. I can't tell you how much because I wasn't measuring, just pouring (definitely more than twice the indicated amount). I painted a wooden dresser black suede (love the color) and found that the Floetrol decreased the gloss in the paint; however, my last three coats were Minwax satin polyurethane, so it all turned out to have the perfect glossiness. I will continue to use the Floetrol from here on out. Hope that helps.
ReplyDeleteI've been dying to paint my front door red, you've given me the inspiration I need! I'll let you know how it turns out!
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful weekend,
~Brooke
OMG! We just went thru this in our family room! We had a 4x5" ish size sample o n the wall for a week, decided it was perfect and shelled out the cash for SW paint. It was supposed to be a burnt orange. Instead? BRIGHT red-orange. Seriously much more red than orange. And this discovered after 4 hours of trimming around and behind the stone fireplace.
ReplyDeleteSo we went back to SW and got a sample can of a much more orangey orange (but still a little muted). Painted the wall on one side of the fireplace and loved it! We were ready to go buy the gallon when hubby says "what about Christmas?" Well, I'm one of those crazies that loves my Christmas stuff, and will leave it up until March. It was totally not working for Christmas. I brought some stuff up to check, and nope.
Back to SW. 5 more sample cans. Posterbaord painted and up. After a few days we chose a dark blue, and painted over the orange sample (that side of the wall now has 3 coats of paint in one week). Left it blue for a couple of days and decided we loved it in all lights, all times of day, etc.
Back to SW. We decided to go with Satin because the sample can was labelled satin. Shelled out the money for a second gallon. Did I mention this is for one stink' wall? Not even a whole room. Paint the wall with the new satin blue, dan it's SHINY!!! I could tell after trimming, but figured that the paint wasn't dry yet, so hence the shiny-ness against the paint on the wall. But nope. It dried shiny.
Back to SW. I explained to the girl who says "Well you can't go by the sample paint." Ummm, then why label it satin???!! She ended up taking pity on me and selling me a quart (since I already had one coat of blue on the wall) at the sale price that we'd gotten the gallon at.
So I paint. I used a small 6" roller since the surface to the sides of the windows are smaller than a regular roller. We got Purdy's instead of the cheapies I normally get. It left streaks. Well, we did paint over a shinier sheen, so maybe it's just showing thru? I did lightly sand between coats btw since it was going over a shinier paint. Coat #2 of the new blue. Still roller marks. Not enough paint to go over it with a regular roller. GUH!
Back to SW. Luckily they had another sale going, so I got another quart. Used a regular roller, and it looks great (for the most part anyway, not like it had looked at least).
So the stinkin; wall is done and is beautiful. Cost a fortune to get there, but I guess that's just the way it goes sometimes!
I'm glad you found your color in the end too :)
Thanks so much for this tutorial - it does seem like some time and patience are needed for a door painting project, but it actually doesn't sound too difficult.
ReplyDeleteI still haven't decided if hubby and I should paint our currently green front door or not. I love red much better, but the existing green isn't too bad... and no one else seems to have it (we've got a couple red doors in the neighborhood already).
I'm also loving the interior of the door painted black - but I am SOOOOO nervous to give this a try!
Argh, dilemmas dilemmas.. to paint or not to paint?!
Take care,
Christina
designingbynumbers.blogspot.com
Awesome! We just managed to paint the exterior of our front door but my husband sprayed it. That leaves me to do the inside (yep, black). Did you use satin or flat? Our satin (what we used on the outside) seems sort of too shiny but I wonder if it's not because it's an oil based laquer paint?
ReplyDeleteThanks!!
could you share what grit sandpaper you used in between coats? I never know what grit is appropriate to use.
ReplyDeleteI am DIY-ing to paint my front door! It all cracked and peeling and U.G.L.Y! You know it's bad when your neighbor re-does his and gives you his leftover stain and sealer....hmmm...
ReplyDeleteYes I have! (Have to read a bit down the post to see it. )
ReplyDeletehttp://www.borninazoo.com/2011/07/july-in-a-nutshell/
The color is Benjamin Moore premixed Classic Burgundy. It's being discontinued ... BOO!
Then... I decided to paint my garage to match the new siding. So, naturally, the garage door was painted a similar color to the front door.
http://www.borninazoo.com/2011/10/this-is-something-that-is-going-to-make-me-very-happy/
I didn't use the BM paint for the garage because I wanted to save what was left from the quart for touchups. I had it color matched at a big box store & the quart was 1/2 the price. I don't use the garage that often, so it didn't matter to me if I went with cheaper paint on it.
An awesome tip I learned on a DIY blog was to have an extra label of your paint mixture printed out & adhere it to the stick that you used to stir the paint with. Works awesome for either computerized color matching or having another can mixed up of the same brand.
Hi Sarah...you are one talented lady..the door "how to" is wonderful..as a newbie it's beyond helpful to fall in love with a look then find out you also provide the step by step instruction...BRILLIANT...I will be back again..I am excited to find you..
ReplyDeleteblessings Karena "A Loblolly Life"
If there is anything I know about painting with red it is to use a grey primer underneath! After painting my kitchen red (not using grey primer) and it taking like eleventy billion coats, I painted another red project in just 2 coats using grey primer. Life saver!
ReplyDeleteKris
We repainted our front door this summer. I just don't think there's any easy way to paint a door.
ReplyDeletehttp://mrsjennaw.blogspot.com/2011/05/front-door-makeover.html
We are in the process- right now!- of painting our previously stained door. My husband sanded all the stain off, and primed, then painted. We waited. Waited. Still waiting for the paint to dry enough to hang it back up! I think we could get it up just fine, but I'm pretty sure that it would stick if we closed it. Absolutely no idea where we went wrong!!
ReplyDeleteWow it looks terrific. Okay should I draw you a map to my house so you can take care of my door too. giggle. Hugs and sincere wishes for a lovely weekend xo
ReplyDeleteIt looks fantastic and well worth the effort! Reds are tricky, that's for sure! The only door I ever did was black, which is pretty hard to mess up from a color perspective (thank goodness!)
ReplyDeleteThank you for all the tips! I want to paint our front door black, which will now probably have to wait for spring since fall has been very wet here. Anyhoo...my question is this: I have a sidelight...do I paint it black too, do I paint the trim around the windows (on the door and the sidelight) black too? Our house is new, the door has never been painted and is fiberglass. Does that make a difference in the type of paint?
ReplyDeleteI'd so appreciate any answers you can provide! Love your blog and style!
~blessings~
Lisa
This is exactly what I needed!! "Paint front door" is last on my current to-do list, mostly because husband has been terrified to let me try as of yet. I've already forwarded your link to him, so my pretty painted front door should appear any day now! :)
ReplyDeleteOh, I love red doors. When my first baby was born, while I was in the hospital my dad went to our house and painted our door red, because he knew I was dying to have a red door. Sweet memory. May you have many happy visitors come through that door! I'm your newest follower; anxious to figure out how to join your parties!
ReplyDeleteThis door is beautiful! You are really talented! I always thought that spray painting was the way to go with doors - I will definetly be trying your method though! Thanks!!
ReplyDeleteI love your gorgeous red door - it's so pretty. Works beautifully with Hallowe'en decorations, but I can hardly wait to see it done up for Christmas! I painted the exterior door of our last house a very rich shiny black and love it. But I started out wanting a very deep ox-blood red, or rich dark blue - couldn't find the right colour and ended up, in self defence really, going for the black. But I've never been sorry - it looks great. But I wish I'd had this article then. The door doesn't look bad but there are brush strokes it would be nice not to see! [being lazy, I didn't remove the hardware, just painted around it with a teeny tiny brush]
ReplyDeleteMy front door is some type of metal, not wood, so it has a few rust spots. Can I use the same primer?
ReplyDeleteI couldn't let this post go without commenting on your primer. I used to be a HUGE fan of the stuff you have posted, but found a new love... its called Stix. Its sooooo great! Goes on like the BIN but is made to be an adhesive primer and stick to anything. I couldn't resist the opportunity to tell you about a great product for us DIYers. :)
ReplyDeleteI know you have a TON of comments already but you can use nail polish remover instead of denatured alcohol to test if the paint is oil or latex. ;)
ReplyDeleteI did that whole my red paint is pink before. After 3 trips I figured out to go with a more brown tones red. That worked much better!
ReplyDeleteI just finished painting my door outside as well and I think I followed the same steps. It must just be a natural way to get the best results.
ReplyDeleteLove the color. I'm changing my inside to black as well.
Oh, how I wish I had read this before my big project... I have yet to get to the door. I went for the WHOLE HOUSE. OUTSIDE. And it's terrible! I'm so embarrassed-- if there is a "mustard green", I have it. All over my house! My poor neighbors... Now we're in the debate of weather or not finishing the trim will make it liveable, or if we need to start saving for more stupid house paint. I'm sure we'll go with the latter, and I WILL be taking your advice this time and getting a sample before I go for the whole 7 gallons! Ahh, lessons learned...
ReplyDeleteuuhhh ohhh. My local hardware store told me to use "trimming" paint for my interior doors. I have black but haven't even tried it yet, now that I see you used regular paint makes me think that I shouldn't use that paint. ANy suggestions about using trimming paint for interior doors. I also want to paint my stair rail black. have you ever done that.
ReplyDeleteI was soooo excited to finally take the plunge! I have a gray house with black shutters - Colonial Style. I originally went with your "Chocolate Cosmos" color and it was beautiful! However, because I have a storm door that creates a shadow and the fact that my door is shadowed the majority of the day from the sun as well, I decided I could go brighter. I looked at Martha Stewart's "Barn" but decided to go even redder with her "Ladybug" mixed in Behr Exterior with the primer already in it. It looks great! It so depends on how the sunlight hits your door and whether or not you have a storm door. I love it! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this. I followed it almost to a T to the point of even copying your color. At first it looked so purple in the can & on the door but after another coat, beautiful! My husband and mother were both soooooo skeptical. I kept saying "the girl on the blog post I read knows what she is doing!". Thanks
ReplyDeleteStarting my door today. Your advice is just what I needed. Couldn't decide on a color and showed my 2 year old the swatches. She pointed at a gray blue, so here goes... If it doesn't look good, we know who to blame! :) Thanx for the info.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your how-to info. I just finished painting my front door yellow. I had a color picked out, but decided spray paint would be easier and just went with the yellow color the spray paint came in. Big mistake! Not only was spray painting more difficult than I thought, the color was way off. So now I get to repaint the whole door. Oh well, now I have your advise for doing it the 'right' way. The new color will be the color I originally wanted, Sherwin Williams Decisive Yellow. We just had the house painted a bright blue with white trim and light tan shutters. As soon as I get the right yellow it will look great!
ReplyDeleteI just finished painting the interior of my front door. I had amazing results because of your tips! I had a very white, steel door to deal with. I did not sand it before painting. I used 2 coats of Benjamin Moore's Gravel Gray in a semi-gloss latex paint. The results were great! I was shocked that it covered in two coats, and I didn't even use a primer. I dont remove hardware, just taped around the deadbolt, knobs, and hinges. I only used my Purdy brush (love them too!) for the panel frames. I used a 1/2 roller with a very short nap, the ones you use for glossy paint. I couldn't be happier! Next I am tackling the front and thinking of swiping your brick color:). Thanks, and if I can suggest anything, its to use a very good quality paint for best results.
ReplyDeleteI AM totally jazzed! Just finished painting my front door and it looks FABU (if I do say so myself). Because I painted it nearly the same shade of red, I didn't need a primer and it covered in 2 coats. I actually found your blog when I googled 'how to paint a door' and now I'm "in luuuuurve" with your tips and your wit! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this! Been wanting to paint my front door red. This is so helpful for so many people!!!
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