Paint the front door

I have thought about painting the interior side of our front door for a very long time. There was some mental dialog that kept me from doing it. I don’t love the design of our front door. Ideally I would like to change it and install a pricy beautiful door. There are a couple reasons why that isn’t going to happen. All our interior doors are white but a different design that is farm house modern that I absolutely love. They are doors I pick out at the design center. When you settle on the home elevation they have a full design set up for what you pick including the front door. There was no option to change out the door. It is a definite give and take. It is mostly deciding what you like the most and live with the rest.

The deciding picture

painting the front door

I love so many elements about my entry. The shiplap ceiling, the crown molding, the barn doors and chandelier are just dreamy. I don’t remember why I was taking this picture but after seeing the front door I thought, ‘why haven’t I painted this door yet’. Painting the door black was something I had thought about for a long time. I think I was worried about the end result.

painting the door

After seeing this pic I was all in. I pulled out my Benjamin Moore paint fan that I’ve had for years. I highly recommend purchasing one. They aren’t expensive and are nice to have around. There are a few of them available. I am drawn to the Historical Collection colors so that is the fan I purchased. There weren’t any blacks in the Historical Collection so I had to look in a different section. After deciding on a color I was off to Home Depot to pick up the paint.

Did I make a mistake

painting the door

I started by taping off the hinges and door handle. Side note. I would love a different handle as well but right now I’m working with what I have. I used a brush to paint the interior bevels of the door and the edge by the hinges and bottom. My preference would be to use a roller so I didn’t have paint brush strokes but that just isn’t possible unless we pulled the door down and used a sprayer.

paint the front door

After I got started the door looked worse and made me question my decision. For a few minutes I was thinking ‘I messed this up, this looks terrible’. Then I gathered myself and knew I needed to settle down and keep going. This is how the door looked after I got all the paint brush work done. It actually reminded me of my grandparents house. I can’t remember if their front door looked like this or if it was a house in the neighborhood.

paint the front door

I then got going with the roller. This was a quick project. It didn’t take too long to brush the bevels and the rolling was really fast.

One concern I had about painting this door was the faux wood grain that came through the door. I wasn’t sure how this faux wood would look painted black. The wood grain that showed through the white paint was something I disliked about the door. Here it is after the first coat of paint. Still looking like a bad idea. Thankfully I was able to hold it together and knew it was only going to look better.

Another coat of paint

After the first coat of paint was good and dry I was anxious too add a second coat. I love the effects of paint. It is such a budget conscious element that can make an amazing change to a space. Its nice that the second coat of paint goes on easier and always looks better then the first. Because I was painting this white door black I decided to give it a light third coat. That final coat was super simple to do and wow what an amazing change.

paint the front door

It looks so good. After seeing it I didn’t mind the faux wood grain being visible with the black door. I was 90% sure that the faux wood grain would still be visible which was part of my apprehension. The door was painted while slightly open because I wanted to paint the white inner edges which would be visible when the door was opened. The outside of our door is a very dark brown that I don’t love but will be staying as is for now.

Finished look

paint the front door
paint the door

I am so happy with the way it looks. It went from a boring white door that didn’t do much in the space to a stunning accent to an already stunning space. I absolutely love the way it looks.

My favorite thing about a painting project is how quick and inexpensive you can make a small change to the space. For under $30 I was able to make an incredible improvement to our entry.

It is easy to do and makes such a statement. For the first week or so when I would walk past our entry the front door stood out and was extremely noticeable. Now a few weeks in when I walk by sometimes I notice it and admire its beauty and am so glad I took the plunge and painted the door. Other times it doesn’t even register that I painted the door and is now just beautiful piece in my entry.

The overall cost was under $30. I had a good quality bush and roller so I didn’t need to purchase supplies to paint the get this project finished.

If you have a space that needs a little refresh but you don’t have a large budget I’m a big advocate of paint. Whether it is a door, trim or adding a feature wall. They are all projects that make and create so much charm without costing a lot. If a room is dirty and dingy a fresh coat of paint will change the space. I am not afraid of color but I also love black and white for a classic clean feel. Don’t be afraid to do something different. If the result isn’t what you wanted you can fix it easily with another coat of paint.

This post contains affiliate links.  If you shop from my blog, I may be compensated for clicks or purchases that you make.  

Read my disclaimer page for more information.

Free 30 Day Guide to Calm and Peace

Picture of Sherylee

Sherylee

I am passionate about cultivating home. Whether you like DIY, design, decor or organization I want to help you cultivate the best home for you. One space and step at a time. Small simple to maintain changes with big results.

Organization Saves Time & Money Here's How