The front door creates the first impression of your home to your visitors. They ring the bell or knock, and then stand there waiting for you to answer, looking around at the door, the porch, and the landscaping. Most people deny making judgements, but they are making assumptions at the least. Good or bad, they have an impression of your home, before they ever step one foot inside.

Honey, get the door

While awaking our home from its long Pennsylvania winter nap, I noticed that the paint around the door frame was dingy and chipped. It was far from inviting. Our light gray house and black door seemed sad and boring, too much like the gray days of winter, which I was over! Since I was going to have to break out all the stuff needed to paint the trim, why not change the door color too?

Choosing a color was not easy! After endlessly scrolling on Pinterest (my biggest source of inspiration), we made a scouting trip to the hardware store and gathered a handful of paint chip cards to ponder over. We stuck the cards under the siding by the door and studied them for over a week. Then I picked the wrong color. I was trying to paint it a nice teal, but instead ended up looking like a country blue from the 90’s. So back to the hardware store we went. Fortunately, the next color was much better! So, for $20 and a couple hours of my time, we now have a bright, cheerful entry to our home. The lesson here is to look at the paint color in all lights, especially if that light changes throughout the day,

As with most paint jobs, getting ready to paint is the most time consuming. Gather the supplies such as a good 2″ brush, a small foam roller, roller pan, pan liner, stir stick, drop cloth, painters’ tape, fine sandpaper, a wet rag for those inevitable drips, razor blade scraper, and a screwdriver to remove the handle. You can tape the hinges, but I rarely tape the glass. Paint on glass is easy to remove with a razor blade scraper, and its faster than the time it takes to tape.

• Remove the door hardware, clean, prep, and prime the surface.
• Stir the paint tin well before pouring into the paint tray. A tray liner makes for quick clean-up
• Give the door a light sand and apply at least two coats using the following diagram as a guide
• Use a combination of foam rollers and high-quality paint brushes to apply an undercoat and lay it off to avoid lines.
• Allow it to dry completely before closing
• Reattach the door and the hardware.

A quick review of how to paint a door is worth looking at. There is a better way to paint a door rather than just starting at the top and working your way down.

The Finished Product