Painting your Front Door & How to Choose the Best Color
Paint your front door without removing it from its hinges!
With it starting to feel like Spring outside in Massachusetts, I thought it was time to focus on some of my outdoor projects. First things first, Painting the front door! Our whole house is white, including the front door, so I knew I needed something to break it up. I remembered reading an article while I was picking out indoor paint, on how a black door can increase your house value, and it’s been stuck in my head ever since. The shutters on out house are black, so I decided to just go for it.
I chose Sherwin Williams Tricorn Black in a Semi-Gloss. You want your front door to be able to withstand the outdoor elements, so picking a gloss sheen will help hide the imperfections. How many times have you attempted to open the door with your foot and missed because you tried to bring your groceries in the house in one trip? I hope that’s not just me. I love a good competition- even if it is with myself….
First, you want to start with a clean door- removing the dirt and dust from the grooves. I did a light sand to take off the shine so the paint would stick better. Because I was going from white to black, I knew this was going to take a few coats. If you are painting a door that has not previously been painted before, you definitely want to prime it. My favorite is Kilz Premium Primer- I feel like it really gives the most coverage, especially raw wood.
I then started to paint the edges and the corners of the panels with a brush. You want your first coat to be very light so there are no drip marks. You may notice there are visible brush strokes- don’t worry, the roller will get rid of those! I was a little worried because the paint inside the can looked very blue- almost like a navy, and I was hoping for a crisp black. Once it dried, it was the exact color I was looking for. In the end, you can always re-paint!
I took my roller and started to roll the inside of the panels- again, very lightly! Then I moved to the vertical panel in the middle of the door, and I worked my way to the horizontal panels from left to right. Lastly, paint your outside vertical panels- the ones on the left and right side of the door. You want the outside vertical paint to overlap the horizontal parts you just painted for a seamless look!
I waited about an hour and then repeated the same process 2 more times, for a total of 3 coats. I am SO happy with how it came out! Gives the house some much needed curb appeal!
Now, if only painting the whole house was this quick! One day at a time.
