Transform Your Front Door

Hometalk Highlights
by Hometalk Highlights
5 Materials
$20
1 Hour
Easy
Hi all! I’m Amber and I recently did a Facebook Live video where I showed you how to paint your front door. In case you missed it, here’s the tutorial! If you’d like to schedule a video consult, I’d be happy to Team Up for a color consult or to discuss painting techniques and how to’s. Head over the the page and message me to get started.
I'm here at my neighbor's house, and they recently added an addition, so they wanted the front door to match the new trim on the house. It's a VERY hot one here in Houston today, so we decided to leave the door on the hinges, and we’ll go back later in the evening to clean up the edges when we won’t be letting all the AC out!


Step 1: Clean your door well. We used Clorox wipes and magic eraser to get rid of the dirt and scuffs, and those magic erasers are awesome! The door is already looking better!



Step 2: Remove or cover any hardware. If you’re replacing your door hardware, now’s the time to remove it. Removing locks and knobs can be tricky, so if you’re keeping your hardware, I recommend covering well with painter’s tape.
Step 3: More tape! I also used painter's tape around this decorative window, so that we can paint quickly, and not have to worry about getting paint on the glass. To tape a round area, use small piece of tape, and follow the curve of the glass.
Step 4: Lightly sand your door. You can use sandpaper or a sanding block. I prefer blocks, because I can get into the nooks and crannies on any surface. This is a metal door, and the goal is to rough up the surface of the door a bit so that the paint really adheres to the door.
Step 5: Get ready to paint
I don't always buy the paint tray liners, and I've found that using a plastic bag over my tray keeps the mess to a minimum and helps with a quick clean up! Just put the bag over the tray, and pour the paint directly on the tray.
To match the new trim on their house, the owners want to paint the front door a dark gray. We're using a Benjamin Moore exterior paint, which they had on hand. For a front door, you'll always want to use an exterior paint so that it stands up to the elements. You can use either oil or water based paint, but I prefer water based for an easy clean up!


To paint, I used a paint brush and a small foam roller. A foam roller is your friend here, because it'll even out all the drips and strokes you'll see from the brush.
Step 6: Paint your door!
Start by using the paint brush to fill in the trim areas first. We call this "cutting in". Once you get good coverage, smooth it over with the foam roller. Keep painting, you got this!
With this color, for maximum coverage, we'll need a second coat. It was so hot that the paint dried quickly, and I was able to apply the second coat almost immediately.
Stand back and enjoy your door! What color is your front door? We'd love to hear from you! If you would like a video consult, to help you choose a color, or to share my tips, I'm here to help. Message me here.
Check out the stunning final results!
Resources for this project:
See all materials
Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Hometalk may collect a small share of sales from the links on this page.More info
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
3 of 33 questions
  • Mary Bjerg Timmons Mary Bjerg Timmons on Aug 06, 2018

    Looks great! Did you think about outlining the trim around the window part in black ? It would match the door handles. Just a thought. Great job !

  • Patricia Smith Patricia Smith on Aug 06, 2018

    Could you paint an aluminum door the same way? I live in a mobile home.

  • Melinda Faile Melinda Faile on Sep 24, 2018

    I too have a metal door, however it has a vinyl coating that has bubbled, cracked and now peeling from the heat. Do you have any suggestions as to how to fix this? I get disgusted everytime I look at it!

Comments
Join the conversation
3 of 79 comments
  • Eha1375442 Eha1375442 on Aug 08, 2018

    Love the door, but I would have done the threshold too! The stripe of white looks out of place. 💗

    • Connie Connie on Nov 23, 2019

      Yes ! She definitely should have done the threshold.

  • Lisa Provost Lisa Provost on Aug 09, 2018

    I did this to my front door and almost the exact same color! I love mine! It gives mine a pop...not to much though...Your’s looks great!! I love the colored doors!

Next