It can be intimidating to paint. It’s messy and can take a long time, especially if you need to use ladders or paint multiple rooms. But it can be really rewarding too! You can show off your personality through colors and I love having the little memory of, “Remember when we painted this….” Recently I painted my front door—and I love it! It was the perfect little weekend project. Here are my top 5 painting tips.
1. Take your time choosing the perfect color. If you can, take a few paint swatches home and tape them up to the door or wall you plan to paint. See how the colors look with the surrounding area. Think about how this color will look through the seasons. I choose a bold yellow for my front door because I wanted a bright accent to my otherwise neutral/wooden home.
2. Choose the perfect finish. Most paints come in flat (sometimes called matte), satin, semi gloss and high-gloss. For my door I choose semi gloss. I usually prefer flat because I like how it doesn’t reflect light. But for a front door semi gloss or high-gloss is a better option because it can be cleaned more easily.
3. Prep the area you plan to paint. For me this included giving my front door a good wipe down. You don’t want to paint over dust or debris because it will leave bumps in your paint. When painting a dark surface to a lighter color (like a dark brown to yellow) it is a good idea to first paint on a layer of primer. I forgot to buy primer. Oops. No biggie, an extra coat of paint did the trick for me.
4. Tape everything and watch your floors! Tape around edges and hardware. I choose to leave my door on its hinges as I painted. You could choose to take your door off, but be sure to hang up a thick cloth to keep flies out as much as you can as you paint. This is also why it’s a good idea to complete a front door paint job in the spring or autumn months; you don’t want your door open or off it’s hinges during months of super hot or cold weather. And be sure to cover your floors with newspaper or drop cloths as you work, especially if you have carpet. Painting can be messy but if you prepare then you can easily keep the mess under control and keep clean up time to a minimum.
5. Order pizza. This is essential for DIY painting projects, no matter how large or small. And you are absolutely required to order pizza if you have friends who are kind enough to help. Pizza + painting = a good time!
Side note: To paint the frame or not? I choose to paint the frame/trim around my front door because I loved the idea of making the color pop and I felt committed to my color choice. But you can totally choose to not paint the frame, making the door color a little bit subtler and it will feel a little more a part of the house. Just a preference choice—don’t be afraid to do what you want! xo. Emma
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A very sunny colour!
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I love that ordering pizza is part of your required tips. I make sure to get a pizza any time I have friends over to help me out with a project.
The last picture of you in front of the door is such a gorgeous photo! I love yellow, this looks fantastic!
omg. i love yellow so much.
I love a bright and colorful door!
Great post, I am about to embark on painting my 50s kitchen cabinet that i am refurbishing. I am going to cover all my kitchen in newspaper, wish me luck!
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Great color choice with your dark wood! I painted mine a nice pistachio color, and I love it. Painting is definitely a pain, but so worth the hassle!
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You and your sister are everything i want to be. You’re creative,fashionable and quite handy with a camera!
Love,
Your biggest fan! 🙂
Ha! I just picked up a bunch of paint chip cards to attempt to find the perfect shade of yellow. This project is for a stripe up my steps but the front door is definitely on the list in the coming weeks. I love how your yellow turned out!
I’d love to do this (great colour choice by the way) but even though I own my condo all the doors must be the same burgundy colour (no choice). The exterior is really ugly so I have to make up for it in my interior design.
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That is the cutest! I definitely have always wanted to paint my front door a fun color! Love the yellow, it’s so happy and welcoming 🙂
Such a fun post! Thanks so much for sharing.
congrats on your new blog location/set-up! gunna miss food coma after many months quietly reading from the sideline! Gunna this time try and be bit more vocal as a blog reader!
loving that yellow! such a cheery, pick-me-up colour! it looks great!
I love the yellow. So bright, cheerful, and inviting! Nice choice.
Hah, that was exactly the inspiration I needed! This summer our front door is going to be…. Yellow!
hahaha, your pup is making the cutest face in that last photo! I adore it!
#8o3
Meghan
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