The color of your front door can match with other painted elements.
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Are you looking for a low-effort, high-impact project to do this weekend? Few home improvement projects give you a bigger bang for your buck than a freshly painted front door. Yet, this is something that most of us can tackle over a sunny weekend, and it costs little more than the price of a can of paint
Consider this your cheat sheet. Below, you’ll find our three simple steps to a front door you can be proud of, plus a little color inspiration.
What you’ll need:
· The front door paint of your choice. If you want a mid-sheen finish, choose eggshell. For an ultra-reflective finish, use high gloss paint.
· Exterior Wood Primer & Undercoat in the recommended tone for your paint color – if you try to match the colors as closely as possible, your chosen topcoat will look better.
· Sandpaper
· Masking tape
· A paint brush – your best size is most likely a 2-inch angled brush
How to paint your front door
PREP:
Remove all hardware, then sand the door, making sure it’s clean and dry. If your door has glass, use masking tape around the edge of each pane to keep splatters at bay.
Experts recommend starting this project in the early morning, or even the night before, to ensure you can give the paint all afternoon to dry.
PRIME:
Apply a layer of exterior wood primer & undercoat, using a 2-inch angled brush, one section at a time. Then leave to dry.
Paint pros recommend following the sequence below when painting your door:
Panels
Central beam (also known as the muntin)
Top rail
Middle rail
Bottom rail
Side beams of the door (also known as the stiles)
PAINT:
Apply two layers of your chosen door paint in the same order, leaving to dry between coats.
Choosing front door colors
This is where your creativity and imagination come into play. You can choose between keeping things harmonious or daring to be different, matching the color of your door to another architectural element, or picking a favorite hue — just because. As long as a homeowner association does not dictate paint colors, you can indulge your wildest fantasy. It’s only paint: if you don’t like the results, you can change the look by painting over the color with another.
A few tried and true front door colors include glossy black, muted grays, pale pretty blues and ever-popular saturated red. But there are no rules: do what makes you smile, and it will do the same for passers-by.