This post may contain affiliate links. This means that if you buy the cool stuff I recommend, I earn a small commission (but you still pay the same price). Thanks for helping me make a living doing my dream job!
Anybody who knows me or follows this blog knows that I love color. Like, I really love color. So ever since we signed the paperwork at our closing, I’ve been wanting to do a colorful front door makeover. The curb appeal was lacking in general, so we’ve been slowly working to change that.
Here’s what our door looked like before. It was fine. But I wanted it to be amazing, so when I was offered the opportunity to try out DecoArt’s new Curb Appeal paint before it was available to the public, I jumped at the chance!
They have 21 beautiful colors, and you can also mix them as I did to create a custom color. I was going for a contemporary version of Rookwood Blue Green from Sherwin Williams’ historical heritage collection, which I think I accomplished. A little background: the main part of our house was built in 1830, so I try to honor that by decorating it with a modernized version of that decor period.
Today I’m going to share the surprisingly simple process of painting my front door with you, in case you’d like to add a pop of color to your home as well. It’s really not hard guys! I did all four of our exterior doors in one day, and still had time to enjoy happy hour 🙂 So let’s get started!
Begin by cleaning your door thoroughly. This is a crucial step, especially if you live on a busy road where cars kick up a lot of dirt. Clean the whole surface with Windex, then rinse it well with water. Dry it with a paper towel and allow it to air dry for at least 15 minutes.
Next, tape off the lock, knob and any other hardware on the door. If you have a door knocker, remove the front piece and tape off the part that’s mounted to the door.
Because our door was black, I started with a coat of white Curb Appeal paint to act as a primer. The great thing about this paint is that it dries quickly, so you don’t have to leave your door open all day (which was especially important for me because I did this on possibly the coldest day of the winter #craftersgonnacraft). But because it dries quickly, it also means that you can’t dillydally while you’re painting.
You’ll want to work efficiently, covering each panel and then going back in to any trim or molding. Let the “primer” dry for an hour or two (until it’s dry to the touch). I just did one coat of white which worked well. If you’re doing multiple doors, do this step on each one so by the time you come back to the first one it will be dry and ready for the next coat of paint.
Now it’s time to combine the paint if you’ve chosen to mix two colors. Skip this step if you chose one of the many premixed colors. I used one cup of Cape Cod Mint and 3/4 of a cup of Williamsburg Blue, pouring them into a disposable Tupperware container.
Using a plastic spoon, stir the paint until it’s completely combined. And I mean completely… like, until your arm is tired from stirring because you don’t want to end up with part of your door more bluish than the rest.
Paint it section-by-section using long, even brushstrokes. You may need two coats of color – I did. Let the first coat dry thoroughly and then paint the second coat the same way. Let everything dry thoroughly before you close the door.
I did this entire process in one morning, and the door was dry and ready to close that afternoon. I was surprised at how simple the process was, and what a huge difference it made!
I also like it because I don’t feel the need to constantly have a wreath up… the blue green color dresses it up plenty. (Of course I usually have one up anyways!).
I just love the pop of color it adds to our house. Then next, we’ll be adding some landscaping in the front yard. Here’s hoping it survives my black thumb!
Comments are closed.