One thing I have learned over the years is that paint can do wonders in a space. It’s one of the most affordable changes to make and it has the power to completely transform a room or piece of furniture. An easy way to refresh your entry way is really just that, paint! Our front door has been looking a little shabby lately. Maybe it was that it had gotten scuffed up or maybe it was just that the outdoor casing had only primer on it. Before we bought our house the front door and the outdoor frame had all been replaced and was unpainted. We immediately painted the door but just gave the outside frame a coat of primer. This spring J and I picked out the colors for the outside of the house. Our house if you didn’t know already desperately needs to be painted. The poor windows are peeling and the shudders are so faded. It’s really quite sad. Here are the paint colors we’ve chosen.
I had originally thought I wanted white trim but because we live in such a wooded area, the Lancaster White seemed to be a better choice. It’s much lighter in person but hopefully will not show dirt as badly. For now I just wanted to freshen up the entry way.
Here’s our door before –
Not terrible but it needed something for sure.
I made sure to clean the door first. I used TSP cleaner that you can find at any home improvement store. Let that dry and then lightly sand the door to give the new paint something to cling too. Use a damp rag to wipe away any dust.
I used Valspar’s higher end exterior paint that has primer in it. Valspar is one of my favorite paint lines. We’ve had great experience with them over the years and we only have to go right down the street to pick it up! If you’re using paint that does not have a primer in it make sure to give the door a good coat of primer first.
You can take your door hardware off or just simply tape around it as I did.
Start by using a good quality brush to get all of the trim. You want to make sure the paint gets into all of the spaces your roller can not. Once that is done you’re ready to roll the flat spaces. I used s small roller with a cover rated for cabinets and doors. It took two coats to cover, however I did give it a thin third coat for extra measure. Three thin coats are better than one super thick coat. You want your finish to be nice and smooth. I like to remove my tape before the last coat completely dries. I used a knife to scour the tape to prevent it from removing the paint around it.
I even got the outdoor casing painted as well. I love how fresh and welcoming it all looks! The Lancaster White is such a warm, creamy color. The front door color is a bluish/green with a little grey. The above photos look much lighter than it actually does in person. The photo below is truer to the real color.
An extra step that will welcome your guest is a nice wreath. However, wreaths are not the only thing you can use. I found this basket at the craft store for only $4 and threw in some lavender sprigs I had on hand. Doesn’t it just scream summer?
There ya have it. For less than $25 total you’ve got a bright and fresh entry! Enjoy the rest of your summer friends and I hope you’ll meet me back here next week so I can show you what we’ve been up too in the dining room.
You may also want to check out these –
| Effortless Summer Entry Way |
| A Budget Friend Staircase Makeover |
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