Not the best looking door yet, but let's back up for a second... here's what we're working with:
Of course that was way back when we first bought the house, but literally the only thing we've changed since is the floors.
Everything else was gold, beige and bleh. Had to go.
Remember when I painted our kitchen door black?
I love that door so much—I knew black was the right choice for the front doors too. They needed to stand out rather than blend in to the background.
I used the same paint (Valspar Signature Duramax Exterior paint in Dark Kettle Black, which is a soft smoky black).
Let's take a look at the front of the doors first...
Not a terribly offensive color, but really not my style.
The old mismatched brass handles were especially rough looking.
After scrubbing the doors down, removing the hardware and taping the trim off, it was time to paint.
The first coat always looks rough...
Covering over darker colors is a little easier...
The paint dries pretty fast though, and by the time I finished one side and took a small rest, it was time to put up another coat.
Here's how the second coat looks:
Then a third coat, which covered pretty well.
I went over it a fourth time just to get any areas that were peeking through and make sure it was fully covered.
After drying, we installed our new hardware. I ordered matching handles for all three keyed entrance points (the kitchen, front door and garage) so they would all be keyed the same. Nice and simple.
For the front door, I spray painted the decorative handle bars (we painted the gold screws black after this photo was taken). The doors look grayish here—they are definitely black when you step back, but next to the oil rubbed bronze you can see that the shade is definitely a softer black.
Once that was taken care of, I painted the foyer and hallway in the same barely-there gray I use throughout the house—Valspar's Montpelier Madison White.
I am seriously in love with this paint—it covers in just one coat so I was able to paint the foyer and entire hallway in less than a couple hours. Easiest paint job ever.
Here's a hallway photo from the other night...
And here it is now:
Certainly far from done (I plan to add some kind of molding/trimwork and a ledge for frames), but it's a step in the right direction. It's much more refreshing in there.
While we're at it, we're updating the old switches so that's still in progress (I need to make a Lowe's trip to grab some plates). I also ordered matching ORB handles for the rest of the doors in the house, so they should be here in a few days—so ignore the taped down closet door below. And I plan on either replacing that door entirely or transforming it with trim + paint in the near future.
I also added this jute runner I picked up at TJ Maxx for $30 a couple weeks ago...
I'll bring in more pieces this weekend to add some personality, but for now I'm just loving the contrast it brings to the space.
No more blending into a sea of white & beige!
Both doors open, which is convenient for the large packages we're always bringing into the house, but we normally keep the right door latched in place.
Now they are just begging for some spring wreaths for a pop of color. Planning to get on that soon.
Meanwhile, it's time for another planking project! This little foyer wall is my next victim...
Work begins tonight, so I'm hoping to have a fully functional, fabulous foyer photo for you on Monday (say that 5x fast).
Enjoy your Easter weekend!
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