Front Door and Rachel's Painting Tips

So, remember the list I posted a while back about the projects I wanted to get done around the house? Well, this one wasn't on that list. Mostly because it took less than one day to complete. I don't really count those as projects. More like whims. HA! Anyway, my friend Beth posted some beautiful pictures on Facebook yesterday of her front door. She had just painted her tired, worn front door and made it beautiful with a coat of turquoise glazed with chocolate. Lovely, I tell ya! Just lovely!
So my train of thought went like this (warning- this *might* blow your mind...): Hey, I love that! * I remember when I painted my tired, sad front door! * I really like my front door * I wish I would have painted the inside the same color like all of the beautiful doors I see on blogs * I do have everything I need to do that. Hmmmm... * I do have two hours before Ava wakes up from nap * Maybe I should ask Cole. * Naaaa, he won't care. I hope. * Yup. That's what I am going to do!

And that is what I did.

So first, lets take a quick look back at my front door when we first moved in...


As you can see, it was a hot mess of a very unattractive red (made even worse by the fact that it clashed with the brick) and brass hardware. But I actually really like the window panes in the door.

Notice the nasty glue that is running down the door. That had to be removed with goo be gone. I am guessing that since the house was vacant, and the front doors remained shut so long in the heat, that the space between the storm door and the front door acted like a greenhouse and got hot enough to melt the glue that was used to install the window panes.

I finally settled on a color- Iron Mountain by Benjamin Moore. But I used Valspar. More on that in a bit... I painted the outside of it,

But I left the inside white. I don't know why. Time. Energy. Fear. Whatever. It was boring white. (excuse the pile of junk mail on the entry table. Keeping it real, peeps.)

So yesterday, while Ava napped, I painted the inside of the door the same color! and I love it! Even Cole was impressed. Which is pretty hard to do, people!

I really like the way it looks in the room. It really compliments the foyer/dining room!

I also painted the side of the door. It was white with little brushstrokes of the Iron Mountain on it. Now it is consistent and doesn't look bad when we have the front door standing open!

I am really pleased with how it turned out! I paint a lot. Like, a lot. I don't claim to be an expert, but I do get calls and emails almost every week from friends and acquaintances asking for painting help. So here are my best painting tips. Hope they help you!

*If you find a color (like I did with the door) that is in a brand that you don't like or don't have access to, check with your local big box paint counter. In my case, I don't have a store close that sells Benjamin Moore. But I knew I could ask Lowes to look up the formula and mix the same color in Valspar (their brand).

*99% of the time, I think priming is a waste of time. I know. Painting sin. But, unless you are trying to cover a dark color with a light color, usually two coats or so of the color will do it. Now I do suggest priming if you are concerned about your painting surface. Like painting on metal or plastic.

*Thick paint is good. As long as it's not gloppy. Like Behr. For me, Behr is the worst paint ever. Some people swear by it. Finding "your" brand is important to me, also. For me, I like Valspar and Benjamin Moore (when I can find it).

*There is a trick going around to cover your door handles with aluminum foil when painting. Well foil is metal, and can scratch the handle. Use cling wrap instead. Same result, and no scratches. Plus, it stays on better.

*Foam rollers for furniture, doors, and cabinets. Repeat it with me: FOAM ROLLERS.

*Contrary to popular belief, spray paint doesn't work on everything. Just most everything.

*Prep work is key. It takes some time, and it is a hassle. But it makes clean up easy and painting look professional.

*Get a good edging brush. And clean it out well between each use.

*Put paint trays, rollers, and brushes in plastic bags between coats to keep them from getting nasty. I use a small garbage bag for the tray and roller. You can also put them in the fridge if you need to let something dry overnight.

*Don't paint over wet paint. All you will do is pull the tacky paint off.

*Don't wait for your paint to dry all the way before pulling your tape off. If you do, you will need to use an exacto knife to score the paint so the tape doesn't pull off your paint.

*Paint tape isn't a license to get sloppy with your lines. It helps, but doesn't always keep bleeds from happening.

*When painting something like stripes, put your tape on and then paint the edges with your background color, before painting your stripe color on. This way, the background color seals the edges and ensures a perfect line. Takes a little time, but it makes a huge difference! Trust me!!!

Hope these help you and maybe just inspire you to paint something around your house that has been bothering you, the way Beth inspired me!!!