did you know i used to be a painter?  midway through college i interned as a faux finisher that eventually turned into a short-lived career (maybe 4 years total).  it was a really fun job, being creative and active everyday.  to keep busy, i’d often take on small jobs for friends.  a memorable one was the red powder room.  we chose a deep red, and i knew it would need a few coats of paint because reds can be tricky – they don’t get to their intended intensity until they’ve had really good coverage.  after 5 or 6 coats of paint and still not getting past the hot pink phase, i think we changed directions and went for a simple taupe!  sometimes red is just not the right choice!

all that to say, using red paint can be tricky, and always needs several coats.  one of the first things i noticed about our house when we first saw it were the red front doors.  while i love a front door that stands out, this one stood out for all the wrong reasons.  despite the great shape and style of the doors, what i noticed most was the horrible paint job and hot pink/reddish color.  only one coat of red was added to previously white doors and, well, it definitely made an impression, just not necessarily the first impression that i think was intended.

when Decoart reached out to me with an offer to try out their new line of exterior home decor paint, Americana Decor Curb Appeal, it was just the motivation i needed to finally paint our front door.  as a renter, often the feeling is that my hands are tied as far as making changes goes.  but paint can make a huge difference for a very minor investment.  in fact, this project would cost less than $10!

these are some of the pictures i drew inspiration from.

i chose Colonial Black because i love a dark front door.  plus the house is a dark beige color and the black really stands out nicely against it.  not to mention my slight fear of color…

but if you aren’t afraid of color, there are 21 great colors to choose from!

i used less than 1 bottle of paint for this project (both doors!), and only 2 coats in some areas.  the paint was so thick and gave really good coverage!  i had been telling my 11 year old daughter, lily, that i wanted to paint those front doors for the last year, so when we finally got the paint, she offered to help.  and by help, she did almost the entire project for me!  i walked her through the steps of painting and she did an amazing job, leaving me with just a few touch-ups and a few of the more difficult spots.  the paint dried really quickly, so we were able to do a second coat (really in just a couple spots) after an hour, and close our front door within just a couple hours.

one of the more difficult parts of painting a door is doing the parts in the right order.  as you can see by our door’s previous paint job, painting with the direction of the grain of the wood is pretty important.

start with painting the recessed areas first (1), then the flat panels (2).  i like to paint the shorter raised panels in the direction of the grain (3), then the longer ones (4).  for the window pane dividers (5), i almost never tape the glass off.  it takes so long and is really hard to get accurate and in the tight corners, plus its really easy to scrape any paint from the windows with a flat razor blade.  i finish with the longest flat panels (6), always keeping with the direction of the grain.

also, using the right brush is important.  my favorite brushes are made by purdy, and i especially like the angled brushes.  we used a 2 inch angled brush for this whole project.  brush care is also really important.  as tempting as it is to dip the whole brush in paint to not have to reload as often, dipping just the bottom 1/2 inch or so is ideal to keep the bristles nice.  plus its much easier to clean when the project is done.  this paint cleans up easily with just water and a teeny drop of soap.

i am so pleased with the finished product and how quick & easy it was!

  (click the image above for where to purchase)

this post was sponsored by Decoart, but all opinions are my own.  i have been a fan of Decoart paints for years and use them often in my home.  when you support my sponsors, it supports me – thank you!