Interior Front Door makeover DIY: How to paint it for $0!
Looking for an easy and impactful paint project? Find out how this Interior Front Door Makeover DIY, is my $0 secret to a stylish “new” door.
Spring has arrived and it’s the time of year I get revved up for “Makeover madness”. Time to fling open the windows and get creative with paint.
My secret for this $0 Front door makeover
Leftover paint…That’s it! What else do you do with left over paint right? Of course it’s a good idea keep a little for touch ups. Other than that it often sits there waiting for the next hazardous waste disposal day.
I don’t always have my design fully fleshed out when I start a project and for me, that’s ok. I’ve never been afraid of painting, getting it wrong, and repainting if needed.
Case in point: At 7 months pregnant, I repainted my son’s nursery a denim blue the day after it was painted robin’s egg blue, because the original colour I chose just wasn’t working for me.
Getting started with an interior front door makeover:
Choose an interior door paint colour:
Begin by gathering image photos from places like Pinterest or Houzz.
From light bright neutrals to deep moody tones, an interior door is a perfect place to have some fun.
It doesn’t have to match the outside of your front door (but it can!) It should, however, complement the colour scheme in the front entry and surrounding space.
For a subtle look, opt for a colour that is slightly lighter or darker than your walls or make it more dramatic by pulling a pop of colour from any fabric in the room or a maybe a piece of art.
Alternatively, you can’t go wrong with almost any shade of black (very popular these day!) as seen below.
Paint: Sherwin Williams: Iron Ore-Matte (basement reno project)
See more Interior door paint colour inspiration here.
Gather your supplies:
- TSP or degreaser,
- primer and paint
- painter’s tape,
- an angled brush
- a small roller (I used a foam roller for mine),
- a drop cloth and some rags
Steps for painting the front door:
1. Prep is key to any successful paint project.
Clean it up: The first step to a smooth finish is to make sure your door is clean. I wiped mine down with TSP then rinsed it with water and allowed it to dry.
Tape it off: Following the cleaning, it’s time to tape things off. Here is where painter’s tape is your friend: For a clean paint edge (and so I didn’t have to worry about scraping paint splatter off the window itself) add painter’s tape all around the window trim.
Because I decided to keep my door on its hinges while painting, I then applied painter’s tape around both the hinges and hardware.
Pro tip:
If you choose to paint an interior door with it still on the hinges, keep paint off the floor by sliding a piece of cardboard underneath the door.
2. Prime time:
Next, I applied a coat of primer. My preferred process is using an angled brush for the inset panel corners, followed by a roller for the raised parts. This will ensure good adhesion for your new paint colour. Remember to allow primer to dry as per product recommendations.
3. Apply Paint
The final (and most satisfying!) step is applying the beautiful new colour. To prevent drips, apply thin coats of paint and remember to brush/ roll in the same direction for a smoother finish. In order to reduce brush strokes, I like to end by rolling everything with the sponge roller.
For this project, I chose my leftover paint (BM Coventry Gray HC-169). Next, to ensure full coverage, I repeated the brush and roll process for each coat of paint. Before it was fully dry, I removed the painter’s tape to reveal a perfectly clean edge.
Note: builder grade doors aren’t perfect and even the smoothest of foam rollers might still leave a little texture behind.
These steps are similar to what I did for the Exterior front door painted makeover.
See step by step tips from Better Homes and Gardens: how-to-paint-an-interior-door.
My $0 interior front door makeover:
Because I used leftover paint, primer and supplies, all this project cost me was time. Since the paint colour was used previously in our Dream Kitchen makeover, it helped create a cohesive look on the main floor.
In order to elevate the look, I then added a spring wreath to the inside of the door and will change it up seasonally.
This is such a simple and affordable way to add a dose of personality to the front entry. And I wish I’d done it sooner.
In the end, this project took me only one day to complete. I was so thrilled with the results, that I’ve decided to paint the front closet doors the same colour 🙂 Project details coming soon!
If you liked this Interior Front Door makeover DIY paint project, you might also like these other DIY projects.
