Front Porch: Improvements with Paint

By Kate Riley August 8, 2011

Hey all, hope your weekend was swell.  We’re in ‘last week of summer’ mode around here which means relaxation is priority number one until school starts next week.  However I did manage to squeeze in a few front porch improvements over the past few days. 

I’ve long been in love with the idea of painting the front door something other than white.  All the colors of the rainbow seemed too strong and all wrong, and since the stucco is yellowish in tone, gray seemed the logical choice. 

I posed a question on Facebook what color gray I should go with, and many kind readers responded, thank you!  I reasoned it was best to grab those two samples I was considering, and maybe a couple more at my local Benjamin Moore.

Choosing the perfect gray is very challenging – there are so many ways gray can lean based on the formula: lavender, green, blue, or taupe, one must be careful! 

 

As always, you can’t tell much from a paint deck swatch, you need a real sample viewed in proper light so I picked up four samples from my local BM, and painted big swatches on a poster board to study which would be the best choice.   

  

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The voting was a family affair, with the men on the side of ‘Cape May Cobblestone’ in the lower right corner.

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The gals were split, me for ‘Gray Horse’ upper left with its green undertones and the little lass for lower left ‘Coventry Gray’ with blue undertones.  Yes, my children can be found still in their pajamas in the afternoon in summertime.  What?  That’s not normal? 

My darling daughter pointed out that the blue undertones in the ‘Coventry Gray’ matched the lavender in the garden.  Brillz, I tell you.  Look for her name in lights someday. 

I decided in an abundance of caution it was best to stay close to a true gray, so the men prevailed and ‘Cape May Cobblestone’ won. 

 

 

It’s nice, it’s sophisticated, it’s subtle.  I like it.  The gray will take some getting used to, but change is good.  I think what’s throwing me is the fact that I painted the urns too.  I’m really not liking that look, they look too ‘gravestone’ to me and I’ll likely paint them white again soon.  Or maybe I’ll leave them gray until Halloween, mooo ha ha. 

Painting the door was a simple process.  I deglossed the existing latex enamel paint, taped off the hardware and door surround, then used a low sheen enamel paint in a latex acrylic formula.  This particular paint is designed for outdoors and resists moisture and rust.  The enamel formula dries quickly to a hard finish more like an oil based paint, but offers the ease of soap and water cleanup.  Me thinks it will make a great furniture paint too since it comes in both low lustre and high gloss.    

 

 

I also had to tackle a few other issues that have been bothering me for a while now.  There was a whole lotta hodge to the podge going on between the dirty brass sconces which did not coordinate with the nickel handle and the black threshold which to me just stuck out like a sore thumb.  Cute kid though, he can stay.

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The threshold is built into the frame so it’s not like I could easily replace it without having to reframe the door.  Everything I read online said you can’t or shouldn’t paint your metal threshold.  Well call me crazy, but I completely ignored that advice. 

I sprayed two coats of water based Bullseye 123 primer and covered with two coats of the same enamel paint used on the door.  I choose latex and not oil based paints because latex formulas allow for expansion and contraction which both occur with moisture and heat outdoors.  Time will tell if the paint on the threshold proves durable, I shall know much more in a few months.  But I just couldn’t stare at a black threshold anymore. 

 

The one improvement I’m most thrilled about is the change to the lantern sconces.  I committed to fixing those in my Home Goals of 2011 and finally got around to it.  It was a cheap fix, with spray paint to the rescue once more. 

We have four of these sconces on our house, two on the porch, two on the garage, so even though I wanted to replace them, that would cost me some cash.  Instead, I just refreshed them with a paint.  Once I dismantled them (taking pictures along the way!) and cleaned out the bug corpses, washed the glass and porcelain, then spray painted the metal with RustOleum’s ‘Matte Nickel’.    

 

 

 

It all feels more coordinated now, except for those dang gravestone like urns.  Doh. I’ll have to make them white again as soon as I find the energy.  

  

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What about you, have you painted your front door lately?  What technique and paint product did you use?  And what’s your favorite shade of gray?  

 

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122 comments

  1. I don’t have a favorite shade of grey, but I do like the updated front door. I agree with you about the planters, but why not try a fun, poppy color like blue or green? Just to add a splash of color? Just an idea. I usually turn to white, too, but I’ve been trying to add color, just to mix things up.

  2. Looks pretty! Grays are so hard! We painted our kitchen island last week Coventry Gray and it looks light purple. It is getting a new color with more beige in the gray later today. Going with either SW Amazing Gray or Mega Greige. Crossing my fingers for the look I’m after.

  3. Looks great – I don’t see a lot of gray doors and this is a good look!

    Gray is SO hard to get right. A lot of rooms in my house are painted gray, but my favorite gray out of them is Sherwin Williams’ monorail silver – the color of our nursery. It’s a great gray… not too bluish.

  4. I love it!! It looks great. It is a nice subtle change. I agree with Amanda about the planters. I think a fun pop of color, or even a contrast like black would be nice! Great job!

  5. How funny! I just painted my door BM Stratton Blue on Friday and I love it. Fortunately, my door was in desperate need of new paint and there wasn’t a drop of gloss on there, so really it just needed a good cleaning before hand.

    I love the shade of gray you chose for your door. It’s very pretty.

  6. My door went from white to black last year and I LOVE it! I painted my lanterns too. What difference a little spray paint on the lanterns can make. Delight! Your urn comment cracked me up! But, why not go black instead of white? Your plants will “pop” more and they will look so cool when the weather finally turns a bit cooler (106 in Texas today) with the fall colors.

  7. Love the door and the light fixture repainted! We painted our master bedroom Cape May Cobblestone back in May and I agree, finding the right shade of gray is not easy!

  8. I would put a wash over the gray urns! Metallic, antique, etc.! Wouldn’t take much time or energy and could be just what your looking for!

  9. Great transformation! I painted my front door, using the same BM paint in Stratton Blue. It was a bit of an ordeal choosing the right color, but now I love it. I also spray painted my brass hardware ORB as a temporary fix until I can buy new.
    Can’t wait to see what you do with the urns.

  10. I love gray! One day I am going to paint my place gray, I read an article once about painting with gray (I think it was Real Simple) and they called it “Paris Apartment Gray”. That is the color for me, I simply adore Paris and Gray. What more could I ask for?

    ~Blair

  11. My formerly-white front door now POPS against the brick exterior with a gorgeous Bahama blue. The hubs, who wanted to keep it white, calls it “Smurftastic” but I’m sure he’ll come around eventually. :)

  12. The gray for the door looks amazing! And I think you made the right choice in leaning towards a true gray rather than a bluer one; bluer would probably have contrasted with the stucco too much.

    The lamp looks great! Matching the nickel on the door was absolutely the right choice. I like that you kept it white, as well. And you’re 100% right about the urns; they should be repainted, as it’s a bit too gray around the front right now. That said, those are really beautiful.

  13. Love the grey… it’s quiet and sophisticated. If it were me, I’d dry brush some white on those urns to pick up the highlights. I bet you’d love it. It’d be QUICK and if you did happen to dislike it you could always repaint. :)

  14. I painted my front door black! I also repainted my planters black last year (from gray) and I love it! I have pictures under “yard”. Door looks great! xo, laura

  15. Love the door! I painted our front door a few weeks ago from a stain to black! I also painted my planters from grey to black last year and love it! Photos are under “yard” label!

    great job, xo, laura

  16. Fabulous, as always!!! You inspire me to finish up all the half done projects so we can enjoy our last week of holidays before back to school Aug 25th….let’s see if my enthusiasm lasts! Love everything about your porch, wish i had more than just a door to work with!

  17. love the grey. i think you should go for color on the urns….
    we can’t paint our front door because of HOA codes, but if i could, i would….hmm…..i would change it every season!

  18. Kate,

    My goodness. You are always on a roll. You be painting everything and I am too lazy to even get started on my old dresser…lol

    I love the grey you have chosen…

    Rashon aka Mr. Goodwill Hunting

  19. I love how it turned out! I so want gray somewhere in the house but my husband and kids say no. I’ll sneak it one day! Maybe you should add some white to the urns so it softens it!

    Love your style so whatever you choose it will be great!

    Megan

  20. I love gray & love your ‘new’ front door. I have a can of Ben Moore Stonington Gray in my storage room just waiting to paint something.

  21. Your gray paint choice looks perfect! And getting rid of the black threshold really made a difference. I hope it holds up well. My back entry is gray, so I know how hard it is to pick a tone. I painted my door a navy blue, so of course I went with a more blue gray rather than a taupe gray. Love my navy blue door though! I agree that the planters need to be a different color than gray–it just looks too matchy-matchy. White sounds right. The lights turned out beautiful. Thank heavens for all the spray paint choices. It all looks lovely together! (Our kids start school next week also. I’m a teacher so I start Thursday.)

  22. I’m with Amanda – paint the urns a color that’ll pop. How about a green to go with the cushions on your chairs? My house is navy blue with white trim and apple green doors. It makes me smile every time I look at it!

  23. Love the gray you picked! I’m so loving gray right now. It’s a very nice update on the door and light fixtures and I agree with you on the urns. :) We painted our front door last year using the appropriate primer and exterior paint and it BUBBLED terribly after several months. My poor hubs had to sand it all off, it was a huge mess. The paint store people were baffled as to why it bubbled. If it happens again we’re getting a new door. :)

  24. It looks very pretty!

    I agree about the urns…and I like what someone else said-maybe go bold on those for a pop of color?
    I like the green on your rug/pillow…or like your daughter pointed out, a purple-ish would be smashing with your lavender plants!

    I used to live in TX, where school starts next week for teachers-now I am in Oregon, where sanity prevails in the school calendar-we start after labor day :)))))
    I am off to finish a gallery wall to today, and have mucho plants to plant this AM before the sun gets higher and the temperature climbs-its the “get it done before school starts” sprint!

  25. Why not paint the urns the peacock blue that you have been in love with lately? They would be beautiful with fall flowers in them and a nice contast to the door and stucco. Just a thought….

  26. Looks nice! You could paint a white ‘glaze’ on your urns and then add a touch of black for some contrast. :)

  27. I’d love to go bold with my front door but the house is a dull red/brown wood panelling and I am lost as to what to do with it.

  28. LOVE the grey door! We just bought our house and it came with green (not a good green) shudders and a matching green front door. Against the red brick, I swear it looked like Christmas year round at our house. Changed out the green for a nice, bold cobalt blue on the door and shudders. I’m in love with it. Now I love coming home and feel that it makes our house stand out in a good way vs. a we celebrate Christmas year-round sort of way. Great job!

  29. This is such a great makeover! The wall sconce looks completely new and I LOVE the shade on the door! We repainted our door (black) a few months ago and I still love it! I think you should do a fun color on the urns….maybe a green to match your other porch decor….just a thought!

  30. I’m thinking of painting my door gray too. I have to wait until cooler weather its too hot and humid right now to paint anything. Love the color you chose. BTW we have the same door and handle.

  31. OMG…ironically, I’m in the process of painting my front door, sidelites and thinking about painting the screen door. BUT, the sidelites have so much paint buildup on them, I have to strip the old paint first, and then go from there. Of course, the hubby put on sealant strips around the front door to keep out drafts, so I have to remove those first, then goo gone the sticky residue and finally, and then..whew..I can paint everything. FYI- I chose a barn door red!
    Jackie

  32. Love the gray door! That, with the simple update to those lanterns really made everything feel fresh and new. Not too bad for a project you squeezed in during a week meant for relaxation! :)

  33. I’ve been mulling over a front door color for a while now but am having a hard time. That’s not a space in my house that I want to go through the trouble of painting without being completely sold on the color. Too much work. But my favorite gray right now is BM Grant Beige. We just used it in a clients’ house and it’s the perfect background for the warm wood trim and cool grays in the stone veneer. It’s neutral but not boring. Love it.

  34. I totally agree with Marnita. Paint the urns peacock blue!! Especially if you are keeping greenery in them. I would go white if you are going to put color in them. Good choice on the shade of grey for the door.

  35. It’s so pretty Kate, such a nice shade of grey!
    We painted the door black and I still love it :)
    Have a fabulous last week of summer
    XO
    Kristin

  36. You chose a lovely gray, it looks great! My front doors are red and I was surprised at what a chore painting them was.

    Thanks for showing the grays, I’m trying to decide on one for my kitchen! Ack, too many!

  37. Love it! I REALLLLLLY need to paint my front door, I was thinking black. But I totally am going to whip out the grey paint swatches.

    Love the cohesiveness of the front porch now!
    Great job!

  38. We painted our bedroom gray… what a nightmare that was! There are like a BILLION different shades and they completely change when they get up on your wall….

    We settled on “Sliver Screen” from Home Depot…. i think it has more blue undertones – which it what we were going for to compliment the navy accessories etc.

    The door looks great! We are thinking about ours too – but we need to paint the house too… and then the fixtures would need something and then the door… it gets overwhelming to think about for now :)

  39. How about glazing or antiqueing the urns with a shade of brown and possibly a small amount of white highlights.

  40. How about glazing or antiqueing the urns with a shade of brown and possibly a small amount of white highlights.

  41. I am also on the lookout for the perfect true gray. I think you found a great shade. The front porch looks so nice now. Mine looks like a bunch of hobos camped there. Love the update to the threshold!

  42. It looks gorgeous! But yeah, I can see why you’d want to repaint the urns. :) I had my new bedroom (moving day is this Saturday, eek!) painted BM Gray Owl and I’m in love! It trends kinda green which works with my color scheme. Can’t wait to move in and get all situated!

  43. I think your door looks wonderful. I desperately need to paint my front door as the folks who lived here before me apparently put just one coat on over the pre-primed new door. My house is a pretty shade of yellow with cranberry trim. I would love to have a door that showed dirt less than my current white one but I am afraid with the house colors I am stuck!

  44. Love the door! a quick fix for the urns would be to try white washing them, would soften the gray and bring out the details on them.

  45. I love your newly painted door! My house itself is gray so when we decided to redo our front door we chose black to make it stand out with the gray stucco and red trim. i did want to share my experience though. My hubby did some major research on painting doors and so we went with this paint called Hollandlac. It is a paint made in Holland that is used on all of the doors over there. I blogged about it too if you want to see the outcome and read my review of the paint. It is pretty expensive ($48 a quart!!!!!) but well worth it in my opinion. The coverage is great. I’m waiting to see if it holds up as long as they say it will though. I guess only time will tell. I love your front porch and the newly painted door. Everything looks great! Oh, the post about my door painting experience is here: http://eatdresslive.blogspot.com/2011/07/entry-room-re-do-part-4-or-our-front.html

  46. So, I’m planning on painting our front door and I’m so FREAKING nervous. The web is buzzing with information about how to paint a metal door. I’m cool with the deglossing and the type of paint, but how did you apply it? Brush, roller or spray? I’m not too keen on renting a sprayer, so wondered if rolling would be fine?

    BTW – LOVE the color and thanks again for the inspiration.

  47. I love your transformation. The door looks great. You’re right. Grays are hard to choose because they can have so many different undertones. I’ve been trying to find the perfect gray for my study/office for a while now. I would suggest painting the urns either green or blue. A deep blue would look beautiful with the gray door, creamy yellow siding, and green pillows.

  48. Love the Cape May Cobblestone! I used that color when I painted my in law’s family room last year. It looks great with BM’s Oxford White as trim.

  49. Love the gray, Kate! I live in an apartment complex and the property owner had the place painted two summers ago. They went from white (always dirty looking) to a medium gray with white trim and dark gray stairs and landings. They painted the doors a maroon color with a very high gloss and put the cutest number plaques on them.

    Not a huge fan of gray for indoors, however. Here in Seattle where it’s gray skies most of the year, indoor gray feels too depressing for me. I worked for a long time at a place where the whole interior was gray. A few years in, we rebelled and painted it with a color scheme of eggplant, teal and dusty rose. It was much better!

  50. Love the transformation of the sconces – big imporvement. But. . . now that everything else coordinates – gray (love it!), white, nickel – I think the urns need to contrast. Something with some weight to anchor the doorway.

  51. I’ve always always ALWAYS wanted a red door but thought it was too bold. Everytime I’d go to the paint or home improvement stores, I found myself wandering over to the “reds”. After several years (literally) I finally found the perfect shade (Chianti – Behr) and now my door is fabulous!!

    I love your choice of gray. It’s muted and timeless. You have such a knack with colour and accessories.

  52. I think you chose the perfect gray for your front door. It looks beautiful! I think I went through about 40 grays for our guest room and had such a hard time finding one that worked with the lighting, different times of day, etc. Gray is a tricky color. Your daughter looks like a mini you! She’s so cute and so is your son.

  53. I love the new door color but also think you should go bolder on repainting the urns, possibly the green you have in your rug/pillows or something brighter that coordinates with your flowers (I see a lovely hot pink in some of the flowers but that may be a bit much for the male contingent in your house!)

  54. We painted our double front door a welcoming shade of Red called Valspar™ 1010-4 La Fonda Geranium Red. It’s just right with our brick, and a fabulous change from the drab dried up black it used to be. The brass kick plate also looked horrifying, so I tried to clean it with everything including Brasso, but nuthin worked. So, we took the kick plate off the door, spray painted it an old brass, and put that sucker right back on. Looks SO much better. Cheap facelift. :)

  55. I love gray. It is classic, elegant and a true “neutral”. A gallon of “Polished Silver” by Valspar is patiently waiting to cover my office walls. We’ll see how it goes! Anyone else happen to use that specific gray color?

  56. I agree with Evalyn about the urns needing to contribute some weight. How bout painting them black–or some dark-metallic finish? You’d also be even more ready for Halloween–could stack graduated pumpkins on them or……OK I admit it, I will paint something black at the drop of cloth. Very nice gray, by the way.

  57. Actually, I’m only about to paint my front door. I’ve got Martha Stewart’s “Etched Glass” (a subtle blue), and some Zinsser 1-2-3 primer. I’m thinking I’ll ORB the hardware while I’m at it, although my last attempt at ORB’ing something metal failed dismally . . . so the jury is still out on that one.

    Thanks so much for the post . . . it reminded me that this isn’t such a huge task after all!

  58. I re-painted both my front and back door recently, and love how they turned out! We’re getting ready to sell our house and wanted to have everything fresh and shiny as can be. I used Rust-Oleum’s door paint in a satin finish in “cranberry” and love it- especially on the back door. (It was white and boring before and now looks a million times better! Here is my blog post about it : http://sweetswansongs.blogspot.com/2011/07/10-diy-door-transformation.html

  59. I think it turned out great! Not to mention the darling kids!
    Maybe something easy to try to help you love your urns more is some kind of wash /glaze to highlight the details. Should make them stand out and might be more fun than repainting at least until you get the energy.
    Thanks for sharing!

  60. I always LOVE what you do!! But this time, not so much. I don’t think it’s dark enough. Maybe it;s just the light. And I think the fixtures would have been better with the white painted also. They kind of blend in to the facade. I guess there just isn’t enough contrast for me. But I usually LOVE LOVE LOVE your transformations!!

  61. I am astounded at the amount of things you are able to get done? Do you have help with the kiddos? It’s taking me 2 months just to paint and recover dining chairs.

  62. I am going to be painting my front door this fall once the humidity drops. I am actually going to be stripping and repainting… Yellow actually. I am very excited.
    I have to say I would paint your planters either a bright colour (like teal or yellow etc) OR black. White will blend in too much I think.
    Erin

  63. I like your grey door! I’m not much of a grey person myself but I admire its sophistication and subtlety in other people’s spaces. I think you made the right choice to go with the true grey–that’ll go with everything! You could even choose a bold color for your planters, because your grey door will be the perfect counterpoint.

    My favorite front door color is probably a Charleston green–you know that dark, dark green that reads almost black? I still love a Talbot’s red front door, too. And I just adore a French blue door. My own front door is mahogany, so as long as I’m married it’ll probably never be painted. I’d love to have it stripped down and completely refinished, though. The wood is indeed beautiful, but it’s looking a bit weathered–like a woman with colored hair who needs to have her roots touched up. :)

  64. Hi. I am new to your blog so haven’t seen very much yet. The front of your house from the photos, appears to be a warm beige colour so why did you go with grey? Also, from the photos I preferred the classic black threshold as it gave it some anchor.

    D.

  65. I might be too traditional, but I actually liked the white door better! It was a part of your classy home and the use of light of your front porch. The gray doesn’t look bad, I’ll be honest, but I think the white was just perfect.

  66. This weekend I painted my girls’ room Sherwin Williams Repose Grey. I love it! I am planning on painting our front door. We would love to have a new door but can’t afford it at the moment. I am thinking Benjamin Moore Midsummer Night. The siding we have currently is a yellow color (soon to be changed to Granite). I have always struggled with deciding on a color but I saw this color on a door in Martha Stewart Living. The house had same color siding as we do. The grey looks great on your door!

  67. I would vote for more contrast, too. Painting the urns and your lanterns black would provide contrast and balance. Larger lanterns would be ideal. I think some color in the urns would be beautiful, as well. How about something in the coral/pinkish range?? Front door “head turners” always have great color and unexpected somethings that make one say,”WOW!”….and, want to turn around to see it again.

  68. Ooooh I’m digging the gray, Kate! I love that you let that be a family affair – I’m such a control freak, I ask everyone what they think and then I go with MY choice!
    I painted my lights without taking them down – just taped newspaper around them, took the glass out and spraypainted away. It worked like a charm and who knew cleaning those bugs out could make such a difference!
    Your entry is so pretty.

  69. I love the new gray color. Before you paint those urns again, why not take some watered down black paint and rub it over the surace letting more settle in the grooves of the relief. I think it would make them look very elegant.

    Laurie

  70. I just painted our front door as well…I went with a coastal blue mistint from home depot and I love it. Unfortunately I did not rough up the door before painting it (idiot!) and every time the keys bang it the paint scrapes off! Hmm, that’s my downfall…do it in a hurry, forget the all-important prep! Yours looks great, and altho I tend to lean toward the blues (your daughter’s lavender-hued paint) I think the gray you ended up going with is great from your door! Nice work!

  71. LOVE the gray door… The urns not so much. They will be lovely once again in white! The matte nickel to update the brass is genius! You & your blog are a delightful inspiration!

  72. My front door is crimson. Color matched to a University of Alabama cap. I love it and have kept it this color for several years. The body of the house is light gray with dark gray trim. I really, really love the crimson door.

  73. I have an off white/beige color home and we painted our door a slate blue color with nickel fixtures, Im very happy with the end result.

  74. I will be honest, and I dont want to hurt your feelings, but Im not digging the grey with the color of your house, maybe its the urns thats making me not like it? I think a deeper color for the door would have been better and preferrably not grey. I usually like all your design choices, but this one not so much.

  75. Nice gray–you’re right gray can be tricky. Thanks for giving us the low down on that new paint for outdoors and for the Rustoleum color tip. I’m a Realtor and seem to always be telling folks to paint their front doors and outside lights. Sometimes new lights can be a big headache–they might not fit the existing holes and then you have to call the electrician…so painting can be the answer. I’d repaint the urns, too. How about that paint that looks like stone? I’ve never used it, but it looks good in the ad. Your mini “entrance face lift” looks great.

  76. Love the door! I’ve got to redo my door and I was wondering ..is your door metal? what exactly is “deglossing” and what did you use to do it?

  77. I want to paint our front door so bad but am scared to death :) We just bought our house and it has aluminum siding that is purple, yes I said purple, it is a light lavendar i guess on a grey scale. We are trying to decide what color and grey is the only color we can think of. I am wondering if I should try this while my hubby is at home but scared to do it by myself. I honestly havent painted anything but have been reading blogs for months now & think I am a pro LOL :)
    Btw, I think your door looks great!!!

  78. Lovely changes…I don’t usually comment, but thought black urns would make a big impact and draw the eye to your entrance.

  79. I love how your porch turned out!

    As for that threshold, I noticed on our (new construction) home that the thresholds were installed during the framing phase, and the builder never put anything down to protect them. I ground my teeth every time I came out and looked at the progress during the building phase.

    When the construction was complete, how did they clean up those messy beat up thresholds? Spray paint!

    And our builder is one with a pretty good reputation (Brookfield), so I’m guessing that’s just the way it’s done! I did notice some peeling when another contractor put blue tape on the threshold (post-construction). The builder came out and retouched the paint. So maybe avoid putting any blue tape on it if you can.

    I’m thinking that paint on your threshold will hold up just fine. And I love how you painted it the same color as the door. It DOES look better than black!

  80. Great porch transformation! I love painted front doors, and when it was time to pick our door color, I went to Home Depot with my 4-year-old daughter to look at paint colors. The house is green with white trim and some taupe accents, and I was considering reds and browns for the door, but my daughter brought over a dark purple swatch, and it looked fabulous with the other colors! I color-matched it to Ben Moore’s “Walnut,” which sounds brown but reads dark purple next to the green and white. I’m big on contrasts, so I agree with the posters who suggested painting the urns a deeper color. What about that dark greeny-blue crayon color called midnight blue?

  81. It’s amazing what a little paint can do! I love the colors you selected. We want to repaint our office and these are great colors to consider! It seems like gray is the new beige. Where did you get your pillows? I love the color and pattern!

  82. I love the gray door, though normally I’m not a big gray person. I am such a front door person,I think it makes the whole house. Anyway, I’ve been a lurker , now I’m coming clean and must ask you about Nate Berkus. How cute is he and does he smell good? I love him and love your blog. Thanks for all..your children are adorable!

  83. Hi Kate, I like your new gray door and threshold. I’m with you – throw rules and regulations to the wind! I painted my front door blue a few months ago, and have really enjoyed the change.

  84. I would not paint the urns white, I would paint them the lime greenish color that you have in your pillows and your sissel rug…. I’m just saying it would add another punch of color.

  85. With the urns, I do like the color, but they need some depth. I often will distress mine a bit then rub with slightly damp dirt to get a true aged look. You’ll be amazed how authentic they look.

    Great job, by the way!

  86. I really find your site inspiring, so many great ideas. Paint the urns cobalt blue, those are my favorite pricey pots at the nurseries :)

  87. I would wait till at least Halloween to paint the urns (perfect for Halloween). I agree with Evelyn. The urns new a darker color. Maybe something that coordinates with your green and white pillows. I love the door. Pretty!!!

  88. Oooh, love the grey! I was torn between the men’s choice and your original choice, too. About the urns: Have you thought about glazing/antiquing the urns to add some dimension? It might look ama-za-zing! Or, I think a little contrast with some ORB-esque darker color would look very chic as well. Good luck!

  89. The front door looks very calm and welcoming. My husband wants to paint our master bedroom a shade of grey, I’m just torn trying to figure out how to blend color into the scheme now.

  90. Our house is a red brick with a gray concrete porch. We painted our front door Valspar Rainforest (green). Love that it’s not the typical red. :)

  91. Is your door made of wood or is it a type of laminate? I have a very similar designed door, and mine is this weird wood-looking laminate. I hate how it looks, but I think the right paint may make it much improved. Just wondering how that will come out since its not actually made out of wood.

    BTW, I just found your blog today and am obsessed! I’ve been reading through posts for hours… :)

  92. My front door looks almost identical to yours (including the nickel handles!). Mine is white but made of steel (I think), some sort of metal. Can this be painted as well?

    • Yes it can be painted as long as you use a primer that’s meant for metal!
      Kate

    • Hi Lisa, RustOleum has a line of primers and spray paints that are designed for metal, look for them at big home improvement stores.

  93. Hi,
    I was curious to see how your threshold is holding up? We need to replace our door knob and I want a different color but I know the threshold is hard to change out. I am thinking of painting as well but wanted to know if that was a durable option!
    Thanks!

    • Hey Ashely, been meaning to write about it, it’s holding up great! So glad I painted it, there’s a little wear and tear but no chipping paint, yay!
      Kate

  94. When in doubt I know I can always count on you! Haha. I’m going against the rules today and painting my metal threshold all because I googled it and there came your post. Silly me….should have just checked the blog before googling, should of known you tried it! Thanks :)

    • Ha, too funny Brandy! Yep, painted mine with water based (spray on) primer and paint and it’s still holding up great!

  95. One last question…I promise! Did you use a conditioner in your Iron Clad low lustre paint? Thanks!

  96. hi
    That is a great looking front door. what would you do if the door is painted with an oil based paint. i am also looking to paint it now in a latex based one. thanks and your site is a great inspiration.

    • Hello Aparna, between oil based paint and water based paint, you should use a coat of water based primer. Look for an enamel paint for doors and trim, Benjmin Moore and Sherwin Williams both sell water based enamel paints for doors and trim.
      Kate

  97. Hi, A few questions……..How long did it take the paint to dry? How many coats? I been wanting to paint my front door for two years now but didn’t want to leave my front door open while the paint dried, call me crazy but with my luck a bird or something worst will fly in my house. According to the research I’ve done it takes like 24hrs for outside paint to dry.

    • Hi Nicole, water based enamel takes only an hour or two to dry, you can do two coats in a day and have your door closed by night!
      Kate

  98. A dark periwinkle blue will look beautiful with your gray door. Try it, you won’t be sorry. Love your blog.

  99. I love the door was thinking of painting ours a bright color but I just re-painted (in the process r really) my whole house. I choose blues and greens to tone down what I had so this great is going to be perfect on my front door!! My last project is my bedroom walls and they are also going to be gray just was wondering if you had any suggestions to bedroom gray colors :)

  100. Hi! Thanks for the post! I was wondering how the threshold has held up being a few years later. I’m about to tackle mine soon. Thanks!

    • So glad you asked Jennifer, it worked! The water based primer + paint has held up all this time :)

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