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When you opened the (broken) storm door, it looked like this:
The storm door removal is still a project for another day, but I couldn’t wait to get a new color on the door. That old paint was grody, guys. Originally, I planned to use Behr’s Dark as Night as recommended by the Behr Colorsmart online tool (it’s was a suggested accent color with the Rustic Cream trim and Basketry colors I’d already painted the house with), but when looking at the combo in the store, the color just seemed a little too light and dull.
I wanted something dark and dramatic. Moody, even. Dark as Night is a great name, but not a great color. But it’s cousin (and right next to it, color swatch wise), Night Shade, seemed like the right fit.
It was a color gamble (and those don’t usually work out for me, but I do them anyway), but I figured that anything would be better than having to look at this all the time:
After a thorough cleaning and some prep work with my favorite deglosser (love not having to sand!),
I got to work. I used a brush in the nooks and crannies I knew I couldn’t reach otherwise, then went over the entire surface with a foam roller for the smoothest finish. Here she is with the first coat (yikes), but it’s not staying that way for long!
I did three more coats. The last one probably wasn’t necessary, but I wanted to make sure everything was covered (and the changing light throughout the day can point you to places that aren’t as evenly covered). In case you’re wondering, I chose a semi-gloss exterior latex. The sheen will help with durability and make cleaning easier.
I started painting in the morning in the hopes of being able to close the door by the time I went to bed. Just to be on the safe side while it was still drying, I draped a sheet of wax paper over the top (where I thought the biggest problem with sticking might take place). To keep things simple, I also protected the door knob and deadbolt with tape and aluminum foil so that I didn’t have to try to reattach them while the paint was still drying.
So here she is. She doesn’t pop like the red did, but I like it against the creamy white and medium tan color (which kind of reminds me of cookies). The navy, tan and creamy white color combo is classic, and when I install shutters, the navy will look even better.
What do you think? Stay tuned for more updates like the knocker paintover, new house numbers, and a pretty fall wreath to dress up the door even more. And that’s not even all of the stoop makeover – there’s still more to come (like freshening up that decorative stone work on the side of the door).
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I agree, it doesn't pop, but it does the give the house this “air” about it saying “look at me, I'm classic and amazing”. Love the color!
Great job!
I love it! We're doing a yellow/tan/brown/navy combo on our exterior, too – whenever we actually get around to it. :) I really love the color you picked – it's dark and moody, and goes perfect with the rest of the house!
~Chelsea
That definitely works! I really like the color and I think it will go perfect with the other color choices you made. Keep the photos coming!
Is your door wood, steel or fiber glass?
I just found your blog! I'm in the 'burbs of Atl, and am about to paint my front door too. How did you deal with the faded brass and holes from you kickplate?
Did you only paint the outside of the door? I love the new color, I love red but I also have a red bathroom in the house that we just bought that I don’t love. I’ll be repainting it soon. But I want to paint my front door a dark color, haven’t decided what yet, it’s currently white. My husband thinks that we should just paint the outside of the door and leave the white inside because the dark would make the living room look darker, and wouldn’t match with our white crown molding, baseboards and trim. What do you think?
The inside was painted ivory originally. So when I painted over the red, I just painted the outside and left the inside the same. Eventually, I decided a black door would be interesting on the inside (for contrast), so I painted the inside a shiny black. Here is the post on that if you want to check it out!
Hi Sarah! How did you remove the kickplate on the door? I’m about to embark on that same journey!