Top Tips for a Front Door Refresh

Fall is the perfect time to give your front door a fresh, fashionable makeover.

Whether you’re prepping your home for sale, don’t have the budget for a major renovation, or are simply looking for creative ways to give it a fresh look, painting your front door in an on-trend color provides instant curb appeal and creates an inviting impression for guests.

According to Westlake Ace Hardware and Sharon Grech, color and design expert for Benjamin Moore, applying a fresh coat of paint to your front door is a great DIY project that can be done quickly and can invigorate the look and feel of your home. “Your front, side, and backyard doors are key focal points that have a big impact. Because it’s so easy, you can even change your door color seasonally,” says Grech.

To create a stunning front door that expresses your style and adds curb appeal to your home, follow these tips:

Don’t Be Shy: Since it’s a relatively small area compared to the rest of the house, you can afford to take risks with the front door and be more adventurous with color. When choosing front door colors for a dark or brick house, try Concord Ivory HC-12 or a classic red to brighten it up and coordinate with bright flowers. If your home is painted in a lighter color, try a more fashion forward option like Wythe Blue HC-143 and complement it with a garden of flowers in simple whites and lots of green.

Light Matters: Always view your color selections outside, to see the true effect of natural light before making your final choice. North-facing homes tend to attract cool light, and for south-facing homes, the light tends to be warm and intense. Color is subjective so those light differences can make a color appear quite different on your front door than on the house across the street.

Pick the Right Tools: To ensure success with any home improvement project, always make sure you have the right tools on hand. To repaint a front door, you will need a scraper, painter’s tape, a paint roller, and an angled paint brush.

Eight Steps to a Stunning Front Door: Follow these 8 steps to ensure your front door painting project produces the beautiful results you deserve.

• Accents Away: Removing any non-permanent hardware provides an even work surface.
• Get Clean: Scrub down the door and remove any built-up dirt and dust.
• Scrape: If needed, use a paint scraper to remove weathered paint and create a smooth surface.
• Sand: If your door is painted with a water-based paint, give it a good sanding with a fine-grit sandpaper.
• Tape: Use painter’s tape along existing hardware to prevent drips, splatters, and rough edges.
• Prime Time: A primer coat helps produce even paint coverage and lasting results.
• Time to Paint: Once painted, let the door dry for at least 24 hours before applying a second coat.
• Reattach Hardware: Once everything is fully dry, remove the painter’s tape and reattach the hardware.