HOW TO PAINT A STAINED FRONT DOOR

There was no turning back once I started to paint the backside of our front door. The decision to paint the stained front door was a long, agonizing one. Translation? I spent too much time (and coffee) searching Pinterest. Of course, I am obsessed with these doors, but I am pinching pennies as we get ready to demo our kitchen. The difficult decision was based on the fact that once the white paint was in play it was not easily undone. 

HOW TO PAINT A STAINED FRONT DOOR

Here is the stained front door from inside the entryway. And, yes, the white trim around the stained door was an existing eyesore. 

STEPS 

1. I made the decision not to remove the door from the door’s hinges. With my REALTOR® life schedule, I wanted to be able to lock up the house if needed.
2. Lightly sand the stained door and remove dust and debris on the front door’s surface.
3. Paint the sidelights first. If I hated the paint it would be easier to restain one sidelight than the entire front door. 

At this point, I could see the transformation from the oak stain to a bright white. It matched the adjacent entry closet door and it was a mutual attraction. 

You know that moment when you love the decision you agonized over for weeks?

This was that kind of moment for a DIY girl! 

New hardware to match the closet door hardware finished the look. If you zoom in you can see we missed a few hinges when we updated the door hardware around the house. 

Painting the interior side of the stained front door made the entry so much brighter. 

Look at the before and after side-by-side photo. Painting the stained doors made a huge difference in a matter of hours and a 1/2 gallon of paint. If you want to do a deep dive on the prep details, check out my go-to handyman, 

 

Want a few one hour projects and seasonal decorating tips? I won’t overwhelm you with emails! 

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