In this post, I'm going to show you how to paint your front door black without removing it from its hinges.
Back in autumn, I finally got around to re-painting our black front door. Then, things got a little crazy with Autumn home tours and decorating. Before I knew it, Christmas was around the corner and I still hadn't put this post together. I understand that some people find the thought of painting a front door intimidating, what if you mess it up? Well, I painted my front door and patched up some bare spots, without even removing it from its hinges. It was so easy that I wish I had done it sooner! In this post, I'm going to show you how to paint your front door black without removing it from its hinges.
Does a black front door increase the value of your home?
Surprisingly, it seems the answer is yes!
When we built our house, I had a colour scheme in mind for the exterior. When it came to choosing the colour for the front door, I felt that black contrasted nicely against blue of the house. I can't say I researched the best colour to paint my front door. I know that I just wanted it to look 'British'.
When I started writing this post, I did some research and was surprised to find that if you paint your front door black it can boost the value of your home. Who knew! It seems that Estate Agents and buyers alike agree that a black front door looks elegant and impressive.
What does a black front door mean?
Surely, you must have heard of the Chinese Philosophy of Feng Shui? By following the principals of Feng Shui in your home it is said you can improve energy flow, increase good fortune, and improve relationships for the better.
Well, even though I don't follow the rules of Feng Shui religiously, I try to follow its principles wherever I can. For instance, in my tiny office at the top of the stairs, it would have been impossible for me to arrange the desk so I did not have to sit with my back to the door or the stairs (bad Feng Shui). In the plan for my multifunctional room makeover, however, I'm going to do my best to arrange the space so that I don't sit with my back to the door (good Feng Shui).
What does Fung Shui have to do with the meaning of a black front door I hear you say. Well, according to the principles of Feng Shui, black is a power colour. It represents elegance, money, and fortune! Ahhh, so that's why you should paint your front door black -it can increase the price of your home! Talk about doorstep drama!
What colour hardware for black exterior doors?
Just Google 'black front doors' and you'll see that mostly the hardware used is brass, silver, pewter or black coloured. Originally, we added a brass doorknob and knocker to our front door but somehow brass didn't look quite right against the house. When our door knocker needed replacing we decided to change out the brass hardware for pewter instead. I'm really pleased with the result.
If you paint your front door black and you want your hardware to stand out, choose a contrasting colour to the door like brass or pewter. If you want your hardware to blend in and not be noticeable, choose a colour as close to your door colour as possible. Before making a decision, check to make sure your choice works with the colour of your house.
Enough talk let's get down to work! I'm going to show you how to paint your front door black without even removing it from its hinges!
As with most DIY projects, a little bit of prep work goes a long way to making your project a success. The amount of prep you need to do depends upon how good or bad the original paintwork is.
Our door had a few runs in the previous paintwork which needed to be smoothed out. At the bottom of the door, there was a small bare patch where the paint had completely flaked off. Other than that, the door was in good condition paint wise although because it gets full sun in the afternoons, it was beginning to look a bit dull and faded in parts.
When should you paint your front door?
Good question! As long as the weather is not too cool, late spring, summer and early autumn are all seasons when you can paint your front door.
Choose a time when you know the weather will be dry for a few days.
Don't paint on a sunny day if your door gets full sun. If the paint dries too quick the finish might look patchy.
Start painting the door as early in the morning as you can. That way, you can paint two to three coats throughout the day, and still have time to leave it open for a few hours until it dries completely.
Paint for doors which get a lot of sun.
Our door faces west and gets pelted with full sun in the afternoons. Even though it's slightly protected by our balcony roof, our front door still takes a bashing from wind and snowstorms during autumn and winter. The paint we use needs to stand up to extreme weather conditions and look good for a few years.
We use high gloss paint on our door which seems to hold up well. The previous coat of paint held up for ten years before it started showing signs of wear!
How to paint your front door black without removing it.
A QUICK REMINDER: When attempting any DIY project, please take care to undertake the necessary safety precautions. You should always follow the manufacturer’s safety recommendations when using any product or tool. When following my instructions for a DIY project, you are doing so at your own risk.
What you'll need to paint your front door black
- Screwdriver
- Painter's tape
- Dropcloth/painter's carpet
- Cloths
- Water for washing the door
- Mineral Spirits
- Sandpaper
- Sanding mask
- Sanding goggles
- Black paint suitable for exterior doors
- Paintbrush
- Small paint roller
- Painting tray
SHOP THE POST
Step 1 - Remove the hardware
Remove as much of the door hardware as you can. You'll have an easier time of it if there are no bits and bobs in the way.
Anything which isn't removable should be taped with painters tape. That way, it won't get covered in paint.
Step 2 - Clean the door
Now, it's time to give the door a good clean to remove any dust or pollen. You want a nice clean surface so that the paint goes on smoothly.
Step 3 - Masking tape
Apply masking tape around the edges of the door frames. Tape off as much of the door surrounds as you need to. That way, you don't have to worry about slipping over the edge of the door with your roller.
Step 4 - Lay drop cloth
Dropcloth or painter's carpet will catch any stray drips or splashes. Just push some underneath and in front of the door.
Step 5 - Sand (if needed)
I sanded away some paint runs that were on the door. Some of the paint on the bottom sill of the door was flaking. I didn't want to sand the whole of the sill, I just wanted to sand the spot where the paint was flaking. I sanded that area until I was sure that all the loose paint was gone.
Step 6 - Wipe
After sanding, take a damp cloth and wipe away all of the sanding dust. Then wipe over it once again with mineral spirits,
Step 7 - Paint
black]
without removing it
Open up the door slightly and don't close it again until the paint dries. That's why you should wait for a mild day before you start to paint your door black.
SHOP THE POST
Start at the top
If your door has cassettes, paint the ridged sides of the cassettes first with the brush, then paint the flat centre panel with the roller. Use the brush to paint around tricky areas such as around hardware which can't be removed.
Don't paint over the door hinges.
To avoid the paint looking patchy, always work 'in the wet'. That's why it's important to paint a small section at a time.
Once you've finished painting the top panels and cassettes, move on to the middle section and then the bottom panels. Paint each section in the same manner.
Step 7 - Wipe away drips and spills
Use a damp cloth to rub off any stray paint smears (if you've painted somewhere you shouldn't have).
Allow to dry
Allow the paint to dry for a few hours according to the drying time on the tin.
Step 8 - Apply a second coat
Then you can start all over again with the second coat. Paint the door in the same way as you did with the first coat.
Step 9 - Remove the painter's tape
As soon as you've finished painting the last coat, before the paint dries remove the painter's tape. If you wait until the paint has dried to remove the painter's tape, you might end up taking some of the new paintwork with it.
Step 10 - Clean the hardware and re-attach it to the door
Wash and polish up brass or metal hardware then reattach it to the front door.
SHOP THE POST
Paint your front door black
That's it! Your painted front door is complete!
There's not much to painting your front door. It's so easy you'll wonder why you put it off for so long!
By the way, here is the tutorial for making a grass wreath if you're interested in making one yourself.
Happy painting!
Pin for later!
Before you go, if you’re not part of our amazing creative community yet but would love to join us, you can sign up for the weekly newsletter through the form below – we’d love to have you on board. By signing up, you’ll also receive a copy of the free ‘Furniture Flip Checklist’ and gain access to all the other printables, e-books, and labels in the VIP Resource Library.
Wait!
These posts are good too!
This post was shared and/or featured at these link parties.
Renee Barton says
Interesting post! I have a couple of doors that are white that need repainted and/or darker color
Jayne Westerholt says
Now you can paint your doors and earn some money at the same time π
Marie says
These are great tips! I never knew black indicated power for a front door! Our door is black too π Since we have a Tudor revival, I was sort of going for that British theme too π
Jayne Westerholt says
Oh yes, Marie. I can see how a black front door would look fab on a Tudor revival. I'm sure your home looks very pretty!
Sonya says
Lots of great tips for door painting and I never knew that having a black painted door had so much impact. Thank you for sharing.
Jayne Westerholt says
I didn't know that when we built our house either. Especially that it can add so much value to your home - who would have thought?
Liberty says
Hi Jayne,
I don't think I have known anyone that follows Feng Shui. I think that's the same or very similar thing that Marie Kondo follows? (I actually wrote about Why I Don't follow her method.) Anyway, painting your front door was a brave thing to do. I would be afraid I would mess it up.
Jayne Westerholt says
Hi Liberty, Feng Shui is simply a way of living so that natural elements work in harmony with each other to create a state of balance and good energy flow. It's not the same as the Konmarie method. I was afraid to paint my front door at first but it was easy and it looks fab now!
Danielle says
What a great post! I have painted my door several times-it's about that time again!
Jayne Westerholt says
Spring is a great time to paint your door - a fresh start and all that!
Carol Karl says
Your door looks fantastic. These are all such great tips. I have a clear glass front door which I hate. I'd love to paint it but haven't figured out the ins and outs yet. I didn't know that painting your door black was good feng shui. That's good to know.
Jayne Westerholt says
Maybe you could add a stick-on 'milk glass' paper so that the glass is not as clear. Some people add that to their glass windows here since for some reason bathroom windows are clear in Germany and not frosted as they are in the UK.
Cara says
Yeah! Our door was black, then I painted it turquoise, guess what? It's back to black again! I love a high gloss black door on a home! Thank you so much for this post!
Jayne Westerholt says
You're welcome Cara! I can't imagine painting our door any other colour than black now!
Kim Waldorf says
Great post! Who knew black was the color to paint your door for wealth and power?? All my doors are white and black definitely wouldn't work. I'll have to find my wealth and power somewhere else. π Thanks for sharing!
Jayne Westerholt says
My internal doors are white too Kim and I'm not about to paint them all black - I'm hoping the front door will suffice π
Kimberly Jones Snyder says
Thank you for sharing all these tips, Jayne! I should probably refresh the door at the farmhouse before I sell it. Now I can do it without having to take it off! genius!
Jayne Westerholt says
Best of luck with selling your Farmhouse Kimberly!
CoCo says
This is gorgeous! We need to repaint our black front door too, Jayne, so I am definitely pinning this post. Love your step-by-step guide and your fabulous tips too. I had no idea black was such a power color and I'm excited to be in good company. Big hugs, CoCo
Jayne Westerholt says
Thanks for your lovely comment, CoCo! I had put off painting my front door because I thought it would look a mess but it was so much easier than I thought! Now, I wish I had painted it sooner!
Cristina says
Love how it looks! My front door is dark green, but I do want to paint it black. I think you're giving me the little push I needed it. Now let's wait for warmer weather. π
Jayne Westerholt says
Thanks so much, Cristina! Good luck with painting your front door black. I'm also waiting for warmer weather so I can complete some outdoor jobs - it's still snowing here!
Bonnie says
How do you make the paint more scratch resistant? I want to repaint mine because I must have used the wrong paint. It has scrapes and peeling areas. My dogs nails have scratched it. Can I polyurethane it or some other top coat?
Thank you
Jayne Westerholt says
Hi Bonnie, we find two coats of high gloss paint does the trick for us. If you need more protection, you could add a third coat of paint or add a coat of poly over the top as a sealer π