DIY Interior Front Door Paint Refresh

Sometimes, the best home updates are the unexpected ones. After refreshing our entryway with a fresh coat of paint, the interior side of our front door felt a bit boring and – dare I say – almost clinical. So I decided to update it, too. In today’s post, I’m sharing the process of my DIY Interior Front Door Paint Refresh, namely:

– How To Paint An Interior Door (a beginner-friendly introduction)

– A Sneak Peek Into Our Entryway Update Plans

Ready to dive in?

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DIY INTERIOR FRONT DOOR PAINT REFRESH

If you follow my Instagram Stories, then you know that I FINALLY got around to starting the process of updating our entryway.

Prior to painting, the entryway felt dark and dingy with hardly any natural light. All this despite the fact that our foyer and Great Room – which gets lots of natural light – were both painted in the same colour.

After brightening the foyer with a fresh coat of Benjamin Moore ‘Cloud White’ I knew that I would need to add back warmth without re-creating a dark space.

For me, that would start with painting the interior side of our front door a soft and neutral colour.

I chose Benjamin Moore ‘Edgecomb Gray’ in a pearl finish, knowing that this is a high traffic area. Ater shelling out just $35 for a quart of paint, I was ready to freshen up our front door.

If you’ve never painted an interior door, it’s not that difficult and I’ve got the step-by-step of how to do it, below.

HOW TO PAINT AN INTERIOR DOOR

SUPPLIES NEEDED

– Paint: I used Benjamin Moore ‘Edgcomb Gray’ (Regal Line). I purchased 1 quart, but only used half to paint our door. Don’t forget to have a paint stir stick and paint can opener, too.

– Angled Paint Brush: To get into the grooves of paneling on your door.

– Small Foam Roller: Perfect for beginners who are not comfortable creating smooth paint finishes. Getting a small roller for doors are great for painting the panels of a door.

– Paint Tray & Liner: This is where you will pour your paint. You can dispose of the liner later and keep the tray for future projects.

– Smaller (artist’s) brush: I like having a small arts and crafts brush for any touch-ups required later on. It may not be the ‘professional’ way to do it, but it really does the trick!

– Painter’s Tape: I used Frog Tape, but any painter’s tape will do.

– Utility Knife: This will help when taping off corners or when you are having trouble removing the painter’s tape after painting your door.

– Bucket & Sponge (or Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, extra durable which is what I used) to clean the surface.

– Rag: This is great to have on hand so you can wipe up any excess or splattered paint.

Optional: If you have narrow trim on your door (around a window, for example), you may want to have a smaller brush like this one or this one on hand.

STEPS

Step 1: Clean & Tape Off Door

First, clean the surface of the door with a bucket of soapy water OR using Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. I preferred using the eraser as it felt quick and easy. If using soapy water, make sure to remove any soap residue and let dry.

Next, tape off any areas that you don’t wish to get your paint on. These will include any trim or windows.

*As a non-professional, I taped before cleaning the door and it all worked out just fine.

NOTE: You can either tape off the door knobs, too, or remove them and give the area a quick wipe prior to painting. I had hubby remove ours as I am planning to replace the door knobs (more on that later).

Keep in mind any windows nearby. If your door has a window, like mine does, I recommend taping off the entire window (rather than just the edges), to ensure you don’t get any paint splatter on it.

This is where I found having a utility or craft knife useful in keeping the edges sharp by gently cutting in where the trim meets the window.

Step 2: Paint Grooves First Using Angled Brush

Taking your angled brush, dip it into your paint can (about 1 inch).

Start by painting the grooves of your door panels.

Tip: Follow the natural ‘lines’ of the grooves.

Paint the vertical grooves, vertically.

Paint the horizontal grooves, horizontally.

Do the same for the bottom panels.

NOTE: Some interior doors have natural grains that are horizontal and vertical, following the direction of the panels, which makes it easy to see why you should follow this method. Our interior door is metal, so there are no grains, but I kept this pattern to keep things clean and simple.

Lastly, don’t forget the trim.

First Coat Tips:

1. Don’t lay the paint on thick. This is going to be your first coat, so you can expect to see ‘lines’ and a bit of paint outside the lines, too 🙂 Just be sure you don’t have any thick blobs of paint, especially around the edges. You want to keep an eye on any paint that pools on the corners or grooves. If you do see a bit of that, grab your rag and wipe these up.

2. Make sure you don’t add a thick layer of paint on the tape itself. By keeping that first coat light, you will ensure that there is no excess paint that bleeds under the tape.

Step 3: Paint Panels Using Small Foam Roller

Taking your small foam roller, dip into the paint in your paint tray. Roll off excess and paint the remaining panels.

Follow the direction of each panel, as before.

Paint vertical panels, vertically.

Paint horizontal panels, horizontally.

And don’t forget the interior panels (and the top end, too!)

When you have completed the first coat, let the door dry for approximately 2 hours, depending on the material you’ve painted and the humidity levels.

Up close, my first coat was not too thick, with notable uneven spots in the application. I was not at all worried, though, knowing that my second coat would fix all that.

Step 4: Repeat Above Steps

When applying your second coat, repeat the same pattern by:

1. Painting the grooves first, then the rest.

2. Painting vertical grooves (or grains), vertically.

3. Painting horizontal grooves (or grains), horizontally.

Let dry for a minimum of 2 hours.

Step 5: Remove Tape

Remove the tape, making sure to do so slowly and at a 45 degree angle, as recommended by most professionals.

My paint was nearly totally dry when I removed the tape.

Tip: In areas where the tape does not want to come loose because of the paint layered on top, grab your utility knife and cut very gently along the edge to release it.

Here is the ‘Before’ and the ‘After.’

While simple, this DIY interior door paint refresh added back the warmth I was looking for in my all-white foyer.

It’s the first step towards updating our front entryway.

Sneak Peek at My Entryway Mood Board

Over the next while, I hope to gradually update our front entryway in a modern vintage style with lots neutrals, textured materials, and punctuated with hits of black.

See my board below, followed by clickable links to each product. I’ve already purchased #1 and #6 is on its way ❤️.

To check out any of these products, just click on the links below

1. Spindle Back Bench (Canada site / US site) 2. Vintage Print 3. Hat Rack Tree 4. Vase 5. Flush Mount Light 6. Door Knob Lock Set 7. Throw Blanket 8. Silk Olive Tree 9. Landscape Print 10. Wall Hooks 11. Hanging Baskets (2-Pack) 12. Rhino Wall Hook (or other animal head hooks here) 13. Jute Rug (or similar one here)

I hope you got some inspiration and motivation to think about updating your space with paint. It’s a simple, affordable way of updating any space. By using a simple coat of paint, I managed an affordable front door update that looks as good as any professional could do. And If I can do it, anyone can – truly!