So we’ve lived in our home for almost five years now.  And for FIVE years, I have put up with THIS…

If you click on the picture, you can see the paint from the trim is peeling, the white paint on the door is stained, the white railings are outdated…  This door, is in major need of a face lift!!

So I give you the before…

and the after…

What a big difference a little color makes right!!!  So when I first got the idea to paint my door (thank you Pinterest), I was nervous thinking I would have to take the door completely off the hinges, prop it up, paint both sides, you know the whole she-bang!

Well, this was a much simpler project than I anticipated, and well worth the time… (It only took half a day).  If you’re looking to re-paint anything, here are a few easy steps…

Step 1:

Choose a few paint samples.

I left my ugly stripes up on my door for a few days and got loads of opinions.  Ultimately, my designer sister-in-law confirmed that the middle one (my favorite) would look the best!  Woohoo!!  So off to Lowes I went.  I love the Valspar, outdoor paint with primer. No priming, great for cooler weather (when I painted it was 45 degrees outside), and a really rich color.

Step 2:

Prep your area.  You’ll need to give everything you plan on painting a good sanding.

I sanded the heck out of my trim (did you see what horrible shape it was in??), and sanded my door lightly, and my railing really well too.  I then took a bucket of warm soapy water and scrubbed the dirt and residue off.

Next you’re ready to tape it off…

Just tape all the areas you want to avoid getting paint on!  As you can see, I didn’t completely cover my fixtures, just the edges. Also, if you have a kick plate, you’ll want to remove that as well.  (My 4 yr-old loved un-screwing this for me)

Step 3:

Hold your breath and roll it on!!  I bought a small foam roller especially made for cabinets and doors, and a small tray.  I only needed 1 qt of paint, and even then I didn’t end up using half of it.  Pour a small amount of paint in your tray.  Dip the roller in, and roll back and forth along the top of the tray to get the excess paint off.  Start rolling the paint on the door in smooth up and down motions.

Nice.

Don’t be scared.  This is only the first coat.  You have a couple more to go.  Allow to dry for about 1/2 hour between each coat.

Ahh, that’s better!!  After your final coat is semi-dry, remove the tape.  It may look like this…

See the little white edges peeking out around the door handle??  Using a small angle paint brush, carefully paint all the white edges.

Step 4:

Finishing touches.  After the paint from your door is dry, you can tape off the bottom of the door, and work on your trim.  Since our stucco is very light, I didn’t bother taping around the outer edge, cause I’m kind of a rule breaker like that.  I chose a bright white (once again Valspar outdoor paint with primer) color.

It turned out so bright and white!  I love it!!

(If you have questions about painting your railings, shoot me an email, and I’d be happy to fill ya in on that little process:)

So what do ya think?  Better?  Maybe a little?  Missing a cute wreath and some Christmas decor?  (Don’t worry, working on it:)

I might go crazy and paint my garage door next:)

Linking up HERE this week!!