Condo Breakfast Room DIY Before & Afters DIY Home Improvement DIY Projects - All Home Improvement

My Colorful Front Door

Last Updated on February 26, 2013 by Kristi Linauer

Well, I did it.  I went and painted my front door a color other than white.

orange door 1

But let me start at the beginning.  For two years now, my front door has had nothing but a coat of primer on it.  Have you seen what happens to primer, especially in high traffic areas?  It gets dirty.  Really dirty.  Primer has a very flat porous finish, which makes it great for sucking up paint, but also makes it great for sucking up dirt if it’s not topcoated with paint.

So after two years, my poor door was looking rather pitiful.

orange door before

So off to Home Depot I went.  I knew I wanted orange, but picking a shade of orange was quite challenging.  I thought I had found the perfect one called Vintage Orange.  It looked like a soft, pretty orange…not too harsh.  (Okay, I know orange isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but I happen to love it.)

Vintage Orange was a bust.  What looked soft and creamy in Home Depot looked harsh and neon on my door.

orange door first paint color

Being cheap like I am, and not wanting to go back to Home Depot and spend more money, I decided to try to fix the paint myself.  I started by mixing a bit of black, which just made it dull and muddy looking, and even gave it a very slight greenish undertone.  Definitely NOT what I had in mind.  I knew that it needed some red, so after rummaging a bit more, I found some pinkish red left over from the original pet station project.  So with these three colors, I was determined to make it work.

orange door paint colors

And somehow, by some miracle, it worked!  I actually ended up with the exact orange that I had in my mind from the beginning.

I was definitely nervous painting my door orange.  In my mind, I had visions of people pointing and laughing, word spreading through the blogosphere about this insane blogger who at one time had pretty good taste, but now had clearly lost her mind.

orange door 2

But now, I’m so glad I did it, because I absolutely love it.

orange door 3

After all, life is too short to always make safe decisions, right?

(And yes, that’s yet another strip of flooring that needs to be finished. Uugghh!!)

*I’m linking this post to the great link parties at the bottom of the page.  Scroll all the way down and click over to join the fun!

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26 Comments

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  • Reply To This Comment ↓
    Jeri patton
    August 4, 2011 at 6:19 pm

    I love how it ties in the the valance and it compliments the cabinets wonderfully!! Perfection!

  • Reply To This Comment ↓
    Lisa
    August 4, 2011 at 6:24 pm

    Your door looks awesome!  It looks more like mustard than orange on my computer but either way it looks great.

  • Reply To This Comment ↓
    Lawsonch
    August 4, 2011 at 6:28 pm

    Hi Kristi,
    I just love the color you mixed for your door. Orange is my favorite color and this shade works beautifully in your room. Nice Job!
    Cheryl at My Sister's Cottage

  • Reply To This Comment ↓
    Jbsemicolon
    August 4, 2011 at 6:57 pm

    Love it!

  • Reply To This Comment ↓
    Beverly
    August 4, 2011 at 6:59 pm

    I love your orange door!  It is yummy.

  • Reply To This Comment ↓
    Corie Roberts
    August 4, 2011 at 8:23 pm

    I absolutely love it Kristi! If you've lost your mind, then clearly I have too.

  • Reply To This Comment ↓
    Heidi Cephus
    August 4, 2011 at 8:24 pm

    Love it! I'm inspired! 🙂

  • Reply To This Comment ↓
    Madalanesmimi
    August 4, 2011 at 8:31 pm

    PERFECT COLOR!

  • Reply To This Comment ↓
    Elle The Heiress
    August 4, 2011 at 9:43 pm

    That's a lot of locks on your door!

  • Reply To This Comment ↓
    Littlebluechairsdecor
    August 4, 2011 at 9:44 pm

    Nope not crazy- I love it!

  • Reply To This Comment ↓
    Kristi @ Addicted 2 Decorating
    August 4, 2011 at 9:51 pm

    I know, right?!  You'd think we live in NYC! 

  • Reply To This Comment ↓
    Sydneybeth
    August 4, 2011 at 11:05 pm

    I really hate the color yellow and at first I thought your door looked too yellow but the final picture showed a beautiful fall orange.  Love it!

  • Reply To This Comment ↓
    NancyU
    August 4, 2011 at 11:23 pm

    Mixing up the paint yourself not only saved cash but saved space in the toxic waste round up. Good Job. PS love the color!

  • Reply To This Comment ↓
    Lisa
    August 5, 2011 at 2:11 am

    Kristi, I love-love-love your door!!!  Orange is my favorite color, but I haven't used it much in decorating (for the reason you gave).  I'm totally going to paint my door orange.  I like that yours is more on the gold side.  Too bad you weren't able to find it through a paint company cause I don't know how to mix my own paints.  

  • Reply To This Comment ↓
    flyer printing
    August 5, 2011 at 2:30 am

    Great idea, and that looks nice by the way. Better with the color, made it more bright! Now I want to paint our dull brown door. Thanks!

  • Reply To This Comment ↓
    megan
    August 5, 2011 at 11:03 am

    Gorgeous, what a fun color! I've been dying to see it since you teased it on FB!

  • Reply To This Comment ↓
    Terry
    August 5, 2011 at 11:07 am

    I have a door exactly like yours – no paint just primer and it's so scuzzy…I know I need to paint it but I hold back..Now that I've seen your's – I'm ready to tackle it. Thanks for showing off your new, wonderful door!

  • Reply To This Comment ↓
    Julia
    August 5, 2011 at 1:06 pm

    I absolutely love it, Kristi! Now I want a yellow door. Looks gorgeous!

  • Reply To This Comment ↓
    A Creative Spirit
    August 6, 2011 at 6:44 pm

    WOW is all I can say. I actually love the color… I was thinking a mustardy orange???? Or am I seeing it wrong in the pics???? LOVE IT and really really looks good with the new paint chip art and the rest of the area.

  • Reply To This Comment ↓
    andy
    August 9, 2011 at 1:36 am

    I like the new color of your house, this is more lively than before.

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  • Reply To This Comment ↓
    Lori Orman
    August 31, 2012 at 1:27 pm

    I

  • Reply To This Comment ↓
    Lori Orman
    August 31, 2012 at 1:29 pm

    I love the paint color! What I found myself looking at the most was the pet station thingy beside the door! Can u tell me about it??? Feed? Groom? Amazing!!! Did u make it? If so details?!?!?!

  • Reply To This Comment ↓
    Screendoorgirl 3
    May 18, 2013 at 9:18 am

    Cute post! I love the way the color came out. Changes up the whole room. I’m now getting up the nerve to paint my front interior door black. I always get freaked out with where to stop and start with molding and all, but I think, like yours, I’ll just paint the door. Great job.. Thanks!

  • Reply To This Comment ↓
    Rebecca
    December 11, 2013 at 8:14 pm

    I love what you did with the front door. I would like to do something like that with mine, however it is in an entryway along with a door leading to a garage, an interior door leading to a laundry room, and bi-fold doors for an entry closet. So lots of doors in a square entry level of a split-level home. Do you think I could do a color on the inside of my front door and do black on the other doors? Too much going on?

  • Reply To This Comment ↓
    Lindsey
    February 13, 2014 at 12:02 pm

    Hi Kristi! I love your front door!
    I was wondering what kind of finish your paint was…flat, semi-gloss?? And is it oil or water based? I have painted my front door black but it seem like I’m having to repaint it every year… Thanks, Lindsey