Front door reveal with the color teal

Today I'm revealing our front door paint color! Last month I posted about my plans for painting the front door teal and the different shade options I was considering.  The paint color I picked is called Teal Motif by Behr Paint.

If you love bold paint colors but don't want the risk of painting a wall or a whole room and end up hating it, try using it on your front door. You can always paint it again if you really don't like it. I have to admit that I was really nervous painting our front door this vibrant color and wasn't sure I would like it in the end, but I said I wanted teal and here it is, and you know what? I really like it!  It looks welcoming and pops against the gray color of the house.

A front door makes it the best place to go big with color in a small way.  If you're thinking of painting your front door consider these tips...

My grimy old front door was begging me to paint it!  "Hello, Julie remember me it's your front door I'm thick with dirt and not looking very pretty.  I'm reminding you that you should paint me!

Choose your color:

Choosing a new color for your home's front door can be overwhelming whether you're going neutral or taking the plunge with a bold hue. Tape a few swatches to your door, the colors will appear quite different outdoors than they do inside the paint store.

Prep your door:

Clean the door with soap and water.  If your door has existing paint on it roughen it up with a palm sander.  You may have to hand sand in the crevices and around the trim.  Wipe the entire door clean with a dry rag to remove dust.

It's easier to achieve a professional-looking finish if you take the time to remove the locks and knobs.  If you're considering new hardware, now is the time to get it.  If you don't want to remove the hardware you can tape them off with painter's tape and paint around them.

I decided to keep the hardware on our door and give them a new look with flat black spray paint. I did this before I painted the door.  I taped newspaper on the door around the hardware and placed painter's tape over the lock.

Then I started to paint the door. 

Paint the details first:

You will need one quart of exterior paint.  I used Behr Marquee exterior semi-gloss enamel with advanced stain-blocking paint and primer.  Using a high-quality paintbrush-like Purdy, begin by brushing the inset or trim details so that you can lay an even base coat.  Use the brush to feather out the edges of the paint so that there are no drips.

Once all of the trim details are painted and dry you can go ahead and paint the rest of the door.  You will need three coats!  Follow the directions on the can for dry time between coats.   TIP: Wrap your paintbrush in a plastic bag to keep the paint on the brush from drying between coats.

AND.......

 here she is looking all pretty with her new coat of paint.
A vibrant, teal front door is probably not for everyone, but it makes me smile!