We’re back with the full front door makeover, just like we promised.
Here’s the starting point:
It was an old maroon storm door that caused three problems: the grid pattern didn’t match the six-paneled door behind it, it tended to jam, and it didn’t latch well so it would bang open in wind. We rarely used it, so we decided to remove the storm door and show off the solid six-paneled wood door hidden behind it.
After taking off the storm door hardware we spackled the holes and touched up the exterior trim paint (luckily the previous owners left spare paint in the basement).
Before spackling we tackled the fun part: choosing a color. We tested many swatches — plum, turquoise, navy, lime, and more — but kept returning to a bright, happy yellow. We narrowed it down to four similar options and, after observing them in different light throughout the day and at night, chose Full Sun EB1-1 from Valspar’s Eddie Bauer Home collection.
We also decided to rescue the original door knocker, which was rusting and peeling. We removed it carefully, planning to restore and reinstall it once the door was painted. We sanded the surrounding paint to smooth the area, removed a rusted brass plate at the bottom of the door, spackled and sanded those holes, and then removed the handle and lock to refurbish them as well.
For paint prep we used a liquid deglosser (Next Liquid Deglosser by Crown) to remove oil, grease, and any contaminants that could interfere with paint adhesion. Deglossing is a handy shortcut when you want to avoid aggressive sanding, though you should still sand rough spots such as spackled holes or areas where hardware was removed.
We consulted a paint expert at Lowe’s and decided on Valspar Duramax exterior paint because it has a built-in primer and is formulated for durability outdoors. The paint pro color-matched our chosen Full Sun shade to Duramax, and we bought a quart of semi-gloss for around $15.
Application was done with a small foam roller to minimize brush marks and a 2″ angled brush for the door’s recessed panels and trim. We applied thin, even coats and let each dry before applying the next. One coat looked promising considering we were painting over deep maroon, but we ultimately applied four thin, uniform coats to achieve a smooth, glossy finish.
The result is a vibrant, glossy yellow door that brightens the porch and complements the brick and cream siding. It looks great from both the outside and the inside. The smooth finish is due to using quality exterior paint and maintaining thin, even coats rather than overloading the surface.
We also refurbished the door hardware, which now reads much fresher against the yellow. We’ll publish a follow-up post with the full hardware restoration details and photos.
Because the door was still curing in some photos we didn’t fully close it until evening. Painting in the morning allowed the finish to cure enough by evening to close the door safely.
In short, this front door update included:
- testing swatches on the door in different light throughout the day
- removing the storm door and spackling/sanding/painting the surround
- removing and sanding around hardware before painting
- removing a rusted brass plate and repairing those holes
- deglossing the entire door to improve adhesion
- refurbishing original hardware for reinstalling
- applying four thin, even coats of exterior primer + paint in semi-gloss
- reattaching hardware after drying and allowing the paint to fully cure before leaving the door closed overnight
Budget-wise it was simple: one quart of Valspar Duramax in semi-gloss from Lowe’s for about $15, plus any small extras if you don’t already have spackle or a deglosser (roughly $4 each). A quart was plenty for our front door, even left over for touch-ups; we left the interior-facing side of the door white like our interior doors.
Have you painted your front door recently, or are you planning to? This is the fourth time I’ve painted a door in five years and the second time I’ve chosen a cheerful yellow. It’s an instant mood booster and might inspire more exterior updates, such as repainting the cream siding or addressing the brick at a later date. We’ll keep sharing progress as we tackle those projects.
Update: There were requests for wider shots from the curb, so we shared them. Keep in mind many exterior elements besides the door may change over time as the rest of the house gets updated.
… especially the large row of bushes that can obscure the door from certain angles.
Wouldn’t the power to move shrubs with a fingertip be an amazing superpower? I’d pick that over flying or mind-reading.