Successfully painting your doors at home and getting professional looking results can be accomplished. It will, however, require patients, time, and mastering a few new skills. Whether you’re painting one door or a house full of doors you will want them to all look the same. When learning this new skill, choose the least conspicuous door in your home, just in case you run into difficulties.

Painting a door will be or require you to consider the physical makeup of the door is it made of vinyl or wood or is made of metal. In recent years many main entrance doors have the appearance of wood but are really metal doors in metal frames. These are beautiful doors and provide a high degree of security.

After you have determined the physical makeup of the door you will want to purchase the proper paint. Your local paint or building supply employees can help you choose the best paint for your door painting project. This is no time to be frugal, the higher-quality the paint and paint brush you choose can dramatically affect your end result.

Before we can begin to paint the door we must properly prepare it. Remove all hardware except for the hinges; it’s much easier to paint the door if you leave it where it is. When you leave the door on its hinges, you can easily paint both sides. After removing all hardware you’ll want to examine the door carefully for any old drip marks or imperfections.

Scrape and lightly sand the door and wipe it clean of all dust with a clean damp cloth. Clean and tape the hinges to prevent getting any paint on them, nothing says amateur like painted hinges. Place a drop cloth under your open door bracing the door open will make painting the door a lot easier.

Start painting the casing at the top on the hinged side working from the top down then across the header and down the striker side of the door casing. Now paint the hinged side of the door carefully not to get any paint on your hinges which should be masked.

Each type of door will require slightly different techniques, for this example was going to assume you’re painting a flat door. You will want to deliver the paint to the door by using a closed end foam roller this delivers the paint to the door and nice even fashion.

Roll the paint on from the bottom of the door to the top only covering half the door at a time. Now using a lightly loaded quality paint brush quickly work that paint into the door in a horizontal fashion. Repeat this process with the roller and paint brush until one side of the doors completely done.

You will use the same roller and brush technique as described above when painting a paneled door. Begin by painting each panel individually starting with the upper panels and working your way to the bottom panels. When you have completed painting the panels you can begin to paint all the flat surfaces of the door.

When painting a paneled door pay extra attention and remember to fix any runs or drips that more frequently occur on paneled doors. Finish by painting the edges let the door thoroughly dry. If you feel a second coat is required you’ll have to make certain the door is thoroughly dry. Before applying the second coat you will want to lightly sand the entire surface of the door. Apply the second coat using the same technique as the first coat.

Feel lost when it comes to color?

A lot of us in Western Culture are, with good reason, scared of color. Why? Because trends over the last century have said that muted neutrals, whites, grays and blacks mean sophistication.

These Designer color techniques will take the mystery out of choosing paint colors.

Some ideas die hard but, take it from me, color has come back with a vengeance…because a color is as exciting as life itself. Be real and authentic. Use those colors you love. The bottom line is it’s up to you how you use – or don’t use – color.

Choose a Monochromatic color scheme if you’re going for a soothing atmosphere.

While Monochromatic means colors in the same family, it doesn’t have to mean beige and more beige.

These schemes can be subtle and subdued when using lighter, muted color values, or dramatic and daring if you use rich, saturated hues. A monochromatic scheme might go with a deep purple on an accent wall and a purple base color skewed to a much lighter value on the ceiling and other walls. Shades of lavender and maroon can be worked in through fabrics, floor covering, and other paint accents.

By the way, purple is the “hot” (as in hip, cool, in) color right now. Oh, and if you’re skeptical as to how much color affects the way you feel, research has shown that purple can actually lower blood pressure. It’s purple, blue, green and the hues on that end of the color wheel that have that soothing influence. These colors and monochromatic color schemes are great choices for bedrooms, bathrooms and other spaces where you want to create a soothing, rejuvenating mood.

Contrasting Colors generate excitement and a warm social feeling. Remember these are the hues that lie opposite each other on the color wheel.

Contrasting schemes are great for bustling hubs of activity like Kitchens and Family Rooms…Interestingly enough, these contrasting colors are also referred to as Complementary colors.

Hey, opposites attract! So it’s no wonder these contrasting/complementary colors are pleasing to the eye. Try pairing some wonderful greens with a rich terracotta, or maybe golds with deep purple. Are you getting the sense that purple is in?

Designer Tip: When working with contrasting hues give one prominence – 60% or more – to avoid a frenetic, edgy feel.

Analogous Color Schemes work with several distinct hues that are adjacent to each other on the color wheel.

As with Contrasting/Complementary colors, if you use one color more prominently than the others you’ll create a more pleasing palette.

A Triad Color Scheme is fun and contemporary…It uses any three colors equally spaced from each other on the color wheel. Think orange, green and purple. Use these colors in varying proportions–a dominant color, a secondary hue and an accent color for the pop. These schemes are awesome in deep, sharp colors for kids’ rooms…Or try it in “off” hues for a rich more traditional effect.

What are your favorite colors? Are you stimulated by the way color is utilized in a certain Interior Design Style, like the embrace of bold, bright color in Mexican Interior Design?

Does your home celebrate your geographic location? Do you live in the saturated green of the northern woods…or, in the stark beauty of a desert environment with its golds and red tinged hues?

Do you already own Art that will be going into the overall Interior Design of the room? What about existing furnishings?

These are all great places to find a baseline to begin choosing your paint color palette. Remember you’re working with paint. If you don’t like your choice once it’s up, it’s relatively easy and inexpensive to paint over it.

I always buy, and suggest that you do too, a small “tester” amount of paint first. And, I always try out several hues. I’ve been surprised more than a few times by deciding on a color from a tester pot that I grabbed as an afterthought on my way out the paint store door.

You can paint test patches on your wall or on a scrap of wood or wallboard.

Don’t forget that light matters!

Make sure you take the time to see how your color looks on different walls, in both natural and artificial light and at different times of a day. Be sure to evaluate your color choices during the times you’ll mostly be using the room. For instance, if it’s your bedroom and you work all day, I suggest you make your decisions looking at samples at night and early in the morning.

Have a terrific time choosing paint colors for your Interior Design plan.