Pinterest Projects I Actually Completed: Sweet Petunias and a Freshly Painted Front Door

Welcome to my new front door!  Well, not new, but the color is definitely an improvement.  I shared some pinterest ideas for painted front doors last week.  The weather finally cooperated yesterday and I was able to get some pictures of the finished project.

In this photo, the paint is reading more as blue, but this is the color we painted it:

Sherwin Williams Vintage Vessel

Our door is wood, but it has a strange finish on the exterior side and it was starting to lose it's luster.  So, after seeing a beautiful painted door on the Fixer Upper, I busted out the primer and went to town on the door before I lost my nerve.

Before

 

No going back now!

There are lots of tutorials out there on the best way to paint a door.  The easiest way would be to take it off the hinges and lay it flat, but, for some reason, I don't usually do things the easy way.  After lightly sanding everything and taping off the hardware, I applied a coat of Sherwin Williams primer that I already had from painting the paneling in our living room.  Here are my tried and true painting tools:  a sanding block, foam roller and a Purdy brush.  The compressed air is great for making sure all the dust is gone after you sand.

One coat of primer did a great job and then I painted it with 2 coats of paint of the first color I tried, Green Trance by SW.  It ended up being way too light.  

So, I went and got a $7 tester can of Vintage Vessel and two coats later, we were good.  The tester was an indoor/outdoor paint and the gentleman at SW said it should hold up just fine.  After choosing the wrong color the first time, I took some artwork I have hanging next to my front door and matched the color off of it.  Vintage Vessel was a perfect match.

I love this little print.  I got it at an arts/craft fair and mounted it on a gold chevron piece of scrapbook paper.  The gold frame is from a thrift store and I think it just adds a little pizzazz to the entry.

Welcome to our Home

I also added a little graphic to the brass kickplate on the front door.  This screen door is fairly new, but I think it will look better on the getaway shed.  That's a project that I intend to complete this summer and make it my "studio".  No one would mistake me for an artist, but I do like to craft and paint and little sis likes to sew.  It would be nice to have a spot to put all of that and have a fun, creative space for us.

When we move the current storm door, I plan to get a new solid glass door for the front door.  When that happens, you'll actually be able to see the vinyl address numbers.  

Vinyl address numbers from Leen the Graphics Queen

A new welcome mat from Lowe's and some pretty flowers 

in a vintage-looking olive bucket and the front entry refresh was complete.

The olive bucket was one I got from Wal-Mart about a year ago, 

but they don't seem to be available anymore.  

Here's a similar one from Target:

Threshold Galvanized Garden Basket

Here are some final pics of my spring-ified door.  

I'd love to hear about what you've done to refresh your house for spring!

Definitely looks more blue in this photo, but the picture below looks green.  

Always do a tester--you can't believe your lyin' eyes!

I refreshed my old spring wreath with new white flowers.