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Right from one door to the next, apparently (if you missed it, I'm talking about this guy), but this time we wanted to give our interior doors a little makeover, and though we have done this project before, this time we felt like we really had it down. This is SUCH a great way to update a dated home, or even bring a new feel to an already updated home. If you are looking for a beginner project that packs a big punch- this is it. Apparently the internet thinks so too, so check out the reel for some super satisfying before and after shots if you want!
For this project, there are a couple of items that really are vital to creating the best version of your finished product. First off, you will need some Zinnser BIN primer. "Do you have to sand them" is a question that is commonly asked, and with this particular primer, you don't! Its pretty awesome, to be honest. It will also last you forever, so don't think that you are going to have to purchase more every time you have a new project. I've had the same can for well over a year (just make sure you stir it up really well- no shaking with this one- stirring only!). The other item that I would recommend is a foam roller. Any time that I am painting any kind of surface that I want really smooth- like furniture or cabinet doors as opposed to walls - I always use a foam roller. I will often use a brush for the initial application and then then lightly roll over the strokes, and the strokes virtually disappear. The other supplies that you'll use are up to you, but don't worry- I will share my favorites with you!
Ok, now that we have all the housekeeping items out of the way, let's get on to the actual project work! After doing a couple of rounds of this, my preference is to prime the door, then add the trim, then do your finish work, and finally paint. I have painted the door first before and then add the paint to the trim after its applied, but I like this new method better. It just turns out nicer, if you ask me.
For the trim, I really do think it is your choice for how big of a "box" you'd like to have on your door. I personally like the space between the sides of the door to be a bit smaller than the space on the top, and then I prefer the space on the bottom to be at least twice as large as the space at the top. Again, this is just personal preference, but I do think this is the most aesthetically pleasing. You can also use whatever type of trim you'd like, but I prefer a flexible trim, so we went with this polystyrene trim that we got from Home Depot. Once you get your trim all situated, you definitely need to fill nail holes and caulk the seams. When I posted this on Instagram, I got a lot of questions about if you could do this on hollow doors, and I am happy to report that you can in fact do this to hollow doors. In fact, our doors are hollow! When using a nail gun to nail into a surface that doesn't have a stud behind it (or in this case, that's hollow), you will want to carefully shoot the nails in at a slight angle, twice, from opposite angles. That will help prevent the nail from just being pulled straight out, and will keep your piece secure. If you aren't comfortable doing that, you can definitely use and adhesive to do the job as well.
Once all that is done, you are ready for paint, and I highly recommend using a nice trim paint. I prefer Sherwin Williams Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel paint. I promise it is worth every penny. It will give you a beautiful finish, and once it cures, it will put up with a lot of wear and tear. As I said when I was doing this project, every cute outfit needs some accessories, and we dressed these doors up with these gorgeous knobs. I've bought cheap doorknobs many times before. I am telling you these are stunning and worth every dang penny. I do have to admit- we didn't replace all the hardware on these doors. As an easy little DIY hack, instead of replacing the hinges, I just hit them with a little bit of oil based sharpie. Yep, I said it. Sharpie. Don't knock it til you try it, guys.
And there you have it- you now have some beautifully updated doors at a fraction of the price of purchasing new doors- definitely a DIY win!
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