How To Paint Interior Doors Black & Update Brass Hardware

Fall is just around the corner, and for some, that can mean not only a change of season, but also wanting a change of scenery in the home. One way to create an updated look in a home is by painting your doors classic black. It's no secret: I love black! I love to wear black, my office used to be black, and when we lived in our Florida town home in 2010, I first started experimenting with painting doors black (read my post here). Although that first door was only the interior of the front door (because of HOA), I instantly fell in love with the transformation the black door gave to a builder basic white door. When we moved to Phoenix, and found a house to rent, I applied my love for black doors to our kitchen dining area, to help update the space + create more harmony in our rental home. Having white doors in an area with cherry kitchen cabinets, charcoal walls, and black appliances was just going to be too choppy (read more in my post: renters painting tips). Although I really wanted to, I refrained from painting all of those doors black, since we were renting. Fast forward to the home we bought November 2014, and one of the first tasks I did before the movers arrived was to paint all of the doors black - and wow, what a difference it made!

Satin black doors, satin brass hardware, updated light fixture, a runner, and a small entry vignette all ways to update a builder basic entry...

 Builder basic blah before...

Painting white doors black can become a tedious (and boring) project, but it helps to break it down to smaller paint projects - for example, paint doors black by 'line-of-sight' sections. This way, if you get side tracked by another task, you won't have one white door next to a black door in the same room. It also helps to focus on painting the door fronts first, and come back at another time to do the inside, because you may want to keep the backside white (for example for a pantry, powder room, or a small closet).

I did this, and I think this Fall, I'll go ahead and paint the backsides black (living in a space does that!). As for the door moldings, I'm contemplating whether or not to paint the white door casework black (or grey in the master) like the dark doors as well. I do though like the way the white relates to the baseboard and crown molding. Another option to consider with painting base & crown moldings is painting them the same color as the walls - but gloss. Chances are though, the next buyer here will prefer the white moldings too.

The one door in the house I did not paint black was the french door coming from the living room, opening to the backyard deck. All of our window mullions are white, and since I treated this door as a window - to give the fireplace symmetry, I framed it with window panels - I kept this door white. I love my black, but I'm not about to start painting all the white mullions black. Although I love that look too - the next person who lives here may not. This area is relatively conservative. And if they do, that leaves a project for them to personalize their space with.

  

When we changed the exterior door locks, we went ahead and purchased a more updated (transitional style) exterior door handle in an antique brass.

Also when we moved, I renewed our faded black exterior front door in an exterior black satin. Inside, I went ahead and painted the front door a satin black as well (along with the stairway railing & newel post!), but I think for Fall, I'm going to refresh the door - inside & out with a gloss black. Inside, the black gloss will help reflect more light in a small space, and outside, it will give a more sophisticated curb appeal.

 

Walls - Behr Porpoise (eggshell) - Trim semi-gloss white - Time to paint the doors black!

 

Black door painting - tape off hinges, and if you're keeping the hardware, you can just cover with foil if you'd rather not remove (but it's much easier to paint removing door handles!!) 

Painting Black Doors

Before - During - After

This house was built in 2005, so it was already starting to feel a little dated with the builder grade white doors, especially paired with the yellow-base polished brass door knobs. In the Florida townhome, we had updated all of the door handles to nickel levers, but I knew I didn't want to go the silver route here - not to mention, changing door hardware can start to become expensive, especially when it's for 14 doors in a house. Since I was painting the doors black, I tried something with the existing brass hardware - and it worked!

 Brass:

Dated & Polished (left) - Updated & satin (right) 

Updating brass hardware - from dated yellow & polished to brushed & updated satin finish.

No paint - No chemicals. Just sandpaper!

By simply taking one of my (fine) sanding blocks (I've used for furniture refinishing), I was able to buff off the dated yellow shine from the existing door knobs, and created a more matte, brushed brass - satin finish. This not only saved us the expense of changing the hardware, it also helped to salvage the existing hardware -- without any chemicals or added expense (other than buying another sanding block for under $5!)

So as my husband patched and sanded wall holes + painted Kilz in all of the closets (good germ killer when you're first moving in!!), and the painter we hired was painting the common areas of the house (LR, DR, Kitchen, hallway, stairway, master bedroom and bathrooms), I started my black door painting, and brass hardware update, along with painting all of the door casing and baseboards a crisp white.

The brushed brass door hardware also worked with the master bedroom doors I opted not to paint black, but instead I painted a darker grey. Out master bedroom has three doors (plus a pair of 15-lite french doors we added) which with our existing black furniture would have been WAY too much black in one space. the darker grey I used for the bedroom doors, I also used when I painted the existing 2 old oak bathroom cabinets (I'll share more about in an upcoming post!)

 

 

The hallway upstairs has another six door, two of which are a pair of bifold doors for the laundry closet. All are painted black, and I continued doing the satin finish brass hardware upstairs, except for the laundry closet doors - They originally had plain painted wood knobs, I replaced with a antique pair I picked up on our trip to Atlanta earlier this year (great souvenir!) 

Doors are updated - now just need to update hall light fixtures & floor covering!

For previous black paint choices, I've just grabbed any pure black paint I could find - But this project was going to be pretty big (12+ doors!!). I wanted smooth, strong coverage, with easy clean-up at an affordable price, and Behr paints fit the bill (not only for the doors, but for painting our entire home!)

BEHR PAINT from HOME DEPOT

Interior black door paint - Black Suede - Satin finish

Exterior black door paint - Black Suede - Satin finish

Interior grey door paint (master bed & bath)- Behr Marquee - Magnet - Satin Finish

Sandpaper block grade - Fine 

Paint is not only an economical means of updating the look of a home on a small budget, but using black paint, on doors, helps to give an updated and sophisticated look to a home. Consider painting your doors black if you are:

- Looking to refresh your home before the holidays.

- Seeking a more updated look before selling your home.

- Relocating and want to remove the builder grade style of your new dwelling.

And to really take classic black doors up a notch, try a high gloss black for your front door, inside and out! (which is on my 'to-do' list for Fall!) Think of high gloss black as adding a black patent clutch or pumps to your LBD!  

 

Hope you are inspired!
Thanks for stopping by!

MOODBOARD MONDAY: WINTER WARMTH WITH YARN

Are you in the winter mood and looking for a simple way to update your home or wardrobe for the colder winter months? Nothing quite says "cozy up!" like layering with a yarn textured knit throws, pillows, vases, hats, scarves, sweaters, mittens or leg warmers! Whether it’s traditional fisherman style cables that we’re use to seeing, or a more modern, simplified, chunky version, it looks like yarn knits - especially cable and even crochet - are all receiving a lot of love since last fall. If you have some older sweaters, reuse those old sweaters to create a vase, candle or pillow slip cover. Old sweaters can also be cut up and slipped over a craft store Styrofoam ring to create a simple DIY winter wreath for your front door. If you don't have any old sweaters - hit the thrift stores to collect a few to layer into your home or wardrobe. Welcome warmth this winter with shades of grey yarn knits...

Winter Warmth With Yarn

 

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Layer Layer Layer...

 

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Crochet adds a delicate lacy texture to a home for winter...

 

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In winter, you can never have enough blankets...

Pull them out of the closet to create a functional display on a single chair or in baskets...

 

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Add more shades of grey in your home by washing baskets in shades of grey...

 

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Welcome winter with wreaths in shades of winter whites & grey knits...

 

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Layer up with a chunky knit cowl scarf in extra thick cable...

 

 

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No knitting required for these yarn balls - just wrap stryofoam balls and display in a galvanized container or painted basket... 

 

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While knit mitts may keep your hands warm, going fingerless can show off a pretty grey manicure and keep you tech-savvy with warmth....

How would you choose to create winter warmth with yarn?

Thanks for stopping by and stay warm this winter...

Test Your Testosterone: Make Your Man A Mancave

The playoffs were this weekend, and the two final champions to go to the Super Bowl will soon have their grudge match for all of us to see. It's evolved into quite an event, and even the ladies have managed to find their place in it by creating delicious dishes and parties for all to celebrate. But what if you'd rather go shoe shopping or to a pretty bridal shower conveniently set on the same date? And your guy wants to have some of his friends over to watch the game? Now would be a great time to put some creativity and organizational skills into play and make a mantuary or a mancave for your man.

This doesn't mean you need make a trip to the nearest Hobby Lobby to clear their shelves of chachkies in fishing, hunting or boating. And it also doesn't mean you need to paint out the garage or that spare bedroom you've been meaning to get to in some horrendous team colors and flood the walls and shelves with every piece of memorabilia known to man.

Think about it - men don't come home with tiny statues. If they collect something, it's usually pretty significant in size - for example cars, trucks, motorcycles, street signs, a hot tub or an appliance... which shows what they collect also usually has (or had) some type of function - Think American Pickers. Even the smallest of objects they are fascinated with have a function: an ipad, an iphone, cameras, tablets, watches, computers, and computer games.

Using the same design principles and concepts you use in your home, you can create a sophisticated space that says him, just as much as the rest of the house says you. For example, let's say he likes cars:

Utilize the inspiration of the cars he admires, and use those as your influence for the style of the space. Keep the walls dark and neutral in a rich charcoal grey or even black. Consider playing with the finishes: Matt vs. High Gloss which looks exceptional when black is used.

 

Floor covering made from recycled tires.

Car seats are usually leather, so some leather seating is a must in a mancave (not to mention it's easier to clean up his spills) For a sportier look, use leather with top stitch trim. For a more classic car or even a rustic old pick-up truck lovin' feel, use rich worn leathers. TIP: If you have a pair of dark leather club chairs and you want to make them a little more worn - lightly use sandpaper, in a circular motion, to refinish its surface and make the leather more worn.

For wall art: keep it simple & sophisticated by framing photographs of cars. You can get a little more artsy and just take detail shots: the grill, a hood ornament, the rims, the tires, tail lights, steering wheel or even the dashboard. If you love your family galleries you already have up in your home, for his space, why not try hanging these images in a grid format for a cleaner look...

For his decorative accents: A little chrome can go a long way. Vintage pieces like tables or chairs designed by Milo Baughman, or similar designs by Martyn Lawrence-Bullard can be a great way to mix furnishings and update the style of a room that just may be housing his old bachelor pad black leather sofa already. Pieces like this can usually be found at your local thrift store, at a vintage shop or even online. Similar pieces can also be found at Crate & Barrel.

Other vintage pieces with chrome & glass to add could be a side table or a lamp. I should have taken a picture of it, but at the car show, I did see a pub table style built from five rims stacked (both flat & upright) with a 36" round glass on top. Pull up two to four bar-counter stools you may have stashed in the garage, and you've just given him and his friends a place to eat their pizza or subs.

To help keep the space clutter free but still personal for him, use clean line storage boxes for some of his smaller memorabilia, and storage ottomans or trunks for some of the larger items. Those items still needing to be "displayed" can easily be corralled onto a tray, displayed inside a Lucite cube or framed for his friends to see.

To add a little shine to his pad, why not showcase a collection of highball, scotch or beer glasses on a stainless steel tray? To add interest to walls, have mirrors etched with items such as his favorite car logos.

To add in a layered look in textiles for the space, think manly fabrics such as wool, flannel, or tweed. Felt can even work to cover a basic white drum shade. For this space, it's more about the textures for him, vs. the prints for you.

 

Leather Floor Tiles of Men's Belts by Ting

The key to designing a sophisticated man space is to keep it functional, keep it strong, and keep it clutter free. Take a favorite item as true inspiration to reinterpret into a space not so literally, but use its finishes to style your man's space. 

 

Basement Bar 2009 from Pegus

As I mentioned yesterday, going to the auto auction was very inspirational. I used that inspiration to source the above photos on Pinterest for my board MR.MISTER... and later I created a male inspired room board at Olioboard...

 

See the details at Olioboard for my board

METROPOLITAN MAN

If you're looking to create a sophisticated space for your man, be it for the Super Bowl or for Valentines Day, but don't know where to begin - I can help. Contact me at nyclqd@yahoo.com.

Thanks for visiting!