🎨 Ready to transform your front door?
Painting your front door is one of the easiest, most affordable ways to boost curb appeal and make a statement. Whether you’re going bold with colour or freshening up tired woodwork, the process is simpler than you might think — especially when you know the right steps to follow.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything from choosing the best paint to those finishing touches that elevate your entrance from basic to beautiful.
1. Choose the Right Paint (and Colour)
The best front door transformations start with quality paint and a confident colour choice.
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Use exterior-grade paint that’s weather-resistant and durable. If you find a paint colour you absolutely love and it doesn't come in an exterior option, you can take that paint colour to other paint providers who can match from a name/brand or spec.
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Make sure your paint is suitable for your door surface. Whether it be timber, metal, PVC, composite. We're often asked about whether you can paint PVC or composite doors and the answer is yes you can but you need paint suitable for the surface. (TOP TIP - Dulux Weathershield and & Frenchic do a good range of paints for PVC & Composite)
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Choose a finish: We advise a Satin or Matt paint finish — it’s durable, easy to clean, and gives a beautiful soft sheen which looks great against any hardware. The high gloss finish that is seen on No.10 Downing Street as an example is a much harder painting process and in our humble opinion looks a bit stuffy and old fashioned!
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🎨 As for colour?
Think about the overall tone of your home and neighbourhood — but don’t be afraid to go bold. Consider the brick or colour tones of your home and what compliments that colour. -
A colour wheel can be a great guide, find your homes brick or paint colour and look across the wheel spectrum for a complimentary tone. For example Blues/Purples look great against yellow brick/stone, Greens look great against red brick homes & if you have a white/grey/black home amazing its a a neutral colour and virtually all door colours are going to look beautiful. (TOP TIP - if in doubt choose a colour you love, ultimately you're the one who has to enjoy it!) Here's a few examples of using the colour wheel as a guide to choosing your front door colour.
2. Prepare the Door Properly
Prep is everything. A beautiful paint job starts with a smooth, clean surface.
- If possible remove any hardware, it makes for a much easier paint process. If its tricky to remove use masking tape to protect the hardware.
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Clean the door with warm soapy water or sugar soap to remove dirt and grease
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Sand down flaking paint or glossy finishes so your new paint sticks properly
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If your door has been exposed to years of weather, consider using a primer — especially if you're switching from dark to light colours
- Take your time here — it makes a huge difference to the final result.
3. Paint the Door
Now for the fun part.
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Use a high-quality brush for details & panel creases and a foam roller for large flat panels to avoid brush marks
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Apply 2–3 thin coats, allowing proper drying time between each (check your paint tin for guidance)
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🚪 Start from the top and work your way down, following the natural sections of the door (especially if it’s panelled)
TOP TIP: If your door opens inward, it’s often easier to paint it open so you can reach the edges. Just make sure to protect your floors.
ANOTHER TOP TIP: If your interior and exterior paint colours are different it can be tricky to decide where and what to match. Our guidance is for the inner seam of the door where you have the hinge brackets to match the external colour, for the inner seam of the door where your opening handle/key lock is match the external colour.
4. Finishing Touches (They Matter!)
TOP TIP: When you think you've finished painting, you probably haven't, keep the paint pot handy over the coming days in case you spot any areas that need a touch up!
Now its time to dress the doorway
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🌿 Plants & flowers can make a HUGE difference, they'll make your entrance come alive and of course really make that new colour Pop!
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Outdoor lanterns, seasonal wreaths or perhaps a nice door mat can add the final touches.
5. Stand Back and Admire (You Did It!)
Give yourself a moment to enjoy the transformation.
This isn’t just a painted door — it’s a mood-lifter, a vibe-setter, and maybe even a conversation starter with the neighbours.
Light a candle, take a photo, or just bask in your handiwork with a cup of tea in hand.
If you've made it this far congratulations, you are one step closer...but remember planning is not doing, reading is not doing and paint shopping is not doing. Take this as your sign to get started!
All our best wishes
And if you are considering new hardware for your front door makeover come browse our door knocker collection