Back in Black

Every girl needs a LBD to make her feel fabulous, right?  Most people keep their's stored in the back of their closet, tucked away for special occasions.  But not this girl.  I keep mine right in the middle of my living room for the world to see.  I am of course speaking of my "Little Black DOOR!"

Shortly after we moved in, I painted our front exterior door, along with the two panels on the side.  Having all three pieces painted one color, would make the entry look wider, grander, and much more welcoming!  I thought black was a go to color for a front door, as opposed to the outdated "been there done that red"that was made popular by Elizabeth's Arden's Red Door perfume set, because it adds a timeless feel that would look good on ANY house color. 

Front Door Before-narrow and dinky looking

After-wider, more welcoming entrance :)  

 I saw Lowes had a Natural Trust for Historic Preservation line out with Valspar, so I decided to cheat-just this once- on my other two paint loves {Sherwin Williams & Ben Moore}.   I  wanted a beautiful, historic looking black that would feel new yet old.  I began frantically searching in the whites and neutral section {yes, that is where the black is kept} and then I saw it-- Lincoln Cottage Black- it is the PERFECT black paint color! It has a teeny tiny bit of gray but is still so strong and clean! I just love it!

While multitasking on another project involving my beautiful black paint, I decided to take the plunge and do what I've wanted to do since we moved in--paint the INTERIOR doors, yes you guessed it, BLACK!  

My hands couldn't roll fast enough!  I started with the hall closet upstairs= LOVE.  Proceeded with the coat closet in our living room downstairs= DOUBLE LOVE.  I can't believe the impact it makes on the entire look of the room! It makes it feel so homey but adds a luxurious feeling by the contrast of the color of the walls, trim, and flooring. I left the interior white because I didn't feel the need to use my paint on the side you would never see. Totally personal preference. 

Upstairs hall closet before

After

Living Room Coat Closet

After

Each door needed 2-3 coats of paint and the only supplies needed was a small roller and a 2 inch brush.  I had an extra piece of plywood lying around, so I decided to use that as my work zone--it might be my new obsession.  It was so nice to not worry about moving a drop cloth around, and making four trips up and down the stairs to move supplies.  I used that board for everything!  You can read more about how to paint an interior or exterior door here. 

Aprox time for this project was about 25 minutes each door--took no time at all.  I always let the tape sit for at least 12 hours before removing it--fight the urge and don't pull it off!! It can cause some serious damage {don't ask me how I know that...}

Everyone needs a LBD in their life.  To make it even better, you're husband won't give you an earful about how much this one costs. He may even want a LBD of his own....let's just hope the D continues to stand for DOOR...