Take a look at the gorgeous light gray painted interior door that has transformed the look of my entryway!
If you follow me on Instagram, you saw that I was all over the board in terms of DIY house projects this past weekend. I finally started working on our master bathroom again {after starting in February?!?}, I decided to paint the mudroom, and out of the blue I decided we needed some blue gray painted interior doors. I started with the interior of the entryway door and then quickly moved on to the mudroom {even though I had only painted one wall – why not add the door?!}. I have decorating commitment issues 😉
But, this is one decision I know I won’t regret. The picture of my stunning door below speaks volumes!
Yes, I fully realize that more than just painting the front door caused the difference in the two photos above, but I think the painted door kicks up the space another notch and has added personality! Here was the entryway in the most recent ‘before’:
I still love that look, but something about it didn’t quite feel finished about it. Until now!
So I opted for a mid-toned gray, Behr Elephant Skin, because I wasn’t looking for a harsh contrast. Â This gray has a slight hint of blue that I love! I painted the inside of our front door at our last house black if you’re interested in seeing the darker look {click here for the post}. Also I feel like this gray adds just the right amount of drama and personality without being too moody or harsh.
I feel like there is now a better balance on the left-hand side with some of the darker elements on the right.
The same could also be said when looking into the office space.
Now for some details. Our front door is wood {hence the reason for the long bolt you see up the lefthand side. The door is warped and this helps it to close properly}. The soft gray color I used on the door is Behr Elephant Skin in satin finish. I had about six Behr gray paint chips in my desk drawer – I pulled out my top three favorites and basically narrowed it down from there. Not much science to the decision 😉
Painting The Interior Door
I rolled the paint on with a small roller designed for smooth surfaces {it’s the ‘Smooth Surfaces’ version of this one from Home Depot – I can’t find a brand name on the package}. I was really happy with the finish it left and I found the details on this door were much easier than the mudroom {which is a five panel metal door – see last photo} to paint. The board and batten style allowed me to work slower on each area without fear of messing up another section that was starting to dry. Here’s how I attacked it:
As I did each interior panel, I was careful to knock-down any paint that got on the surrounding areas so as not to leave any weird lines. After all the interior section were finished {areas 1-10} I did one continuous roll up and down each side until covered. As a side note, I painted without taping off the glass {you can see in the photo above} – I simply use a razor blade to scrape it off at the end.
I love the finished sheen of the gray satin paint.
Each door took be about 30 minutes per coat  – with two coats per door. For one hour per door, this project had serious impact! I still need to paint all the trim white but I love the new look!
And because I got a lot of paint questions on Instagram, I’ll post sources here as well.
SHOP THIS POST
ENTRYWAY SOURCES
- Wall Color – Behr Castle Path
- Door Color – Behr Elephant Skin
- Chair
- Sunburst Mirror (Home Depot) – similar here
- Chandelier
- Rug {it’s reversible – I use the lighter side up. It’s also made from recycled plastic bottles so it is perfect near exterior doors!}
- Boot Tray
- Pillow Cover (H&M) – similar one here or here
Lastly, here’s a quick preview of how the mudroom door turned out {this is the door that leads to our garage}. You can also see the left wall painted with the master bath color – Behr Dolphin Fin at 50% intensity. I think the color will work well. The only issue right now is the beaded chandelier. It’s absolutely gorgeous, but the two 40-watt bulbs may not be light enough for this space as we have learned over the last week or two. I’m hoping the lighter, satin sheen paint will make a difference though because I love the light way too much to not use it here. The door color is going to be perfect in here, as well, once I get all the other elements finished. Some day 😉
Are you a fan of the painted interior door look? I’ll be back with even more updates later this week. It was one of those weekends where I got a ton accomplished!
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Beautiful, Sarah! You know I love me some gray paint. 😉
Everything looks fabulous! I am in love with that front door color. Might need to use it somewhere. Have a great week!
So pretty Sarah 🙂 It is very calming 🙂 xoxo
Oh I LOVE. Someone stop me from staying up all night and painting my front door! I’ve been thinking of it for awhile now…hubs is not on board. But I’ll probably do it anyway 😉
I love the way the door turned out, Sarah! I feel like I have been stalking door posts lately because I’m getting ready to paint ours! Thanks for all of the tips for getting great coverage! Hope you’re having a great night!
~Abby =)
big fan, Sarah, HUGE! Absolutely love that shade of gray and the whole space looks fantastic!
I love it, the gray is so pretty and so perfect for your home. Thanks tons for linking to Inspire Me.
The gray looks great! Did you sand the door prior to paining?
No, I didn’t. They were in really good shape still, so I just painted without much prep work.
I love interior painted doors, it gives them some inerest and depth as opposed to being white blah. They both look great Sarah!
Love it Sarah- they turned out fantastic- they add so much interest to your space!!
It looks AMAZING! Not only do I love the color, but I love the door itself. And the rug is fabulous as well.
I LOVE your gray doors! They give such a polished look. I am getting ready to paint the inside of my front door “grass” green…wish me luck!
Where did you find the chandlier in your foyer. I just love it
Thanks Donna. Here is the link to the chandelier: http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Cone-Shape-4-light-Matte-Silver-Crystal-Chandelier/6000870/product.html?cid=143974&fp=F&TRACK=CSEShopping&mr:referralID=94a49e05-217e-11e4-8303-001b2166c2c0
Sarah just love your foyer where did you find the chandelier in your foyer I just love it for my foyer
Thanks Donna. Here is the link to the chandelier: http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Cone-Shape-4-light-Matte-Silver-Crystal-Chandelier/6000870/product.html?cid=143974&fp=F&TRACK=CSEShopping&mr:referralID=94a49e05-217e-11e4-8303-001b2166c2c0
Hi Sarah,
where did you find your front door? I love the style, we’ve been looking for a new front door for dome time.
Thank you.
Hi Judi – We are the second owners of this home, so unfortunately, I’m not sure where it was purchased. Sorry!
*some
hi sarah,
where did you purchase your front door? i came across your blog via Pinterest. i love the style and have been looking for a new door for our home for some time.
thank you.
Great transformation, I love grey!
I was just talking with a friend who painted all her interior doors last month. I love your choice in the gray colors!
love the gray door. I was sitting in the fence about painting my doors. My interior walls are a very light gray. Some days it looks white. Now I am on my way to
Purchase that gray for the doors
I LOVE IT! You have good taste. What a beautiful home you have! Thank you so mucho for adding information and links to ALL the items listed in your pictures! Such a huge help.
Love, LOVE the look. Question: What trim did you use in the foyer?
Unfortunately I don’t know the trim color. We are the second owner’s of the home, and the leftover paint isn’t labeled with anything other than ‘Antique White’ so I’m not sure what brand it is. I hope that helps!
Oops – I meant trim COLOR. Thanks!
I love this door! I’m considering using the Elephant Skin color for my bedroom. For some reason, my sample looks a lot darker than this. Did you have your color diluted or lightened at all? My compliments!!
This is the full strength color. But we do get a fair amount of natural light here so it may look lighter!
Beautiful… just painted my kitchen Ben Moore Revere pewter, have you ever used this color? I love it!
Hi, I know this is an old post, however what color are your walls in the hallway?
They are Behr Castle Path. Thanks!