• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • About
  • Home Tour
  • Read By Category
  • Sources
    • Life On Virginia Street Paint Colors
    • Shop Our Home
  • Contact
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Amazon
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • HOME DECOR
    • Decorating Ideas, Tips and Trends
    • Home Tour
    • Look for Less
    • Outdoor Spaces
    • Room Makeovers + Design Plans
  • DIY Projects
    • Cleaning and Organization Tips
    • Crafts
    • Paint Projects
    • Rental Properties
    • Room Makeovers
    • Tutorials
  • TRAVEL
    • 30A Florida
    • Cruises
    • European Travel
    • Mexico & The Caribbean
    • U.S. Travel
    • Packing Ideas
  • Fashion & Beauty
    • Fashion Posts
    • Hair & Beauty Posts
    • Recent Outfit Ideas
  • Entertaining
    • Entertaining and Party Ideas
    • Food & Drink Recipes
    • Tablescapes
  • Shop
    • Shop Our Home
    • Shop My Instagram Feed
    • Gift Guides
    • My Amazon Storefront
    • Sale Alerts
    • Wednesday Watch List
Life On Virginia Street

Life On Virginia Street

DIY . Home Decor . Travel . Style . Life

Gray Painted Doors

DIY Projects, Paint Projects, Room Makeovers + Design Plans

51118 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

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!

Upgrade Your Interior Doors with Paint graphic.

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’:

Light and bright ntryway with Behr Castle Path walls and Behr Elephant Skin Door. There is a chandelier hanging up in the hallway as well.

I still love that look, but something about it didn’t quite feel finished about it. Until now!

Gray painted door with a small rug in front of the door.

So I opted for a mid-toned gray, Behr Elephant Skin, because I wasn’t looking for a harsh contrast.  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.

Dark wooden floor, and a winding staircase in the entryway.

The same could also be said when looking into the office space.

A gold sunburst mirror is on the wall above the chair in the hallway.

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:

There is a small stepladder in front of the front door.

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.

Up close of the gray painted door.

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 😉

Mudroom gray painted door and paint sample.

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!

If you would like to follow along on more of my home decor, DIY, lifestyle and other posts, I’d love to have you follow me on any of the following:

Pinterest / Instagram / Facebook / Twitter / Bloglovin’ / Google+

disclosure: affiliate links used

51118 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

August 4, 2014 · 33 Comments

free email course!

5 Secrets to Re-Designing a Room You Love

Learn my foolproof system for designing a room you’ll love that you can enjoy for many years to come!

Previous Post: « August Year of Change, Look 4 Less Loves and A Winner!
Next Post: Master Bath Sneak Peak »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Comments

  1. Rachel Paxton says

    August 4, 2014 at 12:34 pm

    Beautiful, Sarah! You know I love me some gray paint. 😉

    Reply
  2. Amy@eatsleepdecorate says

    August 4, 2014 at 1:57 pm

    Everything looks fabulous! I am in love with that front door color. Might need to use it somewhere. Have a great week!

    Reply
  3. Kristin @ Bliss at Home says

    August 4, 2014 at 4:07 pm

    So pretty Sarah 🙂 It is very calming 🙂 xoxo

    Reply
  4. Jennifer@The Chronicles of Home says

    August 4, 2014 at 8:39 pm

    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 😉

    Reply
  5. Abby @ Just a Girl and Her Blog says

    August 4, 2014 at 8:41 pm

    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 =)

    Reply
  6. Chelsea says

    August 4, 2014 at 9:18 pm

    big fan, Sarah, HUGE! Absolutely love that shade of gray and the whole space looks fantastic!

    Reply
  7. Marty@A Stroll Thru Life says

    August 5, 2014 at 8:58 am

    I love it, the gray is so pretty and so perfect for your home. Thanks tons for linking to Inspire Me.

    Reply
  8. Tracy says

    August 5, 2014 at 11:39 am

    The gray looks great! Did you sand the door prior to paining?

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      August 5, 2014 at 11:54 am

      No, I didn’t. They were in really good shape still, so I just painted without much prep work.

      Reply
  9. Jillian @ JST Design says

    August 5, 2014 at 2:42 pm

    I love interior painted doors, it gives them some inerest and depth as opposed to being white blah. They both look great Sarah!

    Reply
  10. Krista says

    August 6, 2014 at 10:28 am

    Love it Sarah- they turned out fantastic- they add so much interest to your space!!

    Reply
  11. Jessi says

    August 7, 2014 at 7:03 pm

    It looks AMAZING! Not only do I love the color, but I love the door itself. And the rug is fabulous as well.

    Reply
  12. Julie says

    August 10, 2014 at 7:14 pm

    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!

    Reply
  13. Donna says

    August 10, 2014 at 8:18 pm

    Where did you find the chandlier in your foyer. I just love it

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      August 11, 2014 at 12:41 pm

      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

      Reply
  14. Donna says

    August 10, 2014 at 8:30 pm

    Sarah just love your foyer where did you find the chandelier in your foyer I just love it for my foyer

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      August 11, 2014 at 12:41 pm

      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

      Reply
  15. judi says

    August 31, 2014 at 7:33 am

    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.

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      August 31, 2014 at 2:36 pm

      Hi Judi – We are the second owners of this home, so unfortunately, I’m not sure where it was purchased. Sorry!

      Reply
  16. judi says

    August 31, 2014 at 7:33 am

    *some

    Reply
  17. judi says

    August 31, 2014 at 7:41 am

    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.

    Reply
  18. Katie says

    September 28, 2014 at 3:34 am

    Great transformation, I love grey!

    Reply
  19. Kathy Lowman says

    January 29, 2015 at 4:55 pm

    I was just talking with a friend who painted all her interior doors last month. I love your choice in the gray colors!

    Reply
  20. Mary says

    April 1, 2015 at 7:56 pm

    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

    Reply
  21. Brittany says

    December 6, 2015 at 9:32 am

    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.

    Reply
  22. Heidi Frazier says

    July 3, 2016 at 7:48 pm

    Love, LOVE the look. Question: What trim did you use in the foyer?

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      July 11, 2016 at 4:41 pm

      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!

      Reply
  23. Heidi Frazier says

    July 3, 2016 at 7:49 pm

    Oops – I meant trim COLOR. Thanks!

    Reply
  24. Amanda Bailey says

    February 24, 2017 at 9:54 pm

    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!!

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      February 27, 2017 at 11:07 am

      This is the full strength color. But we do get a fair amount of natural light here so it may look lighter!

      Reply
  25. Julie Meadie says

    July 25, 2017 at 10:41 pm

    Beautiful… just painted my kitchen Ben Moore Revere pewter, have you ever used this color? I love it!

    Reply
  26. Adam says

    October 26, 2017 at 11:16 am

    Hi, I know this is an old post, however what color are your walls in the hallway?

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      October 26, 2017 at 12:21 pm

      They are Behr Castle Path. Thanks!

      Reply

Primary Sidebar

Welcome To Life On Virginia Street!

  • Amazon
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Subscribe By Email

Receive an email each time a new post goes live on Life On Virginia Street!

Tour Our Home

Footer

Disclosures + Photo Usage Policies
Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 · Farmhouse Theme by Restored 316

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
SAVE & ACCEPT