We’re back as promised with the full front door makeover.
Here’s what we started with: an old maroon storm door that caused three main problems: the grid pattern didn’t line up with the six‑paneled wood door behind it, it frequently jammed, and it didn’t latch reliably so it would bang open in heavy wind.
We rarely used that storm door—over eight months it saw almost no use—so we decided to remove it. That revealed the original solid wood six‑paneled door we loved hiding behind it. Once the storm door and its hardware were removed, we spackled the screw holes and planned to touch up the surrounding trim with exterior paint (the previous owners had left leftover paint in the basement, thankfully).
Before spackling and painting, we tackled the most fun part: choosing a color. We held up swatches in every hue—plum, turquoise, navy, lime green and more—but kept returning to a cheerful yellow. After testing the finalists in morning sun, afternoon shade and under porch light at night, we picked Full Sun EB1-1 from Valspar’s Eddie Bauer Home collection.
We also decided to restore the original door knocker, which had rust and peeling finish. We removed it carefully with the intention of refurbishing and reinstalling it on the freshly painted door. We sanded areas around the hardware and spackled the holes from a rusted brass plate we removed at the bottom of the door; we prefer the clean look of a single bold wood door without the extra plate. The door handle and lock were removed as well so we could refresh them while the door was painted.
For prep, we used a liquid deglosser (Next Liquid Deglosser by Crown) to remove any oil, grease, or contaminants that could impede paint adhesion. Liquid deglossers are a shortcut to sanding when surfaces are already smooth, but we still sanded any uneven spots and the spackled holes first because deglossers don’t fill or smooth imperfections.
We chose Valspar Duramax in a semi‑gloss finish for its built‑in primer and exterior durability. A paint professional color‑matched our Full Sun swatch to the Duramax formula, and we purchased a quart. For application we used a small foam roller to minimize brush marks and a 2″ angled brush to get into the panels and trim. One thin coat showed surprisingly good coverage over the deep maroon, but we applied four thin, even coats total, allowing each to dry before adding the next. The result was a smooth, glossy finish without visible brush strokes.
The refurbished hardware looks fresh and complements the new color; we’ll follow up with a dedicated hardware post that covers the restoration steps and photos. For now, the refreshed door looks great from both outside and inside, and it brings a bright, cheerful focal point to our brick and cream siding exterior.
We took care not to fully close the door until evening so the paint could fully cure, but by day’s end it was ready. The whole porch feels happier without the dark, broken storm door. The makeover included careful decisions at every step to ensure lasting results and a professional look.
Summary of the steps we followed:
- Tested color swatches in varying light throughout the day to confirm the final choice.
- Removed the storm door and all hardware, then spackled and sanded the surrounding holes and edges.
- Removed rusted decorative plates and smoothed the resulting areas before painting.
- Deglossed the entire door after sanding to improve paint adhesion.
- Refurbished the removed hardware for reinstallation.
- Applied four thin, even coats of exterior primer + paint in semi‑gloss for durability and shine.
- Reattached hardware when the paint was dry enough and allowed the paint to cure fully before regular use.
Budget notes: a quart of Valspar Duramax semi‑gloss cost about $15. If you don’t already have spackle and a deglosser, add roughly $4 each to the total. A single quart is usually enough for a front door, even if you paint both sides; we chose to keep the interior side white.
We’re thrilled with the happy yellow and how much brighter it makes the entryway. This project has us energized to tackle more exterior updates down the road, such as freshening the surrounding siding and maybe addressing the brick, too.
Update: There were requests for wider shots from the curb, so we shared additional photos. Keep in mind that elements beyond the door—shrubs, trim, and landscaping—are all part of an ongoing plan to refresh the exterior.
… especially the large row of bushes that hides the door from certain angles. Moving them would make a big difference.
Wouldn’t the power to move bushes with the point of a finger be an amazing superpower? I’d pick that over flying or reading minds.