Alternate post title: Paint Me Like One Of Your French Girls. Much like Rose once begged Jack, the dusty blue back of our front door was begging for a fresh coat of paint. We decided to carry the same cheerful teal we used on the exterior into the foyer for a coordinated, welcoming look.
The choice to repeat the front-door color on the interior isn’t a rule, but it felt right here. For the first time we have sidelights, and we wanted them to pop. Painting the back of the door the same teal brings that color into the entryway and helps turn the door-and-sidelight combination into a focal point in an otherwise neutral, classic space. Our inspiration included a few images of doors and entryways that paired white trim and sidelights with a bold door color—dark floors, light walls, and a door that sings.
- White sidelights plus a colored door equals instant charm.
- Using the same exterior color inside creates cohesion from outside in.
- A painted door gives a small entryway a big personality boost.
Here are a few practical tips we used while painting:
- If your door has a glossy finish (either sealed wood or semi-gloss/high-gloss paint), use a liquid deglosser before priming and painting. Our door was chalky and matte, so we were able to use the self-priming quart of paint we already had—Benjamin Moore’s MooreGlo in Blue Lake with a Soft Gloss finish.
- Start painting in the morning so you can keep the door cracked open while it dries all day. That gives the paint more time to cure before you need to close and lock the door at night.
- An angled brush works well for detailed areas; foam rollers are great for large flat panels if you prefer a smoother finish. Different tools, different results—choose what works for you.
- Follow a clear order when painting panels: first paint the frames around each raised rectangle, then the inside of each panel. Paint the vertical and horizontal planks in the direction of their grain—top to bottom for vertical, left to right for horizontal—to keep brush strokes consistent.
- Allow the first coat to dry for an hour or two (longer in humid conditions), then apply a second coat in the same sequence. After that, give the door the rest of the day to cure.
- Removing hardware usually looks cleaner than taping it off, but if time or logistics don’t allow, carefully taping can protect hinges and knobs during painting.
When the paint dried, the back of the door looked refreshed and lively. It felt especially good to see that pop of color against the yellow walls and the warm finish of the existing light fixture—we’re still working on the rest of the room, so things will come together as we tackle the other items on our list.
The transformation made a noticeable difference: the space felt lighter and taller, and the entryway finally felt like a thoughtful part of the home instead of an afterthought. Small changes like new paint can dramatically shift how you feel when you walk through the door.
Next on the agenda: choosing a wall color (we’re narrowing down swatches), finishing the vanity in the half bath, and painting the blue spindles on the stairs. We’ve got a lot of rooms on the list that need paint and trim work, so expect more before-and-afters in the near future. It’s a lot of work, but those small investments of time and effort are turning this house into a home.
As we keep making these updates, the house starts to feel more personal and lived-in—the kind of place that grows more meaningful as you put sweat into it. Painting can be tiring, but it’s also a creative way to bond with your space and with the people who share it.
I’ll never let go of that feeling of satisfaction when a project comes together.
Psst—Want to know where we got something in our house? Click the image below to see more.