When it comes to painting interior doors and door frames, quite often you’ll come across a situation where each side of the same door will feature colours that are different.
An example of this might be a light and airy living room that steps out into a hallway that works better with darker tones.
This presents us with the question of exactly when to start painting our second colour.
As with most home interior projects, this is relatively easy to achieve and with some minor preparations you’ll be enjoying your painted handywork, no matter what side of the door you’re standing on.
We say it often, but it really is important to make sure that any surface you intend to paint is free from dust, grease and debris before you begin.
Some warm water and a good sugar soap solution will make light work of this.
Once your door frame and door are clean and dry you can begin to consider your starting point from where your second colour will overlap your first or existing colour.
Our preferred starting point to begin our second colour is at the edge of the ‘slam strip’.
This is because as you close your door it passes over the architrave and connects with this strip to prevent it from travelling any further.
This makes it the perfect place to separate our colour.
Once the door is closed it’s going to hide that colour break. And even when opened, the place in which our colours join still look pleasing to the eye.
If you’re not confident enough to cut-in this area by eye then you can simply use some good quality masking tape to help ensure a good straight line at the edge of your slam strip.
The paint we chose for this project is called Victory Lane and is from the Frenchic Alfresco range. We chose this paint because it’s durable, tough and perfect for use in and around the house and garden. It also complements our existing colour used on the inside of our door which is also from the Frenchic Alfresco range and is called Wise Old Sage.
As you apply your paint, try to cover the area with as few applications as possible and then feather out the paint towards the edges.
This helps to achieve a smooth and even finish.
Remove your masking tape (if using) while the paint is still wet, then under normal conditions leave to dry for at least two hours. This gives you plenty of time to focus on painting the other side of the door as well as the inside or closing edge of the door.
The Alfresco range of Frenchic paint is self-levelling, self-sealing and self-priming, meaning no undercoat is required. This was perfect for our project and it meant that we could crack on with painting our doors.
When painting your doors, like with all wooden surfaces it’s important to follow the grain of the wood with the paint.
If your door has any recessed areas like ours, then be careful to get into any tight corners but not to apply too much paint in these areas. This can cause paint to drip.
It’s equally important to be consistent with the amount of paint you apply as you paint your door. Once you have the bulk of your surface covered with your paint, you can then feather it out to create a smooth and even layer.
As you approach painting the closing edge of the door, it’s a good idea to add a strip of masking tape to ensure a clean line between colours.
Again, adding a good amount of paint to the edge and coating evenly before feathering out towards the edge. And remember again, not to overload your brush with paint.
On the hinge edge of your door, it’s not uncommon to find bare wood.
As our alfresco paint is self-priming so we were able to paint directly on to it. The choice to paint across, or around the hinge is a personal one so that’s completely up to you.
Following the 2 hours of drying time we focused our attention back to our wooden door frame.
Again, the choice of whether to use masking tape or freehand to achieve a straight edge depends on just how confident you are in your painting skills.
A good tip when painting multiple layers of paint onto a wooden surface like our door, is to use your hand to feel for any raised areas after the first coat. These raised areas are caused when the first coat of paint actually draws out the grain of the wood, leaving slightly rough to the touch.
If this happens then simply give a light sanding after the first coat of paint has dried.
Continue to follow the steps taken for your first coat of paint, following the grain and design of your door and frames and finally allow to dry completely. And that’s it, a brilliantly simple and effective way to separate colour schemes between rooms.
To learn more, you can watch our YouTube video below and to browse the incredible colours on offer from Frenchic paints, just click the link.
