About two years ago, I painted our front door green, and if I have to be honest, I regretted my color choice almost immediately. It wasn’t ugly, but soon after painting it, I started changing everything to blue, and the green did not wow me as much as I thought it would.

Living in Alberta means I have two short windows of opportunity during the year, with optimal weather conditions to paint the front door. I missed my chance last fall, so I decided to seize the day this past weekend!

Prepping the Front Door to be Painted

When painting our front door, my first step in preparation is always planning how to keep my indoor cats inside. I figured out an easy way; I tape off the outside of the door opening with a piece of thick plastic, commonly used as a moisture barrier on exterior walls. That allows me to work in the entryway with lots of light and enough ventilation (through small slits in the plastic sheet).

I gave the door a quick, light sanding to scuff the previous paint surface. When I painted it green, I went against all recommendations and common sense and used a matt/flat finish paint. I now know why it isn’t a great idea. The paint I used was durable, and I could clean it, but it always looked dusty. Lesson learned! On the bright side, it made prepping this time around a breeze!

As a rule, I believe in removing hardware and not painting around them. Last time I could not take off the smart lock that opens with an app, so this time, I decided if I was going to tape off some of the hardware, I might as well do it around everything.

Using Silk Mineral Paint by Dixie Belle

This post is sponsored by Dixie Belle Paint Company.

Dixie Belle’s Silk Mineral Paint is an absolute joy to paint with. It is called an All-in-one paint because it has a built-in primer AND top coat. I painted a coffee table with it over a year ago, and it still looks flawless. Once again, I am using my favorite color, Nautical.

I used a small artist’s brush around the hardware to create a perfectly smooth finish, not creating thick ridges around the edges.

I only used brushes this time to paint the door. When the paint starts to feel a bit dry and thick, a quick water mist makes it easy to spread again. It also helps to smooth out any visible brush strokes.

The first coat dried instantly, and I immediately followed with a second coat. The whole project, from start to finish, took me less than three hours.

Will Silk Mineral Paint Endure the Elements?

In most cases, I think a coat or two of Dixie Belle’s Gator Hide will be enough protection. However, I think it might need extra protection against our severe weather conditions.

I will leave the paint to cure for a few days, then seal it with a durable exterior sealer. Varathane sealers are my usual go-to.

I love the front door in blue! But then again, I love everything in this color.

I finally found THE ONE (a front door color I love). The front door finally matches the interior. Doesn’t it look great with the rug in the entryway?

Let me know what you think, and until next time, happy painting!