Organizing.Decorating.Spaces | Painting My Interior Doors Gray

Painting My Interior Doors Gray

Small Decor Changes Big Impact

In 2018, my husband Ron and I decided to paint our standard white interior doors a beautiful modern gray. This color completely transformed our space and gave us the three things we were looking for.

1. Durability - can withstand medium to high traffic
2. Low Maintenance - less fingerprint visibility
3. Modern Appeal - clean lines, light and airy color with cool hues

Now I have to admit, this was not our first choice. Originally, I liked the look of black doors against white trims, but later felt gray will be better suited for our small space. So, once the first door was painted, we knew we made a great decision in choosing this color. Thus far, we have painted 16 of the 17 doors in our house and are expected to paint the interior side of the patio door this spring. It's been over a year since we painted the first door because we are working on one room at a time.

Here's what we needed to achieve this look

Average Cost of Supplies Used
Total Cost          

• $20.00 2 pairs sawhorses (purchased 1 pair each from Sears and Harbor Freight)
• $48.00 2 - 3 spray can per door (purchased 12 cans at $4.00 at Home Depot) 
• $27.00 1 gallon signature satin valspar paint custom color - stone gray (sale 25% off)
• $9.00 2 oil rubbed bronze spray paint
• $99.00 10 door knobs (closet, bathroom and bedroom knobs)

Tools

• drill and screwdriver
• electric sander with 120 grit sandpaper
• wood filler
• spatula
• gloves
• old paint brush
• old rag (to clean up any drips)

Time

Prep Time: 17 minutes 

• 7 minutes removing doors, hardware and hinges 
• 5 - 10 minutes filling holes and sanding 

Painting: 15 minutes per side

Drying: 45 minutes per side

Average Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Painting Door Guide
Remove closet and bedroom doors, hinges and hardware
Place doors on 2 pairs of saw horses in a well vented area. We painted outside, weather permitting
Carefully review the door surface while cleaning with damp cloth for nicks, dents and unwanted holes.
Fill any small imperfections with filler
Gently sand door until smooth surface
Wipe away any excess dust particles
Paint doors from top to bottom. Layer the paint on to prevent any puddles or drips.
***At first we bought spray paint Stone Gray by Rustoleum, but later bought Valspar signature 1 gallon satin paint in Stone Gray (custom color). This application was easier and less expensive to work with.
Allow 45 minutes to an hour before flipping doors on sawhorses. Touch the door surface a couple of times to check if door is completely dry to the touch. It's best to have a partner to help with flipping.
Re-inspect doors for any missed spots
Rehung doors with unused old hardware allow paint to cure (1 week) before adding hardware.

Painting Hardware Guide
***We painted the brass door knobs and hinges with oil rubbed bronze rustoleum spray paint. After a couple months the paint on knobs began to peel off, so purchased 10 rubbed bronze knobs
Clean hinge and door knobs
Sand surface
Remove any dust particles
Place on cardboard or foam surface (old packaging) in a well ventilated area (outside)
Layer on paint in a circular motion until entire surface is covered
Check for drips and/or puddles
Retouch area, if needed
Place hardware in a cool dry area for 7 days to cure
Reinstall hardware

Below are the before and after pics of the closet door of my son's room

Thanks and hope this was helpful, Kimani...The Biz-Pro!!