I was provided the paint for this project from Modern Masters, but all other materials and all opinions here are 100% my own. I will never recommend a product that I wouldn’t use myself. Pinky swear.
As you know, we just moved into the new-to-us 1929 home. The front door on our house is actually not on the front of the house; it’s to the side. So I wanted to make it stand out a bit more – paint it a bright color.
When Modern Masters asked me if I wanted to review its Front Door Paint, I jumped at the chance! I’ll go ahead and show you the before and after, then give you the details on how it all went.
The “before” door has been sanded in this picture; it was gloss black before I sanded it.
I love it!
So, here’s how it all happened.
Modern Masters has an app called, aptly enough, Front Door Paint. Once you download the app to your phone, take a picture of your door with the app. Then you can apply any of the paint colors to the picture of the door to see what it will look like painted that color.
After trying many colors – and I mean many, given that it’s hard to match colors with the brownish-red of our house – I chose “Calm” from the Front Door Paint Collection.
Actual picture I took with the app.
To paint the door, first, I sanded it. The paint that was on the door was glossy black, so I needed to rough it up a bit so the paint would adhere.
I then removed the hardware from the door – much easier to paint that way (rather than taping it off and painting around it!). I didn’t prime the door before painting it because I was painting it a dark color. If I had been painting it a lighter color, I would have primed it first.
Here’s how the first coat looked:
Not bad. It covered well, but some black paint was still showing through. The paint instructions say that two coats are usually needed, so I expected that.
The paint dries to the touch in one hour and you can re-coat in two hours.
Here’s the finished product, after two coats:
While I had the hardware off the door, I spray painted the kickplate with Rust-Oleum Oil-Rubbed Bronze Universal spray paint. Now it matches the door hardware.
I also changed the door knocker from one with a previous owner’s name to one we got for our wedding, many moons ago.
I like having a front door that’s personalized for our family.
(The reclaimed wood house numbers came from the Country Living Fair this year, FYI.)
My take on Modern Masters Front Door Paint? Two thumbs up. Here’s why.
– The app makes it easy to choose a color. The color I chose on the app was very close to the color in real life, once on the door.
– The paint is easy to apply and covers well.
– Clean-up is easy – soap and water did the trick, even for the brush that I put in a zip-top bag between coats.
– The paint has very little odor.
– I like the container the paint comes in – it’s a plastic jar with a screw-on top. It’s cleaner and easier to open.
– I like that you can use this paint when the temperature ranges from 40 to 90 degrees. That means you can paint virtually any time.
– The quick drying time is great – then you don’t have to leave your front door open for hours!
Words of caution:
– When you first put the paint on, it will be lighter than the color you chose. It will darken as it dries. I say this because, at first, my daughter and I weren’t sure we had chosen the right color. Once it dried, we both loved it and agreed it was the one I had originally chosen.
Overall, I’m thrilled with the results! Now our home looks fresh and bright for the holidays.
If you have any questions about this product or painting or anything else, please leave a comment below.
A "recovering lawyer," I turned in my power suits for power tools and a life of DIY. I believe in merging old and new to make a house a home.
I want to paint my front door but have been told to take it off first.
It’s old and heavy – so that’s not going to happen.
Did you have problems with dripping, etc?
I did not. The paint isn’t loose; it’s a nice, thick, but not too thick, consistency. I had one drip in a corner and it easily rubbed off. I painted right over it with no problem. It’s an easy paint to work with.
That blue is divine! I love how it transformed your door! #droolworthy
Thanks, Suzanne! I love it, too!
Will one bottle of paint be enough ?
Yes. I didn’t even use the whole container for my single door. Thanks!
Thanks for the review. The app looks promising since it’s hard to get a good sense of what a paint color will look like with oir red brick house. I absolutely LOVE the color of your door bit I have to say that it looks nothing like the screenshot from the app. That Calm is a navy and your calm is more soft royal/periwinkle. Really worlds of difference.. Does it not appear that way to you (or any other reader)?
It did, but it gave me enough of an idea of what it would look like that I could tell it was the right color. The paint has held up well!
How well does it go on a steel door or a fiberglass door?
That is a great question! My door is wood, so that’s all I have experience with, but I checked the website and it seems like it would be fine on other materials but you’ll need to prime it first. Use a bonding primer like Zinsser Bulls-Eye or similar. If you want to double check, their website is http://www.modernmasters.com.
I found your post about the paint today and had to weigh in. We are in the middle of a major reno and I bought the black paint by Modern Masters for our new, fiberglass, pre primed entry door. I had some issues. First, it didn’t cover well at all. I used at least 2/3 of a container for just the front of the door. My husband commented on how bad it smelled and while I was painting the sun crept into my garage and when it hit the fresh paint on the door it started smoking. I called my husband over to see. Not sure why that happened as I have never seen it before and I have painted a lot. My experience with the paint was quite different from yours.
Wow – I am so sorry! Would you mind if I forwarded your comments to Modern Masters to let them know? I know they would want to know this. I’m sorry you had such a bad experience!
Lol. I already contacted them and they had a theory. Perhaps it was the Primer that was used on the door and the smoking could have been because it was too hot out. Three days later and the smell of the paint is so strong that when you close the door it gets trapped between it and the storm door. Mine also has quite the shine to it.
Ugh – I’m so sorry. I’ll talk to my contact there and see what I can do.
Thank u. The weather on Saturday when I was Painting was between 64 and 72 degrees. I don’t believe it was too hot. The frustrating thing is that the door is so beautiful. It really turned out nice.
I’m glad it looks nice! 😉 I’ll pass along your comments and let you know. Thanks for sharing!
What kind of brush did you use?
Hi Kim, I just used an angled paintbrush. I prefer Purdy brushes, FYI – they are durable and don’t leave streaks. You could use a foam roller inside the panels to make it easier. Hope that helps!!
How is the blue door holding up? I am very concerned about fading.
Well, we ended up replacing it about a year ago, because the door itself was cracked and not holding up well. The paint was great, though – it held up and didn’t fade! Modern Masters tells me that it’s the same kind of paint used on amusement park rides, so it’s designed to hold up to all kinds of use and elements.