Picture courtesy of http://eleanorbusing.com/still-swooning-painted-interior-doors/

Gone are the days where doors were just gateways to a different room; now they can be beautiful, elegant, quirky or unique pieces of art that can brighten an otherwise dull room. Need some ideas of current trends and styles to help you create your own designer door? These creative ideas should help you get started.

• First, you’ll need to properly prep your door before you start painting, especially if you plan on using darker paints. If you are unsure what to use to prep, ask a professional who may be able to recommend types depending on your design.

When you start painting your door always brush in the direction of the grain, starting from the top of the door painting your way down as you do.

• Looking for a fun quirky designs but change your mind all the time? Try using blackboard paint to make a blackboard door! You can design a new door everyday if you feel like it! Not only is it fun and different, but it can be really useful! Do you tend to forget your keys, wallet or umbrella? Writing a reminder at eye level means you’ll never forget them as you walk out the door. Blackboard doors are great for homes with children; it doesn’t matter as much if they draw on this door.

• Using dark, deep colours on your door? Lift them out with a lighter colour as a trim. This works really well if the walls of your room match with the shades of colour on the door, creating a dramatic

but not distracting design. This can work really well reversed as well, with the dark colour as the trim and the lighter shade on the

door. Dark colours like brown or black also help to make a room look contemporary and chic as well as giving a room a warm, cozy atmosphere. How about if the colour scheme in your room is made up of neutral tones? In rooms like those, the colour black really makes

the door stand out.

• Caught in a dilemma? One side of your door is a dark, bold colour and the other side is a light,

bright shade; so which colour do you paint the edge? Most experts say paint the edge the same colour as the side of the door that opens inwards into a room. As long as you avoid painting it both colours, this just looks messy and unprofessional.

• Light colours like soft greys, beiges or creams worked with a distressed effect really give a room a vintage and feminine vibe especially if your door has moulding on it. These colours also work really well with a slight gloss coat; giving a room a more modern feel and also helping a room feel light and airy.

Picture courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/blessedlittlenest/

• Is your door in an awkward spot or is the room particularly small? Create the illusion of space and make your door ‘disappear’ by painting it the same colour as the rest of your walls.

Making over your doors is a great, low cost way of giving your home a face lift. It can give a plain room a focal point or a touch of elegance depending on what you choose to do with it. And don’t think that you have to just paint your doors one neutral colour. Try a design or colour that pushes you a little outside your comfort zone and you may be surprised with the results.
This article was written by Amy Elliott on behalf of UK Oak Doors, suppliers of authentic cottage doors.