Thursday, June 10, 2021

How To Paint Interior Doors Black



Here's how to paint your interior doors black. Spoiler alert: it's very easy!

Recently we decided to paint our basement walls white. (They were previously yellow.) We have a walk-out basement, with good natural light in the main living area, and I wanted it to have less of a basement feel and more of a bright "upstairs" kind of feel. I think a fresh white backdrop is great for displaying colorful artwork and mementos too. Plus, I'm just not a basement kind of gal. I think there's a reason they call them man caves!

With fresh white walls, we saw that the basement doors could use freshening up too. We have four storage closets with doors, as well as a bathroom door, a door to the storage room and a door to my husband's little "music room." In fact, the small hallway at the bottom of the stairs is basically a confusion of doors. (We were excited about all the extra storage space when we moved into this house and then we quickly filled it up - but I digress.) 

We knew that we wanted to use Fusion Mineral Paint for our interior doors. We have used it for furniture and for our front exterior door and it's a dream to work with. It goes on beautifully and has no unpleasant odour (and zero VOCs). Fusion Mineral Paint is also very durable and has a built-in top coat. We have even used it on outdoor flower boxes and it holds up to rain and snow for quite a long time. We were provided with Fusion Mineral Paint and other tools for our project, but I reached out to partner with them again because I love the paint so much.

Here's how we went about painting our basement interior doors black. (It was so easy and it has made such a difference in the space.)


What color to paint interior doors


Obviously you can paint your interior doors any color you want. If you are a fan of color, go for it. (Teal or pink, anyone?) Most interior doors are white, clearly, but black is an increasingly popular option too. We debated whether to paint the basement interior doors black or white. Our thought process was that white would add to the overall bright and airy feel we desired, but black would be more sophisticated and unique. We ultimately decided on black, because it's unexpected in a basement and might give the space that "upstairs" feel I was going for. We also had some experience with black doors, having painted our front exterior door with Fusion Mineral Paint in Coal Black. We decided to use Coal Black again because we love it so much.



Can interior doorknobs be painted?


We chose not to paint the doorknobs on our basement interior doors because we liked the original gold doorknobs against the black door paint. But, can you paint interior doorknobs? Yes. We have done it in other areas of our home and it works quite well. Painting door knobs is super easy too. Ideally you remove the doorknob first and bring it out to the garage or an outdoor space for good ventilation. 

Then, just clean the doorknob, allow it to dry and spray paint it. Give it two or three coats, with time for drying in between. Let the spray paint dry thoroughly before putting the door knobs back on the doors (after your doors are painted too of course). 

You choose the color! A nice bronze is a good option. You can also do black or gold. Choose a matte finish or glossy, depending on your preference. Save the money you would have spent on new hardware and buy yourself something else, like a comfy chair to curl up in.

Our basement interior doors before painting:


Before shot of basement interior doors before painting


We had standard white builder grade hollow interior doors. There was nothing wrong with them - they were just kind of boring and in need of a fresh coat of paint. (I didn't take a really bad "before" photo on purpose, although it looks like I did. There is zero natural light in this part of the basement, so this photo is a lovely combo of crookedness and garish overhead lighting.) 

How to paint interior doors with Fusion Mineral Paint


removing doorknob from interior door for painting

Step 1. Remove doorknobs (if needed)


If you want to paint your interior door without manoeuvring around doorknobs, remove the knobs. This will be a necessity if you want to spray paint the doorknobs - take them outside or to a well ventilated area for spray painting. You can also keep the doorknobs on if you aren't going to paint them. Tape them off with some painter's tape to avoid getting paint on them.

You could also remove the doors from their hinges entirely to paint them on a flat surface, but that seems a bit of a pain to me. We figured nobody's going to see the parts you can't reach with paint - like the bottoms of the doors and the hinged sides. And if you remove the doors and lie them flat, you'll have to wait for one side to dry before painting the other side. 


using-fusion-tsp-on-interior-door

Step 2. Clean your doors


Cleaning the doors isn't a big deal. Don't let it turn you off of starting your paint project. Just give them a quick clean with Fusion Mineral Paint's TSP alternative to get rid of dirt, grease, (food probably if your house is anything like mine) and fingerprints. Cleaning the doors will help the paint to adhere better. Fusion's TSP is a water-based degreaser with no phosphates. In a bucket, mix two full caps of TSP alternative with 2 litres of water. Use a clean, lint-free cloth to wipe down the doors. Allow to dry.


cutting-in-with-fusion-mineral-paint-in-coal-black-on-interior-door

Step 3. Use a paint brush to paint recessed areas of the door


Thankfully, there's often no need for sanding of interior doors. Fusion has great adhesion and in many cases doesn't require sanding of your surface. Check the Fusion Mineral Paint website for more details. (It may be a different story if you have an old door with some kind of high gloss oil-based paint or a wooden door with peeling paint. If you do sand, be sure to wipe away any residual material before painting.) 

A roller brush is super handy for painting doors quickly and smoothly, but you'll want to hit the recessed areas with a small paint brush first. We used one of Fusion's synthetic paint brushes. Fusion Mineral paint is self-levelling so brush strokes are minimal anyway, but use longer strokes and thinner coats to keep the paint as smooth as possible. 

Keep a damp cloth handy in case you paint any areas you shouldn't - like trim or hinges. 


rolling-fusion-mineral-paint-in-coal-black-onto-interior-door

Step 4. Roll on a first coat of paint


Fusion also makes these handy little microfiber rollers that are the perfect size for painting doors. If you think painting black over white is going to take some time, never fear, two coats of Fusion Mineral Paint in Coal Black were all that we needed to get great coverage over the white doors. My husband is impressed every time we use Fusion and he really doesn't compliment many products at all. 

Allow the first coat to dry before proceeding to the next coat of paint.
 

rolling-on-second-coat-of-coal-black-fusion-mineral-paint-interior-door


Step 5. Roll on a second coat of paint (aka the most fun part)


Roll on a second coat of Fusion Mineral Paint in Coal Black and watch your doors transform! It's a thing of beauty. And you won't have to do this again for a long time!

Step 6. Let the doors dry


Let the paint dry for a few hours before shutting the doors or re-attaching the doorknobs. Enjoy your clean, transformed basement doors!



I must confess I still don't hang out in the basement all that much, but when I do go down there to do crafting or use the treadmill I am always pleasantly "surprised" by the beauty of our doors, painted in Coal Black. The overall look is much more sophisticated and the builder grade doors don't look boring anymore. We also spent a (very) long time decluttering the basement and it has made such a difference. We would love to remove the carpeting soon and install a nice laminate flooring to freshen the whole space even more. In the meantime, though, we're going to enjoy the basement as it stands - less "man cave" and more woman-friendly.


Questions for you

Have you painted any of your interior doors? What color? Are you a fan of basement living or do you leave that to somebody else? Or maybe you don't have a basement? (They are common in our part of the world but not elsewhere I know.)

22 comments:

  1. You did a very good job

    http://www.melodyjacob.com/2021/10/helping-children-and-adolescents-scope.html

    ReplyDelete
  2. Assuming you need to modify your room's climate, painting it is an extraordinary choice.pintores en zaragoza

    ReplyDelete
  3. Picking Color styles - Some residences you drive by having weird shades. This is since they picked shades from a fan deck. For best results, you must use an exterior residence color brochure. Its coordinated color design helps you to choose normal standardized colors. A standardized color graph will have the best color matches that you must pick and pick from. Particularly if doing a 2 or three-color pattern, you desire a professional color-coordinated exterior sales brochure. These brochures are normally located at any paint commercial painters Covington store.

    ReplyDelete
  4. This is a great inspiring article.I am pretty much pleased with your good work.You put really very helpful information. Keep it up. Keep blogging. Looking to reading your next post. Jensens Vac and Sew

    ReplyDelete
  5. Another wonderful post I enjoyed just now. It's really fantastic job indeed regarding the front door painting help. Thanks for making such decor and redo focus. To buy windows and doors you can take a tour to northsheield ca.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anti-buildup paints are utilized for rooms with damp conditions like kitchen and washrooms. This paint is normally figured to forestall buildup and frequently incorporates fungicide. reformas en zaragoza

    ReplyDelete
  7. At the point when you purchase a paint roller you ought to get a plate also where you would empty a portion of the paint into. reformas en zaragoza

    ReplyDelete

  8. To start, we should go through the instruments and things you will require before you start the paint work. pintores en zaragoza

    ReplyDelete
  9. Before you begin painting, it is a smart thought to watch out for the climate for downpour or snow.pintor en zaragoza

    ReplyDelete
  10. A california king platform bed frame with storage is a great option for people living in small apartments or with limited space. With a storage bed, you cannot only have a comfortable place to sleep but also get additional space to store your belongings. If you are looking for a durable and attractive storage bed, California king bed frames with drawers could be the right choice for you. california king platform bed frame

    ReplyDelete
  11. This is an excellent time to sit down in front of the computer and research different companies. locksmith Madison heights

    ReplyDelete
  12. There are many types of paint available today, some giving different surface finishes, others are designed for a particular application.pintor en zaragoza

    ReplyDelete
  13. Great article by the great author, it is very massive and informative but still preaches the way it sounds like that it has some beautiful thoughts described so I really appreciate this article. Pose de sol à Bordeaux

    ReplyDelete
  14. R-alpha lipoic acid is significantly more potent than Alpha Lipoic because the body “recognizes” it and “knows” how to use it.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Fix openings and breaks in the surfaces you needed to paint with premixed spackling glue. After the glue dries, sand the fixed the regions. Brisbane Painting Pros

    ReplyDelete
  16. Your content is nothing short of brilliant in many ways. I think this is engaging and eye-opening material. Thank you so much for caring about your content and your readers Feel free to visit my website; 배트맨토토프로

    ReplyDelete
  17. To adjust your room's vibe, painting it is an incredible choice. At the point when inside painting, use paints that are faster to dry and doesn't have a solid scent that waits around where your children can smell it.
    buy safe youtube views

    ReplyDelete
  18. Do you paint the closet doors inside rooms black as well. Or bathroom doors that are en suite?

    ReplyDelete
  19. Thanks for this great post, i find it very interesting and very well thought out and put together. I look forward to reading your work in the future. console table

    ReplyDelete
  20. Thanks for sharing this quality information with us. I really enjoyed reading. Will surely going to share this URL with my friends. interior designers in pune

    ReplyDelete
  21. I think your website has a lot of useful knowledge. I'm so thankful for this website.
    I hope that you continue to share a lot of knowledge.
    This is my website.
    넷마블머니상

    ReplyDelete
  22. Thanks for sharing, this is a fantastic article.Really looking forward to read more. Awesome.
    Camp Diorama Box
    Peach Snack Cake
    Fruity Kefir Smoothie

    ReplyDelete