Favorite project ever! Okay, not really at all. (I just couldn’t help trying to match Sherry’s enthusiasm from yesterday’s post), but this is a nice simple way to update basic garage doors so they look a little more stately. Back when we had our house’s exterior patched & painted right after moving in, we opted not to get the garage doors painted since we knew it was a task that we could easily tackle ourselves. Well, 12 months later and it’s finally done.
These two doors were sporting the same cream color that the old trim was before it went white, which wasn’t a very good look since it was nixed everywhere else. So we debated going bright white, medium gray/brown like the siding, or with a nice dark gray/brown color that’s a few shades deeper than the siding (like the tone of our metal window frames with the white sills).
Talking about those options pretty much got us nowhere, so we hopped in the car and drove around the neighborhood. We saw lots of white doors and black or deep gray/brown ones, and even some medium gray ones. And after staring at them all like neighborhood creepers, we decided that rich dark ones on a brick house was our favorite combination.
I kicked off the paint-fest with a cleaning party, courtesy of a hose-down (note: not nearly as fun as a hoedown) and a wipe / dry session with a rag.
This painting task quickly promised to be more involved than our previous rendezvous with a garage door, mainly because there were some added maintenance tasks involved – like redoing the patchy caulk around the weather stripping trim.
Since I know I’d be re-caulking anyways, I figured I’d go ahead and remove the weather stripping entirely since it would make my paint job easier and more thorough (I’d be able to paint all the way to the edge of the door, rather than stopping at the weather strip, which could shrink back in colder months and show an obvious unpainted line). I used my crowbar to pry off each strip, and then used a spackle knife to scrape off as much of the old caulk as I could.
These weren’t tough tasks, but they ate up about an hour before I could get to actually painting anything.
The paint color we chose was Urbane Bronze by Sherwin Williams, which was the darkest color on the same swatch as our siding color (Anonymous) which pretty much guaranteed that they’d go well together.
We bought a gallon of it in their Duration line since that’s what the house painters used and loved (it’s supposed to be extra durable and even has exterior primer built in). The Urbane Bronze color was nearly identical to the color of the dark metal window frames and oil-rubbed bronze light fixtures around our house, and it even tied into the charcoal roof pretty nicely, so it was an easy choice.
Painting was a combination of brushing (around the recessed panels and edges) and rolling (everywhere else). I worked in small sections so that the brushed portion didn’t dry and become tacky before rolling.
The first coat was fairly spotty looking, but that’s to be expected. I was just happy the second coat was enough – although it’s hard to tell in this photo since the sun spots are making it more uneven looking than it really was.
After the main part of each door was painted, I also raised them up bit-by-bit so I could paint the cracks in between each section of the door. That way it didn’t flash stripes of cream color every time the doors went up and down. This took a fair amount of patience because I had to let each part dry before raising the door a little more to do the next one.
The next day, once everything had dried, I reattached the weather stripping and recaulked the edges. I hate caulking against brick because it’s basically impossible to get a clean line against the craggy surface (I’ve tried painter’s tape in the past, but the result wasn’t much better), but since I was already working against the previously uneven caulk/paint job, I wasn’t going to beat myself up over it.
We actually contemplated painting the weather stripping Urbane Bronze to blend with the door, but after staring at it (and a few of our neighbors’ garage doors again) we decided going white like the rest of the trim on the house (Snowbound by Sherwin Williams) was the better bet. I opened the garage doors when painting these so I wouldn’t have to worry about getting any paint on them, which made this step go pretty quickly.
After a bit more drying, and a second coat, we were officially back in business. And by business, I mean Clara could reclaim her favorite chalking spot. Just don’t look too closely – that needs a nice power wash.
Oh and we also contemplated adding some decorative hardware, like some handles or what-not, but none of the options that we found felt like a good fit for our doors. We might try hunting a little more online, so we’re open to suggestions if anyone’s got some.
In addition to just being glad the cream is gone, we also like how the darker doors seem to tie in with other dark accents – like the light fixture and those dark metal window frames.
Overall, it’s not the world’s most exciting update, but it feels good to have it checked off the to-do list (finally). They feel like they ground the house a little better and don’t get lost in the beige-iness of the surrounding driveway and walkways.
Have you guys painted your garage doors? Did you slowly drive around the neighborhood to check out other door ideas like a creep? All of the homes around us have their garage doors on the side of the house (like ours) so that made it especially neck-craning for us, but thankfully nobody called neighborhood watch on us. That we know of.
Meredith says
The doors look great! We aren’t painting garage doors, but I think my husband will just come home one day soon to find I painted the door from the garage to the house a deep navy/teal color. On a separate note, you guys need to do an updated house project list soon!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes we do!
xo
s
Barbara says
I have NEVER seen two people paint as much as you two do. I have two cans of paint and a paint stick sitting in my living room wondering when I’m going to open them and start. What in the world is in your water that gives you two so much energy??? :)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha! I think we have just painted for so many years it’s a reflex at this point ;)
xo
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Misty says
Oh it’s beautiful!!!!!
Dwana says
That looks really great. I love the color!
Carrie says
The doors look like they were meant to be painted that way! Love the way they tie in with the window. I’m always rubbernecking around our neighborhood looking at curb appeal. I’ve even gone as far as parking at a nearby park and walking a block to take pictures of someone’s gorgeous landscaping that had a similar style house. As I write that I realize that sounds super creeper. I promise I’m normal
Jennifer says
It looks fabulous! I’m currently the freak driving around stalking every one’s shutter colors! Ya gotta do what ya gotta do, right?
Sandy says
I’m confused why you put cardboard down when you don’t cover your beautiful hardwood floors INdoors??
YoungHouseLove says
We’ve had luck wiping drips right off sealed hardwoods (they can even be popped off with a fingernail if they dry). Concrete is porous so if you drip it’s a lot harder to wipe or pop it off (the stains could be there for life).
xo
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Jess says
They look really nice!!
Wendy says
I’m a creeper! When I painted my house I actually picked a swatch that I thought I liked and then drove around with it for a few weeks. When I passed a house I liked, I parked, ran up to the house with the swatch and actually held it up to compare the color. I wanted to pick the right color!
On another note, any idea how long a good exterior paint job should last? Mine is going on 7-8 years and still looks really good. There’s definitely some peeling, mostly on the trim, but it’s only noticeable right up close.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s awesome! I think around ten years is really good. Anyone else have a range/guess for how long a good paint job should last?
xo
s
Bethany @ Dwellings by DeVore says
That makes such a big difference! Love the darker look!
Keeley says
Our garage doors are still white, but I’d like to paint them to blend with our siding. In our neighborhood most of the doors are forward facing (we’re on relatively small lots) and most people paint them to match (or slightly contrast) their siding/brick/stone so as not to detract from the front entrance. If our garage was turned to the side like yours, we’d probably consider a bolder color. I think it all depends on the style of your home and the configuration of your garage. Your doors look nice.
Lynn @ Safebeauty says
We are constantly doing “bike-bys” to see what looks great already in the neighborhood and what we would like to add or take away from our space to meld nicely. We have a converted garage (thankfully because I can’t even handle the little amount of bugs that manage to make their way into our house now!) so we don’t have to deal with garage doors right now but I am in the head scratching phase of should we put up curtains or just leave the blinds up as is? Hmmm…
My best, Lynn
*If I was a garage person I’d definitely go with the style you have and add the hardware and some faux windows to up the curb appeal and still be safe knowing no one can peek in if they wanted.
Linda says
When you were letting the paint dry between the cracks in the garage door, how did you store the paint brush so it doesn’t dry out? Coming to that point I would love to see how you maintain your brushes and tools.
YoungHouseLove says
Ziplock bag! It’s easy to just tuck it in there and seal it between coats.
xo
s
Linda says
Thanks! So the entire brush goes into the ziplock bag then? How long does it stay good in there?
YoungHouseLove says
If you have a gallon bag you can do the whole brush, but I usually use a sandwich bag and the wood handle sticks out but as long as the bristles are in there and you zip it as tightly as possible around the handle (I like to roll the bag around the brush a few times after I zip it and rest it on the drop cloth that way – zipped, and then folded around itself so it’s nice and tight). We’ve had luck doing that for a few hours or overnight (at the longest) but otherwise we’ll just wash a brush and reuse it later :)
xo
s
Noelle says
YES actually I HAVE creeped around the neighborhood looking at front and garage doors! We bought a rental house and ours is the *only* one with black doors. Since the house was a foreclosure, the black is very faded, and I circled around slowly looking for ideas. Everyone seems to have white, so I’m going to dare to be different and keep it dark! Easier anyway, right?
Ms. Weatherbeee says
Total upgrade! I think it looks way more classy and expensive now.
Kristin says
Urbane Bronze is the best color for painting doors. All my interior house doors are that color. I went back and forth between Urbane Bronze and the ever so popular black, Urbane Bronze was the winner
YoungHouseLove says
That sounds awesome!
xo
s
Betsy says
Love the new garage door color! It looks awesome.
Karen from Cord Controller says
Love the Dark color! It really updates the brick and gives it a more modern warm feeling!
http://cordcontroller.com/
Sarah J. says
lol! i always creep around the neighborhood looking at other paint jobs, landscaping, fences, etc. it’s wonderful to get ideas from neighbors and makes for a cohesive area. :)
Olivia says
Nice improvement! Just a little fix: “…but it feels good to have it _check_ off the to-do list (finally).”
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Olivia!
xo
s
Amanda says
I never would have thought to go so dark. It really looks just perfect. Nice choice!
Debbi says
Just finished up our garage doors today! Had primed and painted last weekend (white), now so clean and crisp. And covered the windows in the doors by tacking up some cute fabric from Hobby Lobby, this morning. Should have done this years ago-what a difference.
Susan Z.F. says
Love the dark doors! Don’t know why there are so many white ones out there in the world when darker ones make such a huge difference in curb appeal. Great job.
Side note – I have been getting video ads on your site all day. Using IE and Mozilla. There’s one above your YHL banner and two more below your bio.
Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Susan! As for moving ads, those are ok with us as long as they’re not blaring sound. We’re your silent or did they have audio? Thanks for the heads up!
xo
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Emily @ Life on Food says
Ha, I love the garage door staking. I take pictures of random houses I like for my husband to see what I am talking about for certain elements. I always feel like the people should take it as a compliment.
Leah says
Pretty Snazzy, guys!!! Now you need a pergola, and some climbing vines to go up and over the top of the garage doors!!!
Leah: )
YoungHouseLove says
Yes please!
xo
s
Ruth @eightsandseven.com says
Well done on the doors! After a weekend of power washing I know that the cement in front of those doors will come up a treat as will the side walk!! Next step to finishing that area. http://eightsandsevens.com/blog/2014/07/5368/
christa says
Awesome look to the house yall…
caroline [the diy nurse] says
It looks so great- I would’ve never have thought to go darker!
Jessie says
It’s amazing how much better this looks! I love it. It’s always so satisfying to finish a paint job. Good work!
Kacey W. says
We used Sherwin Williams Duration paint for our garage door too. It (and the front door) used to be cadet blue, which I hated. Our garage door already sticks our more than I’d like, and the blue made it that must worse. So we painted it a very light grey, which helped it fade into the white of the house and still coordinated with the dark grey window surrounds. Such an easy difference!
YoungHouseLove says
So glad!
xo
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Tamara @ Provident Home Design says
The doors look great and I love the contrast the white trim creates! I’ve loved the shade Urbane Bronze since I first laid eyes on it a couple of years ago. I have yet to use it but I know I will at some point in the future. Great work guys (Sherry I love Clara’s closer update–so cute)!
Tamara @ Provident Home Design says
***closet update
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Tamara!
xo
s
Susan Z.F. says
Sherry, those moving ads were silent. I brought it up because it was the first time I’d ever seen them on your site, and so many of them too.
And my garage doors are dark too! I’m so fancy!
Thanks,
Susan
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Susan! Those auto-fill ads tend to rotate pretty quickly and randomly without much control on our end (and people see things differently in different regions, so the ad we see might be completely different than the one you see), so I hope anything that’s too “commanding” of your attention passes through quickly :)
xo
s
Melissa says
I was in the middle of painting our garage doors white when the neighbor pulled up and told me how much she loved the color I was painting them. I said, “yeah we just really like white trim”. She said, “oh I thought you were painting them the olive color” (the old color). Then she just walked into her house. You can’t please everyone. :( I love your dark doors. They look amazing!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man!
xo
s
Priscila says
Guys, as a suggestion, could you make a post with the updated listy mclisterson.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Priscila! Would love to!
xo
s
Louisa T. says
Talk about perfect timing! We are having our house painted week after next and this had not crossed my mind until your post today. We discussed the idea tonight and absolutely love it! If only you could see the influence you guys have had on our home inside and out. It’s gotten to the point whenever I bring up a new idea to the DH, he asks “Let me guess, the Petersik’s/Young House Love?”. Too funny!
Louisa T. says
Oh, and we are seriously considering the whole pergola thing as well!
YoungHouseLove says
You’re so sweet Louise! And John sends a heartfelt apology to your husband. Haha!
xo
s
Angela says
I’ve driven around the neighborhood to look at landscaping (to figure out what worked best with houses that also face north like mine), but I’d forgotten that. We’re painting our front door, so we should make a drive around the neighborhood again. Thanks for the idea again).
I love y’all’s blog, by the way.
Cheerful Homemaker says
I’ve never painted a garage door, but we did break ours and had to install a new one a few years ago. Not an easy task, especially when one person is 5 months pregnant!
YoungHouseLove says
Whoa, that sounds intense!
xo
s
Reenie says
Love it!!
Nat says
I’d say that was actually a pretty exciting post. What an amazing difference and the colour is gorgeous for your house.
Yay!
P.S. I just ordered your book and it arrived yesterday!! Lovin’ it!!
Nat
xx
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much Nat!
xo
s
Kristen says
Your garage doors look great!
I came hear to see if you saw that your book was used in this styling.
I just ordered this same tray but from Joss and Main and when I googled to find the regular company, I found the tray and your book!
http://www.denydesigns.com/products/allyson-johnson-green-and-blue-stripes-and-arrows-rectangular-tray
YoungHouseLove says
NO WAY! Never saw that! Thanks so much for the link.
xo
s
Sally G says
Especially neck-craning. LOL. This post cracked me up. I love your blog. It’s not even what you do, it’s vibe of how you go about it! You guys make me laugh.
elle says
Looks great! Love it! Thanks for sharing.
Ross Decorators says
Great choice in colour for the garage doors. With it being summer I wondered if there was any particular brands of paint you suggest for exterior painting. As I live up in Scotland we get rain frequently so it would need to be durable for all weather conditions. Any tips you have will be appreciated.
YoungHouseLove says
The guys we hired to paint the siding last year recommended Sherwin Williams Duration, and we’ve been really happy with it, so that’s what we went with for the garage doors. It’s self priming and made to hold up well to outdoor temps, etc.
xo
s
Christy says
Looks great!! And so crazy, 2 years ago, we painted our siding on our primarily brick house Anonomys as well! Now I know we made a good choice. ;-)
Question-I’m dying to paint our exterior brick…white wash or just paint it. Ours is a ranch and I just feel like painting the brick would modernize it a little. Have y’all considered painting your exterior brick? know you’ve done a lot of indoor brick painting but wasn’t sure about outdoor. And, if it’s a project to even attempt DIY or if we just bite the bullet and hire and painter. AND what color brick would go well with Anonomys of course!
YoungHouseLove says
I love a painted brick house! Unfortunately here in VA there’s green mold so painted brick tends to be a lot higher maintenance since that shows up all over the paint, so for that reason unpainted brick tends to be more desirable and command a higher house price in our area since it doesn’t need to be cleaned as often, or repainted. Maybe check into how that works in your area and go from there? Whitewashing it might make it lower maintenance than painting (I’ve heard awesome things about a system called “lime washing”). Good luck!
xo
s
Christy says
Ohhhhh! Just googled the Lime washing and LOVE that look! We are in Atlanta and there are several painted brick houses in our neighborhood, so hopefully the mold is not an issue but would be worth it to look into to save headaches in the future. Thanks for the suggestion! Will keep you posted if we give it a go ourselves!
YoungHouseLove says
Would love to see pics!
xo
s
Lee Ann says
We drive and walk around neighborhoods looking at everything from trim colors to landscaping to porch furniture to seeing how window treatments look from the exterior. I’m sure the residents think we’re casing their houses!
Stacy says
I do the same in my neighborhood, but I like to look at the color of the stone and brick, as I want to resurface my house and am looking for the perfect color combination. I use walking my dog as a cover so I can go slower if I see something I like!
Joanna @ TheNestbook says
Great update! I love how the darker doors look with the brick and light. Much better!
Jenny A. says
Maybe you already answered this question in another comment, but what material are your garage doors? I can’t tell from the picture if they’re wood, vinyl or metal? We have metal ones with a wood grain imprint and the desperately need painted. Just wondering if this paint works on metal, too?
YoungHouseLove says
They’re sort of a fiberglass/faux wood material. We painted metal garage doors in our first house with luck though!
xo
s
Tracey says
The garage door color is perfection! Did u guys think about painting the regular door to the garage (the one on the back of the house) the same color so they match? I think that would look snazzy and super coordinated.
YoungHouseLove says
That could be pretty! We also have a door in the sunroom that leads to the living room (that one’s also white, with glass windows) so we might need to paint them both since one would look strange. Definitely possible down the line though!
xo
s
Sarah says
Love the garage door makeover! But I actually wanted to see if you’d share the brand of your light fixture. I am in the process of looking for new outdoor fixtures and think this style would be a great fit. Thanks a lot!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks! That was from a local lighting outlet called The Decorating Outlet. It was an as-is floor model so we don’t know the name or anything.
xo
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