Door to Door Blog

What Your Interior Door Style Says About You

Choosing an interior door is important to reflect the style of your home, but have you ever thought what your interior door says about you? Our personality shows up in how we decorate and the stylistic choices we make. Here’s a cheeky breakdown of how different types of interior door styles speak to your personality.

French Doors

You are an open book. To you, transparency is an important quality in any relationship and you firmly believe in the power of honesty. However, even when hard truths come out, it is a testament to how well you live your life because you always manage to let the light in.

Arch Top           

You’re warm and inviting. Not only do people feel comfortable in your presence, but they routinely tell you all their secrets, without you even having to ask. However, even though you’re easily approachable, you’re also known as someone who forges your own path.

Raised Panel

You may be classy, but you also aren’t afraid to stand out. You like traditions and tend to be your best self in situations where you can most easily predict the outcome. There’s something about you that people tend to just inherently trust when they meet you and you’re constantly told, “you look familiar — do I know you?” 

Shaker Style

Your friends think of you as “the dependable one” and you love being someone they can count on. You’ve always been sure of yourself and it shows in how people look up to you. Still, even though you’re steadfast in who you are, there are also sides to you that people don’t always realize right away and it can take awhile to get to know you deeply.

Barn Doors

Never one to miss a trend, you have an enormous collection of Pinterest boards and you’re constantly thinking about redecorating. You appreciate the finer details of life and aren’t afraid to go after what you want. While you have a rustic side, you’re also a creature of comfort and you aren’t afraid to admit it.

What style of interior door best fits your personality?

Shop interior doors today.

Why You Should Paint Your Interior Door an Accent Color

Accent colors act as the thread that ties an entire room together. While most home décor experts recommend utilizing wall art, pillows, curtains or even an entire wall to tie in the accent color of your choice, there’s one overlooked focal point of a room that can provide the perfect canvas: the door.

More often than not, when people paint their interior doors, they opt for neutral colors that allow the door to fade into the background. Instead, we have a radical notion — what if the door was painted to stand out instead of blend in? 

Similar to how you would paint an accent wall in your home, painting an accent door is less of a color commitment, while still providing that much needed “pop” in an otherwise understated room. Still not convinced? Here are our top four reasons why you should paint your interior door an accent color: 

It’s unexpected

Accent walls are practically standard at this point, but embracing an accent door would be an unexpected and intriguing design choice.

It’s easy to do

Painting an entire wall or collecting décor items in the same color can be time consuming and costly. However, just painting a door is a much smaller time commitment and allows you to save money on other décor items. 

It’s flexible

You don’t necessarily have to paint both sides of the door, which means your door can act as an accent color when shut, but not when open. While choosing to only paint one side might be a little unorthodox, it’s never a bad idea to have options, especially if you’re going with a bold color choice. 

It can brighten up an otherwise dull spot

No one pays any attention to the color of your door when it’s painted a neutral color. Yet, the second you paint your interior door an accent color, the entire feel of your room will instantly be changed.

So, next time you’re thinking of the best way to liven up your living room décor, match a paint sample to your new throw pillow and transform your interior door.

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Doable DIY: Replace Your Door Hardware

The Do-It-Yourself movement isn’t for everyone. In fact, if you aren’t skilled in home improvements or crafting, tackling a DIY project can feel downright intimidating. But you don’t have to retile a bathroom or rip up carpet to make a difference in the feel of your home — even small changes can feel like big updates.

Take your door hardware, for example. If your home has outdated doorknobs, updating the hardware is one of the simplest and least expensive ways to create a more modern look. If the rooms of your home have old and tarnished doorknobs, it can make the entire space look dated and lackluster. Luckily, this also works in reverse: new modern doorknobs can liven up an entire space.

While the exact process of replacing your door hardware will be specific to your door, it’s a project that virtually anyone can take on. Follow these few simple steps to give your doors a whole new look: 

Pick your new hardware

Think carefully about what will look best with the décor of your home and the style of your doors. While you don’t have to choose the same hardware for every interior door of your home, you do probably want to stick with the same finish. Consider your options: nickel? Bronze? Matte black? What works best with your home and your vision?

Remove your old doorknobs

Most often, this is as simple as removing the screws holding the knob in place, which are typically located on the interior side of the door. There may also be screws on the cover plate of your doorknob, which you’ll need to remove to loosen the knob. Or, some doorknobs have a small slot on the side that you’ll need to insert a paperclip into to fully loosen the knob. Regardless, it should take fairly clear when looking at your doorknob. 

Remove the underlying plate

You should then be able to insert a screwdriver along the seam and easily twist the underlying plate off. 

Remove the old screws and latch

This step may require a power drill, but once you’ve removed all the old screws and the latch, you’ll be ready to install your new doorknob. 

Follow installation steps for your new hardware

If you purchased your doorknobs from Door to Door, check out each listing for an installation sheet. 

And voila! Now all that’s left to do is sit back and admire your work.

5 Tips for De-cluttering Your Closets

With spring just around the corner, now is the perfect time to get a jumpstart on your spring-cleaning. And what better place to start than your closets? These spaces are notorious for getting over-cluttered and disorganized — likely due to easily closed doors that put mess out of sight and out of mind.

So, take a deep breath, open up your closet door and follow these five tips for a successful de-cluttering.

Take everything out

While it can be somewhat intimidating to do, removing every single item from your closet and starting fresh ensures that nothing unwanted will be overlooked. Having a blank slate will allow you to properly organize everything piece by piece.

Make piles

Sort clothes, shoes and other items into “keep,” “donate” and “trash” piles so you can clearly see what’s staying and what’s going. Feel free to also start a “maybe” pile if you aren’t sure about a particular item. Then, once everything is sorted, you can go back to see how you feel.

Figure out an organizational structure

Depending on the size and purpose of your closet, take time to strategize how to re-organize the space. What arrangement makes the most functional sense? What items do you need front and center?

Invest in storage pieces

Whether its an over-the-door shoe rack or baskets for the top rack, the right storage pieces can help keep your space streamlined and organized — for longer than just a few days. Ideally, you want your de-cluttered closet to be sustainable for the long-term so you don’t find yourself going through the same process again in just a few months.

Be ruthless

Do your best to think critically about your belongings and what you really need. If you have clothing items that no longer fit or that you haven’t worn in more than a year, they probably aren’t worth hanging on to. While it can be hard to say goodbye to items that meant something to you at one time, you might be surprised by how freeing it feels to get rid of unnecessary clutter.

With more functional and easy to use closets, you’ll be ready to tackle your day with minimal frustrations.

Looking for a new closet door to fully upgrade your space? Shop our interior selection here.

How to Paint Your Exterior Door

Whether the exterior doors of your home need a new look or a simple refresh, a new paint job can help enhance the look of your house with minimal effort. But before you pick up your paintbrush and dive right in, we have a few tips to make this project as stress-free and successful as possible.

Choose your time of year wisely

Door painting is best done during the warmer months and, ideally, on a sunny day without rain in the forecast. This will help ensure your paint is able to fully dry without risks of moisture.

Choose your paint carefully

Since painting your exterior doors isn’t something you want to do frequently, think carefully about what color would suit your home best. It might even be a good idea to paint a small swatch of your door first to see how the light throughout the day affects the color.

Beyond choosing the right color, it’s also important to use exterior paint for best results over time. If you’re changing the color of your door, you’ll need to prime it first, so make sure the type of primer you use — oil-based or latex — matches the type of paint you use.

Prep your door before painting

Inspect your door for any imperfections and use a sander to smooth out any dented or scratch surfaces. Then, use a damp rag and gentle soap to clean your door. Make sure it is fully dry before you begin the painting process.

Decide your method

Some people elect to remove their doors from the hinges before painting to have a horizontal surface, but this isn’t necessary. If you don’t have a storm door to keep bugs at bay, you can simply paint your door as is, but you’ll need to keep it open throughout the painting and drying process. You’ll also need to remove the hardware before beginning to paint or cover any non-removable hardware with painter’s tape.

Paint!

Once your primer is dry, it’s time to paint. If your door has panels, use a brush to paint these areas first, then a roller to paint the outer flat surfaces. Let each coat dry before adding a fresh layer. Keep your door open until it is completely dry. Finally, step back and admire your work.

Congratulations! Your exterior door is now looking fresh and good as new.

Ready for a total door upgrade? Shop our exterior door collection.

How to Establish a Maintenance Routine for Your Exterior Doors

More often than not, your front door provides the first impression of your home to visitors. However, despite this, many homeowners don’t have an established maintenance routine to keep their exterior doors in the best shape possible.

The exterior doors to your home face additional challenges that your interior doors don’t — like adverse weather, more traffic and fluctuating temperatures. All of these challenges can impact the long-term health of your door if you aren’t taking proper precautions.

So, how can you establish a maintenance routine that will help your exterior doors look better and last longer? We have a few ideas.

Don’t panic with weather changes

Wooden doors are susceptible to shrinkage in cold weather and swelling in hot weather, which can make for a frustrating open and shut experience. Some homeowners panic when doors swell and opt to shave down the sides. Unfortunately, this just leads to an ill filling door when the weather changes back to colder temperatures. Instead, ensuring your door is properly sealed with high quality exterior paint to combat moisture is the best course of action. If you aren’t sure about the paint on your door, it might be a good idea to sand the door down to bare wood and start fresh. You can also apply weather stripping to the doorframe to help with sealing.

Plan for bi-yearly cleaning

Cleaning your doors isn’t likely to be a high-priority task, so pair this twice annual to-do with another more common bi-yearly task, such as cleaning out your closet, changing the batteries on your smoke detectors or washing your windows.

For wooden doors, choose a gentle cleaning agent — like diluted dish soap or even baby shampoo — and use a soft tool, like a microfiber cloth or sponge. You should also take care to use minimal water and ensure your door is dried completely when you’re done.

Inspect for wear and tear

Along with regular cleaning, you should also check your doors for any damages or updating needs. Since sun damage can lead to peeling paint and a dulled finish, it’s a good idea to plan to repaint or refinish your exterior doors about once every five years, depending on exposure. You should also check for damages to the frame and any glass panels, both of which can be replaced in the event of moisture damage.

With these tips and a little extra care, you can extend the life of your exterior doors and ensure the entrances to your home are always looking their best.

Need a new look? Shop our exterior door collection here.