So I have a confession: I’ve become down right obsessed with black accents. OBSESSED. You’ve probably noticed it by now if you’re a regular around here. Pops of black are creeping in all over the place and I love it. Seriously, what took me so long to fall in love with black accents?! I have no idea, but I’m sure glad I’ve discovered them now. And as you might have guessed by today’s post title, I’m back at it again with painting doors black and this time it’s in the living room! I’ve actually been thinking about doing this since I painted the doors in the basement, but I hesitated because I just wasn’t sure if I was brave enough to do it in the living room too. For some reason it felt like a big step. I guess black paint seems a bit scary when your heart is used to loving neutrals. But after seeing how good the doors looked in the basement, I decided to go for it. And HOLY SMOKES–I love how it turned out. I can’t wait to show you the before and after. Let’s start with a little reminder of how the doors looked before:
And now with the doors painted black:
Another shot of the doors before:
And now:
Pretty crazy what a difference a little black paint can make, right?! They just pop off the white walls and I love the contrast. I think it gives the room so much more depth.
When I painted the doors in the basement we got lucky and didn’t have to prime them. But this time around, these doors had been painted with an oil-based paint, so we had no choice but to prime them first. And as you probably know, you can’t paint over oil-based paint or the paint will just peel right off. So to start I did a simple test with a cotton ball dipped in rubbing alcohol. I rubbed it over a small area on the door and no paint came off, which confirmed that it was oil-based paint. (If the paint had come off on the cotton ball that would have been a water based or latex paint and I wouldn’t need a primer. See more about info about it here.) Anyway, we used Zinsser primer and then followed that up with two coats of Wrought Iron by Benjamin Moore in a semi-gloss finish.
I always say it, but paint is basically like magic. I love before and after transformations like this because it’s just amazing what difference paint can make in only a matter of a few hours. I’ve been loving this change from white to black doors and like I said earlier, I think it gives this room so much more depth. Now the doors feel more like a piece of decor instead of just a part of the wall that blended in with everything else, which is pretty snazzy. And the best part of all is that when my husband says I just paint everything white I can kindly remind him of these doors and prove him wrong. WINNING.
Thanks so much for dropping in today. Let me know what you think of my doors, I’d love to hear it! xo
Here’s a few other posts you might want to check out:
Restoring an Antique Church Pew
20 Farmhouse Style Barn Lights
How to Give Any Room Farmhouse Style in Minutes
Shop the room:
Did you take the doors down to paint them? I love pops of black too. I have been using black for years. Just a little here and there. Recently we bought a new/old home. I have been making a plans to decorate. I love the way the your doors turned out. Its diffently something I would like to do to my french doors going out to my sun room.
Hi Jenny! Actually we just left the doors up to paint them. And yes, if you have french doors going to your sun room, black paint would look AMAZING!
They turned out really well I like them
Thanks Ruth, I am loving the change!!
Beautiful! I have been obsessed with black accents for years, especially with neutrals. Welcome to the club lol. Can’t say it enough, love your decorating! And love the pics of your kids💕. You and your kids remind me of my niece and her three and memories of my three.
aw thank you so much Linda!! xo
So so beautiful. I LOOOVE that great big basket on the chest. Where did you get that?
I am a black lover. Your doors look amazing. They do make your entire room pop! I see you have a couple of pictures in black frames. High Five! They also pop. I just love your blog. My husband says you are costing me a lot of money. LOL. Keep up the fantastic decorating. It makes my day when I get one of your posts.
JULIE
haha!! That’s too funny Julie. Tell your husband that it’s for a good cause!! 🙂
Love it. Contrast is great. You are so good.
Thank you Sally!! xo
Sarah, I can’t express how much I love your home. Your decorating is so beautiful. I really love the black accents…I hope to win that lottery tonight here in Canada and fly you here to decorate my new home I would have built on a lake…how is that for dreaming!…lol
hahaha! Dang that all sounds fabulous Candy!! I’m on my way!! xo
Love the contrast!!!! It looks great!
Thanks so much Rachel!
Very eye popping. Love it.
Thanks Janie!
Years ago, an interior decorator told me every room should have some black in it! Your doors look beautiful in black and everything else just pops. Your home is so cozy and comfortable looking. Love everything you have done.
I think that’s so true Connie! And something I’ve been forgetting for a long time now. But better late than never, right?! Thanks for your kind words, they truly m means so much to me!!
Love it Sarah! Definitely adds to the room. Hubby and I will be moving from NC to SC in the next year, and I plan on using a lot of your tips when I decorate my new(er) house. This is a GREAT tip! Thank you!
Aw that’s so exciting Patty!! Nothing better than moving into a new house and making it your own!
Love the black doors! I’m really considering it for my French doors! What did you use for the shiplap in your dining area? Thanks!
Hi Jeanette! If I remember right, the shiplap is painted in Ultra Pure White by Behr
I love it. It’s like a picture frame framing the outdoors!
yes! I thought that exact thing too Cathy!
I love it. It is like a picture frame framing the art of outdoors!
I totally agree Cathy, it’s like a little frame for the outdoors!
That looks great, Sarah! You’ve got such a great talent! I need to hire you to do some (lots of) work in my house. Your home is beautiful.
Aw you are too sweet, thank you Michelle!
The black doors look amazing in your already lovely home! You are such an inspiration and I always look forward to your posts. I wanted to show you a lamp I just purchased. It is right up your alley and I couldn’t wait for you to see it! Please keep sharing pix of the items you love; it is so helpful!
https://t.kirklands.com/product/Lamps-Lighting/Lamps/Floor-Lamps/Holcomb-White-Floor-Lamp/pc/2286/c/2678/sc/2296/228053.uts?utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F
Ah I love that lamp Donna!! So cute! And what a great price too. Kirklands is awesome!
They look Great Sarah! I can’t believe how much of a change it made to the room!
Right?! Such a crazy difference. I love it!!
They do look great Sarah!
thanks Jill!
You may have mentioned this in an earlier blog but I’m new to your website. Where did you get your drapes? I love them and was looking for something soft like that for my guest room. Love your style.
Hi Sharon, those are just easy DIY drop cloth curtains. No sewing! You can see how I do them here: https://sarahjoyblog.com/step-by-step-drop-cloth-curtains/
Great job! Definitely adds so much depth! Love!
It totally does Jen. And this room needed that depth too!
Omg is that a dinosaur in the third pic from the bottom on the coffee table? I’m dying lol. It is SO what goes on in my own house. Toys mixed in everywhere. Right now there is a horse in one of my lanterns on my coffee table lol. The doors look gorgeous by the way!
haha YES! You’re the first to say anything!! My son was playing in the living room when I was photographing and he begged me to take a shot of his T Rex. So I just had to throw it in there! 🙂
Oh my!! I couldn’t love it more, and can’t wait to have a black door of my own!! It will be my front door, which first must be replaced. Thank you for blazing the trail.
xox😍
Yesssss Chris!! You totally need a black door. Go for it, you’ll love it!! xo
The doors look super duper….love the contrast! I have black decor mixed in with my neutrals too, but also wood tones and I still have remnants of red here and there from my old way of doing things mostly because I can’t spend the money to change it all just yet, but I’m getting there.
Thanks Brenda! And I hear what you’re saying. It’s a process for sure and it takes time, but little by little it all comes together!
In a word, Your black doors are stunning! I love them!
thanks so much Janet!
Stunning! Love the black doors!
Love the doors painted black! I love incorporating black in to every room 🙂
Yes Laura! It’s definitely something I need to do more.
Love it so much! It somehow looks just as neutral as it did before-I guess because black IS neutral? FYI- I am in the process of painting our bedroom doors in our hallway black.
Thank you!
Oh awesome!! Good luck, I’m sure you will love them when they’re finished.
This looks fantastic Sarah. It just makes the room pop!
Oh I totally agree girl, they should have been black all along!
They look amazing … I love them. great job!
Thanks so much Teresa! Hope you’re’ doing well. xo
Love it!! The black doors look awesome!! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Sharon! And thanks for stopping by. xo
You’re right— paint is basically magic. Those doors look great! I recently painted all the bedroom/bathroom doors on my second floor a super dark charcoal navy (I totally made that up, but they’re somewhere between navy and super dark gray.) I love the super dark doors with the bright white trim and light gray walls. Unexpected dark colors like that just seem super luxurious to me!
Oh they do Bonnie! You are totally right, they just feel so sophisticated yet, classic at the same time. I don’t know what took me so long to get on the black door wagon!!
How do you keep everything so clean with 3 munchkins? White and me do not mix.I don’t even own a white shirt!
haha I can’t wear a white shirt either! Girl, it’s really not that clean. I just move all the stuff out of the way for photos. And if you look closely, there’s even a T-Rex dinosaur in one of these photos!! lol
This is probably a silly question but did you paint the outside doors black too or just the inside?
No we didn’t paint the outside of the doors, but you totally could!
Love the black!! I’ve been thinking about doing our office French doors either grey or black!!! Great job!! Great transformation!!
Oh Erin, go for it!! You will LOVE it.
Hi Sarah…I love your new black doors…but I also love, love your square “kubu” rattan basket that is sitting on your trunk with the sprigs of blossoms in it. I have searched everywhere online but have not had an luck. Where did you find yours and do you remember what you paid? Would love to hear from you..
Yes! I found that big basket at Marshall’s and it was only $19.99. If you live near one, or by a TJ Maxx, you should definitely go, they always have great baskets. And FYI–you can shop TJ Maxx online now: https://rstyle.me/n/c3vdg2b6hgf
This is absolutely beautiful!! I can see why you hesitated with it being such a focal spot in your home, which is why I need your opinion.. We are building our home so our front door will be painted a dark/almost-black grey color, so I thought “hmm.. I wonder if they would go ahead and paint the back door too!” but my couches are dark brown!! They were kind of a gift and they hide toddler stains haha. Its an open floorplan with light grey walls and white, galvanized and wood “farmhouse” accents. Opinion??
I love black doors! I used the exact same paint and color on mine! It was a big leap for me but they are stunning.
I need to know where you got your nail head chairs and your couch! Do the chairs recline? I never thought to mix the colors too. The lighter chairs with the grayish couch. I love everything you do. My whole Pinterest page is all of your ideas saved! We have sliding doors in our family room that are just brown wood now. We were going to paint them white but my husband said they would get so dirty with the kids in and out. But this is a great idea! Thank you!
Aw thank you so much Mary!! You are so sweet. Here’s the link for the chairs:https://rstyle.me/n/cis4jwb6hgf And they don’t recline. The couch is from Lazy Boy Furniture. We bought it there on a big sale a few years ago now.
Can you tell me where you purchased your drapes in the living room? I love the black doors!!!!
Those are DIY drop cloth curtains actually! You can see the tutorial here: https://www.sarahjoyblog.com/step-by-step-drop-cloth-curtains/
Love, love, love, your doors; however, your drapes caught my eye first. Will you please tell me where you purchased them and what style they are called?