Front Door Makeover

This is one of the many projects around the house I have been working on, 

transforming my 1960's front door into something a little more coastal-cottage:

Here is my original door:

I don't have one good before picture of it since there was a storm door blocking 

it and it was dark navy blue so it vanished into a black hole:

Please note the old stone steps because those changed too during the door makeover. (ADD time-yay!)

They were small, crumbly and the front porch was nonexistent.  And what was SO annoying was that if you came to my front door you had to step off the steps to allow for the door to open.

A wood front porch is currently almost completed. 

 I designed it to be larger to accommodate planters, porch squatting and 

to give the entrance some oomph:

Lets have a little flashback to 2009 when we first bought this rancho...

Hello Big Fudge Brownie 

The entry was a big dark abyss that sucked you into all things groovy and 60-licious...

OK, back to the door...

So I was inspired by this over-pinned lovely:

But I had this, and as much as I love me a good sunburst I was over it.

I was going to panel them with a herringbone:

I sanded it down and primed the outer areas.

My Dad has an insane math brain, so he helped me with this figuring of angles stuff. 

We used leftover exterior bead board and drew a center line down the middle of each square. We cut a 45 degree angle on one side and lined it up at the top and against the center line.  He then marked the left sides where it met and used that as is guide to cut the other 45 angle.

 We then figured the rest of the cuts for that side using the first piece as a guide and marking each piece the same way.  Once you have one side done, you just need to cut a reflection for the other side.

(Be sure to mark left or right on the backsides- it gets confusing!)

We cut enough for all three panels and made sure they fit.  Some squares were not perfectly square, so we had to trim them a bit.

 Once we had everything fitted it was time to glue the panels in place 

using a basic household adhesive...

Now they needed to be framed in...

 I took a trip to the lumberyard and picked up to moldings that allowed for the 1/4" projection of the bead board.  I cut the ends on 45 degree angles to fit the squares.

Then I stapled the frames together on the backside...

 and made three frames...

 I used a bit of adhesive and nails to attach and wood putty to fill the gaps and holes...

 And then took the door off to prime & paint (no drip marks this way).

I used Fine Paints of Europe Eco 

(a water-clean up oil in a high gloss finish called Brilliant).

Amazing stuff, it self levels and is super shiny!

I had it tinted to Ben Moore's Palladian Blue.

Two coats later and new door hardware... 

(I actually just spray painted the old brass mail slot with Rustoleum's Hammered Bronze- 

goes right over metal!)

 And new door!
Total cost was under $100, the paint was actually the most expensive part costing about $50 for a quart.

 Once the porch it done, and all is painted I will take a better after shot.

Oh, we also added the bead board to the right of the door...

There used to be 60's wavy glass.  

Yeah, I'm totally flushing the 60's away... funny because I do love me some vintage, but I think the amount this house had just overwhelmed me. 

Small doses, small doses.

Stay tuned, another 60's cleansing is happening now:

bye bye partition wall..