I'm Bold, I'm Beautiful

I'm a RED door. I look like a shiny new car and because of my gorgeous paint, I've been mistaken for a car....but alas, I am just a door. Ignore the house numbers falling off the siding...we haven't gotten them back up yet!

Check out our new front door. It isn't done yet - but I love it so much I had to share!

This door has a LOOOOONG history. Check out the before picture below - a full glass entry door, no screen door. Ever since I first turned my key in the lock of this house, I have wanted to replace this door, and we have tried ever since that first move-in day to replace it... it has been a long process.

What was wrong with the old door, you ask? EVERTHING. The full glass provided great sunlight in the house - but not a lot of privacy when my husband decides to wander around in his boxers. (Admit it, your husband does that too!) The door was installed BACKWARDS...so it didn't fit very well. I could watch our heat escape through the poorly installed door in the winter and I can watch it come in in the summer. Also, it just didn't say much about our home.

The journey to replace it began with a trip to home depot where we picked out a door. They offered to install it. After the guy came out and gave us an outrageous bid. Plus, I knew the installer from the bank and didn't trust the guy. I said there was no way that guy was going to touch my house. Strike one.

A few months later we had a home improvement company come out and give us a bid. The bid was acceptable so I called them to schedule. Three calls and three messages later, they had not returned my calls. Strike Two.

I was beginning to think it was hopeless when Mike was asked at the Sears checkout if there were any home improvements planned. He said we needed a new door - so they sent someone out for an estimate. Hooray! I thought, this is the answer! The guy showed up and said that the average for a new front entry door in Rochester was $7500. Mike thanked the man for his time and asked him to leave, as there was no way we were going to spend $7500 on a door for a house we don't plan to stay in. Strike Three.

It really was hopeless.

I was telling a co-worker the saga of our door when another co-worker walked by. He said, I'll put a door in for you, let me stop by tonight and give you an estimate. He even had references that I could call! He gave us an estimate of less than $200 to install the door. WHAT??? How can this be???? I went to Home Depot and bought a door and a screen door. They suggested having the entry door painted at an auto body shop so you don't see brush strokes. Cool idea. I called around...the best price? $135 to paint the door two different colors plus $70 for the paint. I had the inside painted white to match all of our woodwork and trim. The outside painted burgundy to match the shutters.

The guy at the auto body shop said this paint job should last 20 years - heck yeah it should...it's meant for the beating a car takes everyday. Let's hope that a certain unnamed toddler won't figure out how to dent it and scratch it up.

I like the eye catching look of this door so much, that I almost don't want to put the screen door on. I'm going to admire just the door until a backordered part comes in - then the screen door will be going on....I hope it still looks as nice as it does now.