Do you remember last year when we did the post highlighting the Fusion Metallics? I teamed up with 4 other bloggers to show off different ways to use the metallics and also had a giveaway where one person won a fantastic prize package from Fusion Mineral Paint
I loved collaborating with the other, talented bloggers and it’s always fun hosting a giveaway 🙂
Well, I thought it was about time to do it again! This time, I’m joined by 5 other bloggers and we are highlighting the gorgeous “blues” from the Fusion line.
Y’all know blue is my favorite color . . . And Fusion has 8 different shades of blue to pick from!
Each of us picked a different shade of Fusion Blue to use on a project. My pick was Homestead Blue.
You may remember Homestead Blue from a few other projects I’ve shared (like this china cabinet and bathroom vanity). It’s one of my favorite colors in the whole Fusion line–it’s sophisticated, but still bold enough to make a statement.
For this post though, I didn’t paint a piece of furniture in Homestead Blue, but instead this:
Yep, it’s finally time for my front door to get its makeover! Since Fusion is an acrylic-based paint that provides a waterproof finish, you can use it on exterior projects, as well as interior ones.
There were really two keys to making this project work: Good Prep, and Good Weather. My front door is covered by a small patio, but it still gets a lot of dirt and water splashed on it–so getting a clean surface for the new paint to stick to was critical.
And, I needed at least 2 days where the weather was nice enough to leave my front door open for several hours and where there was minimal wind, so that dust and debris wouldn’t be flying into my wet paint.
Once those 2 things were taken care of, it was a pretty simple project 🙂
To prep the door, I started out by scrubbing it down with Simple Green (or you can use the Fusion TSP Alternative!). There were some places on the door (especially in the cracks and trimwork) where some sticky goo had collected as well lots of general dirt. All of that dirt and goo needed to be off so that my paint would stick well.
After the door was clean, I went ahead and gave it a pretty thorough sanding with my handheld sander.
My door is solid wood, and had the finish been in better shape a light sanding would have been enough. But the original varnish on the door was flaking off in several places and the finish overall was very rough. Any chipping varnish or roughness would show up underneath my new paint, so I wanted to get the door surface nice and smooth again.
Once the door was cleaned and sanded, I propped it open and brought out the paint.
Homestead Blue glides on so nice and smooth . . . It’s really not necessary to use a roller with it to get a smooth finish. My round bristle Fusion brush laid down the paint perfectly.
I painted the interior panels first.
Then went back and painted the outer panels. It’s important when you’re painting a door to follow the lines of the grain.
It may sound complicated, but I promise it’s not! Just work on your door in sections, painting one whole strip where the grain runs in one direction, then move on to another section.
Two coats of Homestead Blue was all it took to get complete coverage on my door. I went ahead and let my first coat dry overnight, so it would cure up a little before applying the next coat. Again, your front door gets a lot of wear and tear, so go ahead and give the paint the full dry time in between coats to help it be as durable as possible.
So clean, sand, paint, dry . . . and then you have a brand new door!
I made a few other small changes too, like spray painting our old brass light fixture a hammered black finish, and changing out our worn-out brass hardware for a satin nickel handle set. Honestly installing the new handle and lock was the most difficult part of this whole process! But our old handle was past its prime and hard for my kids to work, so it was worth the effort to update it with a new one.
And remember my part-sun containers I shared a few weeks back? They are really filling in, and the pink begonias especially are going crazy 🙂 I wanted to repeat that same pink color so I made a simple arrangement using some pink tulips and peach blossoms for a door decoration.
See that brass threshold? Eventually that will be replaced also, with a satin nickel threshold to match the handle. I just ran out of time 🙂
I love the pink and blue together though.
I found a new doormat also for a steal at Tuesday Morning, that echoes the blue as well.
Having this little pop of color makes such a huge difference in our curb appeal! It draws the eye to our doorway and provides a focal point. My entryway used to get lost in a sea of red brick, but now it stands out. I would love to add some additional trim around the door eventually, but even without that, my entryway now makes a big statement.
You may be wondering if Fusion on a front door will really hold up to the weather . . . Well, I want to show you a few more pictures from about 10 days after I finished painting the door.
We had a nasty hail storm on evening, and the day after the storm I found dirt spots all over the door.
I got a bowl of warm water with a few drops of dish soap mixed in, and gently scrubbed the door with a scrub brush.
Then I wiped off the scrubbed spot with a wet rag.
All the dirt and water spots came right off with no damage to the paint at all! And again, I didn’t apply any wax, poly, or sealer to the door. With Fusion, you don’t need one.
You can see in this picture, the left side of the panel has been scrubbed and wiped, while the right side hasn’t yet.
Even though I knew in theory that Fusion on my door should stand up to the weather just fine, I was astounded when I really saw the durability of the paint in action. This really is incredible paint!
So, there you have another example of how you can transform a space in your home with Fusion Mineral Paint 🙂
Please check out the other makeovers from my talented blog friends (click on blog name to be taken to their post) :
Tara at Suburble using Renfrew Blue
Susan at Homeroad using Champness
Linda at Q is for Quandie using Inglenook
Crystal at Team Sutton Designs using Seaside
Becky at Beyond the Picket Fence using Laurentien
Fusion Mineral Paint Giveaway! (NOW CLOSED)
And now, for the really fun part! Fusion has graciously offered a prize package, worth around $85 of product, to one reader! The winner gets 2 pints Fusion Mineral Paint (any choice of color), one Fusion Antique Glaze, and one Fusion Small Brush!
You can enter the giveaway via the Rafflecopter below, or on the Rafflecopter at any of the other 5 Fusion Blues Bloggers’ posts.
The giveaway starts today and ends midnight on Sunday, May 1st. It’s open to residents of the U.S. and Canada, 18 and older. Good luck!
This is a very inspiring makeover Melanie! Just goes to show how you can do a few simple updates and really improve your curb appeal. I’ve been thinking about repainting my front door, and now I realize that I could do a few more simple things (like adding a welcome mat) and really step it up.
Thanks Linda 🙂 Once I laid the mat down I realized it’s a little too small, but I loved the color combo and thought I would keep it anyway. Our old mat was really in bad shape 🙁
So pretty, Melanie! I heard about your hail storm on the news … glad to see all is okay. Thanks for hosting! Cynthia
Thank you Cynthia! We didn’t get the worst of the hail, that hit about 10 miles east of us. But it was still enough to knock out our power for 3 hours and bang up my freshly painted door!
Love your front door – the colour is beautiful. Also love the container and the flowers, the mat and the painted tubs -:)
Thank you Denise 🙂 It’s such a brighter and happier space now.
i love your new blue door and all the adds, the entry is gorgeous xx
Thank you Chris!
I have to share a chuckle. I ruined my peephole the first time I painted the front door. This summer i tackled re-painting and carefully painted around the ruined peephole assuming they were difficult to replace. Imagine my surprise when I went to Home depot and found they cost a few dollars and simply screw in and out…no tools required!! Love your door. Love Fusion.
Thanks for sharing Helen, that is actually really good to know! I painted around mine and was planning on painting it with some silver paint to make it tie in (because it’s also brass), thinking it would be hard to replace. But now I know it’s not!
I love everything you did here, really nice job! Thank you so much for showing us how to bring ok pieces from fab to gorgeous.
Thanks Ivory! I so appreciate it 🙂
So…. I was brave, in my neutral colored world I now have a jar of Homestead Blue. I also happen to have almost the same brick as you, perhaps my door needs your new look too?
I wouldn’t have seen you as neutral person! That surprises me. I really do love Homestead Blue, I just keep using it everywhere. I say go for it!
Okay – I LOVE this. I’m tempted to paint my front door blue, now. I can’t believe how great it looks!
Thanks Tara! It really does make for a great pop of color.
Your front door looks beautiful, that is a gorgeous color you chose 🙂
I’m also loving the tulips on the front door!
Thanks Susan!
Can this Fusion paint be used on a aluminum/metal front door? Linda
Yes Linda, it can. You first need to apply a coat of Fusion Ultra Grip, let it dry for 12 hours, then paint on top of that.
can you use this fusion paint on kitchen cupboards? It would be great if so then it would be washable.
Yes! You can LuAnn. I have used it to paint 3 sets of cabinetry now, 2 in a kitchens and one bathroom vanity. You can read actually all about how to use Fusion on cabinets as well as how it compares to a hardware store paint on this post here. Thanks!
Hi I so enjoyed your door and accessories
Can we get this Fusion paint in Australia? It sounds so interesting.
Thanks for all your info
Sue
Thank you Sue! Yes, there are actually Fusion Merchants in Australia! You can look up your local merchant at FusionMineralPaint.com. I know at least one of the Australian merchants also sells online and offers shipping.
How many pints did it take for you to do the whole door?
Ivy it took me about half of one pint. Homestead Blue has fantastic coverage!
Hello – I located your blog via a search of chalk paint and I’m curious as to what you used to paint your brass light fixture. I’ve also recently learned about Fusion paint and plan to use it on a bedroom hutch project. Seems so much easier than other chalk paint products!
Hi Marcia! Glad you found us! So my paint for the light fixture . . . Just black spray paint! And my hubby actually did that job for me 🙂