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Cobalt Blue Front Door

I was "reading" a book on how to build sheds the other day, when I came across an image that has stuck with me ever since.
 
It was of this quaint old shed, goldish-yellowy-orange, with a cobalt blue door and window trim and a plethora of red flowers in pots all around it. I'm sorry I don't have a pic to share, but trust me. It was warm, fresh, inviting, and exuberantly unapologetically colorful. Loooooove the cobalt.
 
 
I decided yesterday that, frankly, front doors are huge. I mean, their impact and their ability to set the stage (or not) for the home.

On that soapbox note, here's the dreariness that greeted people to my own home for the past (insert embarrassingly high number) years:
 
 
The weird part is, the people who live inside actually do have personalities! And aren't color blind! Although the random passerby would have no clue about either case.
 
I've actually struggled with customizing our front door space for a while because the rock is a bit dated and represents a color scheme I'm not big into, but it's permanent as far as we're concerned. I also wanted a replacement front door with glass, for more natural light inside. But that would lend zero privacy to much of our upstairs, and that wasn't a great option.
 
What to do, what to do.
What I did in the end was paint the door and ignore the rock altogether. Pretend like it's not there. Because I'm nice like that.
 
So. A quick coat (or three) of blue, and you can see immediate life starting to stir within. Or without. Whatever. Not so happy were the wooden house numbers straight from the 80s. I painted them the same color as the door (obv) but soon realized my mistake. Wowsahs. 


 
I bought some great contemporary house numbers from Home Depot and was going to hang them up, but I chickened out because (a) I'd be mounting them into stone, and I've never done that before, (b) I couldn't even figure out how to take the old numbers off, and (c) I was going to royally screw up the whole thing. I mean, it's kind of a prominent place to be debuting a hammer drill.
 
So I brushed a few coats of black paint over the numbers to tide us over until I could work up the courage to deal with stone and drills and scariness like that. It's not great, but it'll do.
 

Watered some plants, which I realize now makes for a not-so-lovely photo detail. Dah well. I also had some leftover exterior yellow paint from another project, so I gave this sad pot spot a buttery facelift. (mmmm...butter...) And swapped out the welcome mat for a rug I had on-hand until I fall in love with something else to replace it.

Looking better.
 

I thought some color up top would be nice, so I dug up an old hanging basket and hung it from a metal planter-holder-upper thing mounted on the side of the house. (Didn't like how high the flowers would have been if hooked from the ceiling.) I potted some petunias and am sending them all the green-thumb vibes I can muster. Which is about two, total.

 
The lone impatien. Grow, friends!
 
 
And here we are again:
 
 
Still some things to do (like deal with that drip hose and get the flowers to bloom, baby, bloom), but I like where this is headed. It's out there, it's wild, it's bold. But what about you all? Are you a yay or nay on colorful front doors?

{shared: A Glimpse Inside, A Jennuine LifeBe Colorful, By Stephanie LynnC.R.A.F.T., Chic on a Shoestring Budget, Coastal Charm, Craft-O-Maniac, Crafty Texas Girls, DIY by Design, DIY Dreamer, DIY Showoff, Domestically Speaking, Dragonfly Designs, Finding Fabulous, Fireflies & Jellybeans, GingerSnap Crafts, House of Hepworths, I Should be Mopping, Ivy and ElephantsJembellish, Lil Luna, Mercy Ink, My Girlish Whims, My Romantic Home, My Uncommon Slice, Not Just a Housewife, Sew Can Do, Simply DesigningSugar & Dots, Sumo's Sweet Stuff, The 36th Avenue, The Shabby Creek Cottage, The Shabby Nest, The Style Sisters, }

21 comments:

  1. That color is AWESOME! I don't think I've ever seen a front door this color so it's very unique!
    Selene @ Restoration Beauty

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  2. Oh yes!! Love the color of the door! I love bold,pops of color and this is awesome! Adorable and fun! Come link up to my centerpiece Wednesday linky party! http://thestylesisters.blogspot.com/2013/06/4th-of-july-decorations-and-centerpiece.html
    Karin

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  3. Never in a million years would I have thought of that colour for the front door and numbers. Brilliant and beautiful. This is such an awesome post. I would love it if you would share this post at our WIW linky party. Hope you can join us!

    Paula
    ivyandelephants.blogspot.com

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  4. Love the blue! So much brighter and summery :)
    - Lora @ Craftivity Designs

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  5. What color did you go with? I think mine is a shade darker but I've been loving it. Blue is always a solid choice.

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  6. Love it, love it! I bet we got the same door numbers, by the way. I'd show you except our still aren't hung up either! :) Ha ha! It seems like an intimidating project to me too.

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  7. When I saw this I was like "you go, girl!!" lol! This is a bold and modern color that sure does pop when you see it! I love when people go bold. It inspires me to get out of the box.
    theinspiredcafe.com

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  8. love love love the blue.

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  9. The blue door looks awesome! I have an idea for your numbers!! You could make a 5-sided box to fit around the dimensions of your old numbers to slide right over them and cover them up! So the back would be open and would cover the numbers up like a hood or a lid, and lie flush against your brick, while the front and 4 sides would be enclosed. You could stain & seal it, nail it into place (nail gun into the old numbers, perhaps?), and mount your new contemporary numbers onto that! Does that make sense?

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  10. I have a blue front and kitchen/back (the one everyone uses) door(s) and I love them!! They are not as bright as yours. You have made your entrance look so wonderful and inviting. I'll be right on over ;-)

    I stopped over from the Heart and Home Linkup.

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  11. What a lovely front door you have there! It looks pleasing to the eye. It somewhat reminds me of the ocean, looking very cool and calm. It matched well with the white trim and the rock wall. I consider your abode as an ideal rest house. The siding and the door looks relaxing. Is that what I can expect when I tour inside the house too?

    Roselia Mangione @ All County Exteriors

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  12. By giving your front door a new color, it created a "modern" aura to your home. Why be bothered by your rock wall, if you can repaint it for a change? I suggest that you feel free to transform your space! Go for what will satisfy your need; just make sure not to over do it or it might destroy its curb appeal.

    -Keven Sumrell @ SouthWestExteriors

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  13. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  14. A little touch of paint can already make a big difference! That cobalt blue is simple, but very refreshing and inviting. Organize more your pots and plants, and maybe have a new door mat to achieve the overall new feel for your entryway.

    -Tameka Lauricella @ Integrity WE

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  15. That color is AWESOME!!!
    I don't think I've ever seen a front door this color so it's very unique...

    Regards
    Impact front Doors

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  19. Thank you so much for sharing informative blog. Hope you continue to share more of your ideas. I will definitely love to read. Keep up the good work! Front Doors

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  20. Do a search for Quebec City bright doorways. You will love looking at them, a feast for the eyes. ; ) Thank you for sharing, I'm inspired.

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