The Accent Door: How One Design Element Can Transform Your Home
After a crazy month of travel, I am finally able to get around to a question a lot of you have been asking: What is the secret formula to having a cohesive home AND fun rooms? Well look no further, I’ve got the answer! The accent door: how one design element can transform your home.
Something I have loved to do with each of my room remodels is to include the door in the overall design. That way when you walk into a room, it’s like you’ve entered a completely different space that is unique and custom in its own way. It is a simple change, but it makes a huge difference.
Here are a few tips when you are considering adding an accent door:
- To keep a dramatic flow throughout the main areas of your home, all sides of the doors that face outward should be the same color.
- When choosing the interior accent color, try to match it to a design feature of the room it’s in. Whether that’s matching it to a color in the wallpaper, the color of an upholstered piece of furniture, or the color of the walls. Bedrooms and bathrooms are the perfect place to play with color!
2. You want this paint to have a mirror finish, so you’re going to be working with a semi-gloss or satin sheen. Make sure to test your options on the door in different lighting the same way you’d test the color on any interior wall. You’ll either want to spray this color on, or use a roller to get that perfect, smooth finish. Don’t forget to paint the door frame!
3. One of the most important things to note is the placement of your paint. The hinge-side edge should be painted the same color as the exterior of the accent door basically to the door jamb. This way, if the door is left open, you still don’t see a flash of accent color from the outside.
4. Alternatively, the latch-side edge should be painted the accent color for the same purpose. If the door is open, you’ll still be able to see the accent color on the whole door from inside the room. (This will reverse if the bedroom door opens inward!)
When painting the door casing of your accent door, split the paint line just past the rounded edge of the door stop molding. This creates a clean visual break and makes the transition appear seamless from either direction.
4. And the cherry on top…the door hardware!
Hardware is like the jewelry of the door. It can take the look from plain and simple, to elevated and unique. A good rule of thumb to consider is knowing your lighter vs darker hardware accent colors. Lighter accent colors = satin nickel or brushed bronze. Darker accent colors = matte black or bronze. You also want to try to match the hardware to existing fixtures like light features, so plan accent colors accordingly. A good hardware swap is one of my favorite ways to update a space easily, quickly and for any budget.
Here’s my most important note: choose what YOU love! We spend so much time in our homes, so the colors and fixtures should reflect our own style and preferences. Need some inspo? Here are my favorite paints and wallpaper picks for every room in your home.
I will always recommend and accent door to create magical and colorful spaces. It’s a design element that is virtually unthought of, and untouched but makes for a big, bold but always-in-style, statement.
Let’s DIY it – here is a link to everything you need to take on the next paint project!
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