Make an entrance

Painting three ways - projects from Woman's Day magazine

Add impact at the front door with these bright ideas from Emily Somerville-Ryan.

1. Table envy

What you’ll need:

Resene testpots
Resene sealer
Second-hand table
Sandpaper
Paintbrush

Table envy - refurbished table project

Instructions:

Do you have an entranceway that needs a refresh and some much-needed love? Or an old piece of furniture lying around at home that is too boring or ugly to put anywhere? Why not fix both problems at once by following our easy step-by-step guide to renovating your furniture with a new lick of Resene paint. Give an old, existing piece of furniture a makeover or scour the op shops for a table that would fit nicely at your front door. If the old paint is sound and waterbased, you can apply your topcoats direct on top. If not, seal the entire table with two coats of Resene Smooth Surface Sealer, taking care not to leave any drips and leave to dry thoroughly. Paint your table with two coats of Resene Japanese Laurel, drying thoroughly between coats. Finish the look by updating some old plant pots and create a lovely setting with some new plants. Seal each pot inside and out with two coats of Resene Aquapel & Terracotta Sealer and leave to dry. Paint both pots with two coats of Resene Quarter Iron and dry thoroughly. On one of the pots, hand paint on dark stripes with a fine brush using Resene Coast. Alternatively you can tape the stripes with masking tape and give the pot a neater finish. Add a new door mat and some floor plants around your table and your entranceway will be the envy of all your family and friends.

2. Fresh as a door mat

What you'll need:

Resene testpots
Door mat
Masking tape
Paintbrush

Fresh as a door mat - painted door mat project

Instructions:

Tape out four house shapes onto your mat with washi masking tape, including the doors and heart. Paint the first and third house with Resene Quarter Iron until entirely covered. Repeat this step on the second and fourth house with Resene Japanese Laurel. Remove all masking tape. When dry, mask around the first door and the heart and paint with Resene Coast. Once dry, place at your front entrance.

3. Off the hook

What you'll need:

Resene testpots
Sandpaper
Ruler
Pencil
Drill
Doorknobs
Paintbrush
Screws

Off the hook

Instructions:

Take a 50x10cm piece of pine. Measure four points along the centre at 7cm, 19cm, 31cm and 43cm and drill four holes at each point. Paint the wood with two coats of Resene Japanese Laurel. Choose four wooden handles and paint two with Resene Quarter Iron and two with Resene Japanese Laurel. With a fine brush, paint rings on all the handles using Resene Coast. Finally, screw the handles to the wood through the drilled holes and hang in your hallway.