The Small Detail You Can Paint In Your Home That'll Add Unexpected Color

In recent years, more homeowners have started making their spaces feel more personalized. Many are no longer leaving the walls white but are instead customizing their spaces with paint and decor. Creativity in home decorating has grown in popularity, especially when it comes to paint. From bold-colored rooms to full-wall murals, more people are leaning toward creating a unique interior with the DIY ease that paint allows. The look is especially loved by those who consider themselves maximalists, a design style that embraces a more is more philosophy.

But for those who may not desire a statement-making paint job, there are some more subtle options. Instead of covering their walls in a bold tone, some homeowners have highlighted the accents by painting the trim around rooms, doors, and windows. What's really exploding in popularity is painting just the edges of an interior door. "Let's say you're not fully maximalist," TikTok user @heygranty says in a video on the platform, "well, how about just the edges for a fun pop of color? This is a really fun idea for interior doors. Just a light strip of color where you least expect it." This design element is ideal for anyone who may not want to commit to painting a full room a certain shade. And since it's so customizable, you can use it in a variety of styles without clashing with the rest of the room's color scheme.

You probably haven't given much thought to the edges of your interior door, which may be the exact reason why you should paint them. This small sliver is the perfect real estate to do something out of the ordinary with your interior decor, whether you consider yourself to be a maximalist or not. You can leave the face of the door a neutral shade and paint the edges so you only get the pop of color once the door is open. It's great if you don't want a room to feel overwhelmed with color or if the rest of the interior color scheme isn't as bright. The shade also doesn't have to be vivid. Use a soft or subtle shade if your color scheme calls for it.

However, for those who like to maximize their decor, bright colors aren't the only options. Many online DIYers are getting creative with how to use door edges to make a statement. Chelsea Zeferina on Instagram created a disco door in her home using self-adhesive disco mirror strips. The final result is a glitzy and shiny finish that catches and reflects light around the room. And @thehexagonalhouse on TikTok used gold leaf to add a pop of glam to her door edges. These unique spins on this new trend create an even more customized design. 

Anyone could undertake this DIY project on a weekend with the right painting supplies. While choosing the right color for the door edges may be at the forefront of your mind, deciding upon the kind of paint should be the next consideration. Latex-based types are popular because they're quick-drying, durable, and resist yellowing with time. Oil-based paint takes longer to dry but has the advantage of providing a smooth surface because of its self-leveling properties. Most interior doors are made of engineered or solid wood, and both oil-based and water-based paints will work on these surfaces. However, for doors that get a lot of use or may be exposed to moisture such as in the bathroom, oil-based paint is a better choice.

You should also consider whether the door has had a previous paint job. Oil-based paints won't do well when painted over water-based paints, though water-based can be painted on top of oil-based types. However, in general, it's best to stick with the same paint base whenever possible.

The actual paint job can be completed relatively quickly. Start by placing painter's tape on the faces of the door as close to the edge as possible. This will create clean lines and ensure that paint doesn't get where it shouldn't be. With a small detail brush, paint the color on just the interior edges. Keep the door open while it dries to avoid transferring smudges of color onto the door frame.