Metal doors can look rustic and beautiful in their own right, however, wooden doors are part of a classic, antique feel when it comes to your home’s design. This is because most home architectures made use of wood as a beautiful front door. This does not mean that this antique look can only be exclusive to wooden doors. In this article, we will learn more about painting a metal door to look like a gorgeous antique panelled door!
Gathering the right materials
It is always important to start any task by gathering the proper materials that can help give you the look that you desire. Get yourself a nice paintbrush, preferably 2 ½ inches, and the right set of paint colours that could help match the feel of your house. Instead of the stained look, we would go towards a Victorian style using bold colours for the metal door. Choose the colour you would like your door to have first, then it would be better to get another paint in the colour of the wood. This would help it look more authentic. You should also get a sprayer for the blending technique we will do later.
You might also want to check out: Restoring A Front Door: Reviving A Worn Down Door By Repainting
Prime your door
Get a good primer and prime your door. This would make sure that the colour will stick well to your metal door. Sometime after priming, you can now start painting!
Mixing the colours well
Aside from the technique used in this section, it is also recommended to have a good set of matching colours to blend. Check out tones you would like to appear in different lightings and times of the day. We should also paint in the direction of the grain, as shown by the image below. Let us start painting using the brown colour.

- Paint in sections you would like the wood to appear as if the paint is fading and the stain is starting to show. Use a dry brush to mimic a wood-grain feel and paint thinly across the door.
- Wait for a couple of minutes or less, ensuring the paint does not dry, then spray a spritz of water to the painted sections.
- After spraying with water, brush the paint again across the surface.
- Repeat these steps with the actual colour you would like your door to have.
Hopefully, with the combination of the right colours and technique, you can get your metal door to look antique with simply painting. Do not be afraid to mix the colours so that the old door vibe would really pop. Add some more antique designs and furniture around it and voila! You have yourself that antique wooden door you have always wanted!
You might also be interested in: Three Basic Ways To Create a Stunning Front Door

Pieter Boyce
Wooden Window and Door Specialist
This article was written on behalf of The Wooden Door Company by Pieter Boyce. Pieter has an intense passion for English Architectural history and has been specialising in the conservation of original wooden windows and doors for decades. His exceptional knowledge of timber windows and doors, both listed or non-listed, is attributed to his hands-on approach to learning all aspects of the complete restoration of original features as well as having personally surveyed thousands of items throughout his long tenure as a head surveyor for one of the largest window and door restoration companies in the UK. He now runs a boutique wooden window and door consultancy and fervently champions the retention of original windows and doors. To learn more of Pieter’s services, visit his website at www.boultonboyce.co.uk.