Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To hate my new build orangey doors?

89 replies

Diy322 · 21/09/2025 22:03

I hate them but people are telling me it’s high quality wood and I should leave it alone. I’ve been looking at social media and YouTube tutorials for inspiration and lots of people commenting in other peoples posts about how tacky their doors look with paint and how the natural wood looked lovely! I personally like the after look. So my question is will painting the doors make them look cheap and tacky? I’m thinking either black or a beige colour, here is what they look like right now:

p.s. the picture I’ve just uploaded doesn’t reflect the real door colour for some reason! I’ve taken loads but it’s actually really orange in real life here it looks more muted.

To hate my new build orangey doors?
OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
Original poster
Diy322 · 21/09/2025 22:26

So this is what I’m hoping to achieve - can this be done with stain only? Would it have to be paint? The picture below is taken from a video online the before was exactly the same colour as my door and this is the after which I absolutely love:

To hate my new build orangey doors?
OP posts:
Chiefangel · 21/09/2025 22:24

I would just oil stain them. Then you’re also protecting the wood as well.

Original poster
Diy322 · 21/09/2025 22:23

@boobot1 are you able to show any pics please? In terms of prep do you mean sanding, cleaning throughly then primer then paint?

OP posts:
boobot1 · 21/09/2025 22:21

Diy322 · 21/09/2025 22:14

Some tik tok videos I’ve been watching with similar doors and the transformation is amazing! But I’m scared to do as not sure if I could do it,

Ive painted doors like this and they look fine painted. Put in the work on the prep though.

CandelabraCat · 21/09/2025 22:17

They look like decent quality doors! I don’t think they’d look good painted.

Original poster
Diy322 · 21/09/2025 22:14

Some tik tok videos I’ve been watching with similar doors and the transformation is amazing! But I’m scared to do as not sure if I could do it,

OP posts:
CoheedandCambria · 21/09/2025 22:14

ThreePointOneFourOneFiveNine · 21/09/2025 22:12

Or maybe try some sort of treatment on the wood rather than paint.

Yes you can get wood stains that can make a big difference. You would have to sand them first but you'd have to do that for painting them anyway.

Mischance · 21/09/2025 22:14

Stain them

ThreePointOneFourOneFiveNine · 21/09/2025 22:14

Cross posted, they look like teak to me. It fades quite quickly in garden furniture if you don’t keep oiling it. Mines gone silver. It will be different indoors though.

ThreePointOneFourOneFiveNine · 21/09/2025 22:12

Or maybe try some sort of treatment on the wood rather than paint.

ThreePointOneFourOneFiveNine · 21/09/2025 22:12

I don’t think those will look very good painted. As pp said, if you really don’t like them, replace the doors rather than paint them. Depending on how long you’ve been in the house, I’d try to live with them for a while and see if they grow on you or they fade nicely. If they’re teak they will fade.

Original poster
Diy322 · 21/09/2025 22:11

@ninjahamster i like the doors they’re heavy and not hollow but it’s just the colour I don’t like I feel they look cheap. Buying similar doors would be expensive. What even are they are they oak?

OP posts:
ninjahamster · 21/09/2025 22:05

I don’t think I would paint them. I think painted they would look cheap. Could you not replace them if you really don’t like them?

Original poster
Diy322 · 21/09/2025 22:05

The doors are like this in every single room! I can put up with upstairs but the hallway I feel I need to make it look better and it looks really awful. DH has no opinion other than everyone else has same doors! Which is true but it really bothers me m. I feel it doesn’t look cosy and I hate my hallway

OP posts: