New Front Door Trim

When we built our home, we wanted somewhat of a colonial look on the outside. I thought that would be easy..all I had to do was buy one of those beautiful door surrounds and paint it white. What I didn't realize was just how expensive those surrounds can be.

Once again, trying to make me happy, Mr. Amazing created me one out of pieces of woodwork nailed and glued together...if I remember right he used about six different types of boards to make this.

This is our daughter on her wedding day in front of the entry door to our home.

He was able to purchase all the lumber he needed at our local Home Depot, but the side boards were once again a bit expensive. Not willing to waiver on the design, he had to come up with a plan. He purchased plain 1x8 boards and decided to router the design himself.

Now many years later I am trying to make the house more beach cottage looking than colonial and he is trying to make the house more maintenance free...

It was time to change the door molding.

He decided to go with a PVC product that requires very little care. The problem was the boards were just a bit plain looking for me.

We had no idea if the router would work on the PVC, but what did we have to lose?

It cut like butter...and better yet ...needed no sanding.

This is our new...maintenance free...updated...door surround.



I am so excited...once again Mr. Amazing came through for me...

What do you think of the new design? Have you ever decorated with PVC?

Painting All the Molding

When you love molding as much as I do, someone in the house ends up getting very good at painting it. That would be Mr. Amazing in our home. Over the years he has learned a few things that I thought I would share with you.


1. Pay extra and get the more expensive brush. After years of pulling brush bristles out of his paint job he finally bought a good brush a few years ago and would never go back.

2. Use cloth drop clothes instead of those blue tarps. Drops of paint dry faster on the drop clothes and you are less likely to step in wet paint and track it through your house.


3. Always paint in good light. Since Mr.  Amazing has a day job, much of his painting gets done at night. You can see a picture of the light he uses in this post.

4. Use semi gloss on trim. Gloss is just too shiny and you won't be happy when you are done...learned this the hard way.


5. Oil base paint is more forgiving on covering up brush strokes and is more durable longer term. If you decide to go this route, please ventilate the room well.

6. If you are not the trim painter in the family make sure you "ooooh" and "aaaah" a lot...it will help you get more molding in the future.