How to Paint a Front Door the Right Way -- and 6 Tips to Keep Your Renovation on Budget

About this episode

Dan discusses current exterior paint trends, shares budgeting tips for renovations, and provides a guide on painting a front door.

Episode Summary Dan opens with something that might ruffle a few feathers: gray exterior paint has had a long run, and it's starting to show. He talks about where the design world seems to be heading instead. Then he takes a detour into the surprisingly long and interesting story of how the tape measure came to be. From there, he walks through six practical budgeting tips for anyone with a renovation project on the horizon. And he closes out with a solid how-to on painting a front door, including one trick most people don't know that can save you from a really frustrating result. In This Episode [00:00] -- Is Gray Going Out? Exterior Color Trends Right Now [05:27] -- The Surprisingly Long History of the Tape Measure [18:43] -- Six Budgeting Tips to Keep Your Renovation on Track [34:30] -- How to Paint Your Front Door the Right Way Segment 1: Is Gray Going Out? Exterior Color Trends Right Now [00:00] Why Gray Took Over [00:50] Dan opens with a mild provocation: if you're thinking about painting the exterior of your home this year, gray might not be the move it used to be. Not because it looks bad -- it doesn't -- but because it's become the default. Drive through almost any…

People in this episode

Host: Dan Hansen

Topics covered

• exterior paint trends
• budgeting tips
• home renovation
• painting techniques
• tape measure history

Keywords

• gray paint
• home exterior
• renovation budget
• painting front door
• tape measure history

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: RepcoLite Paints

More episodes of Home In Progress

• The Man Who Built Fairy-Tale Houses: Earl Young and the Charlevoix Mushroom Houses · June 11, 2026 · 48 min
• What Color Should I Paint My House? A Step-by-Step Framework for Getting It Right · June 4, 2026 · 40 min
• 5 Can't-Lose Home Improvement Projects for Your Forever Home · May 21, 2026 · 40 min
• America's Pettiest Houses, Two-Tone Cabinet Secrets, and Why Your Deck Coating Is Doing It Wrong · May 16, 2026 · 49 min
• Dead Animal Smells, Art Deco, and the Secret Life of Paint Finish · May 9, 2026 · 40 min
• Household Odor Removal Tips and the Timeless Style of Art Deco · May 2, 2026 · 40 min