First time with a wood door. I've always had a painted fiberglass one. My husband wants it stained a medium wood color but I am not fond of that color being on the inside of the house. Do people stain/paint the inside different colors?? I wanted the inside of our home to be light and bright and it seems the darker stain would be "too heavy" for the inside. Ideas?
You can definitely do different shades of paint/stain from one side of the door to the other. It's done all the time.
added: I forgot to mention you paint the edges and faces etc, the same color as the trim in the room it opens into. So for an exterior door the edge with the hinges would be stained like the outside of the door and the edge by the doorknob that opens into the house would be painted like the interior of the door.
The outside of my front door is red and the inside is an off white shade that goes with the wainscoting. Most people I know have a different exterior color than interior color.
Your doors should usually be the same color inside for continuity. What color are the other doors in your house?
And yes, inside and outside can be different, and usually are. Good advice about the edges below.
My interior doors, windows and trim are all stained wood, so the interiors of my exterior doors are also stained wood. However, the exterior of my front door is red and the exterior of my mudroom door is cream. Just paint it to match your existing interior windows, doors and trim color scheme.
I have done a two tone front door before. I stained the outside a deep, mahogany red, (think old English Pub) and the inside a different color. It was stunning.
Ditto Michelle re: the edge color.
Stain one side and paint the interior. Just remember, a wood door needs to be painted on 6 sides every year or two. When the salesman told me that, I said fiberglass, please!
I bet it's beautiful.
