When DIY goes oh-so-wrong

June 07, 2011

This is the story of a fun, free DIY project gone very, very wrong.

It has a happy ending, thankfully.

It was ALL my fault, and there may have been a few tears because of that. :)

It started with my love of black interior doors. I’ve been smitten with them for years now, but I’ve always been just a teensy scared to get out the paint brush.

But then I noticed a trend in some of my pictures I had saved:

tommy symthe kitchen

(Tommy Smythe’s amazing kitchen.)

And this one:

image

THIS one!:

image

OK, those aren’t doors, but whatever, they’re gorgeous.

I thought the atrium/french doors were particularly striking in black. 

And then I thought…HUH. I have one of those!:bay window round table

Why don’t I try it?!

Disaster will strike...that is why!

I'm sharing this so you will learn from my mistake.

I figured it would be super easy – I would just take the plastic grid off and spray paint it, then paint the door. That way I wouldn’t have to worry about taping and cutting in and all that jazz.

I took the grid off the door:

I couldn’t get the little jobbies that cover the screws out, so I used a drill bit and screwed it into them to pull them out:

It worked great!

They were ruined, obviously, but I figured a few bucks for new ones wouldn’t be a biggie since this was going to be a FREE project.

Ha.

I noticed a couple things when I took the grid off – one was that some water had had seeped in through the door at the bottom somehow:

I made a mental note to use some silicone to seal it up real well when I put the grid back on.

Then I noticed that the window was a little loose. I realized that the screws that went into the interior plastic grid held the whole thing together.

But there was a bead of silicone or glue that was used when it was installed, so it was still secure.

"Huh," thought me. "I should be a little gentle while painting this."

You see where this is going.

I went out to the garage for just a few minutes to spray prime the plastic grid.

I came back in to this:


Did you catch that?

Here you go:

cry.

That would the glass in a meeeeellion pieces. A hole in our door. A hole in our HOUSE.

I think I was in shock. I didn’t hear it happen. I had no idea.

In the few minutes I was out in the garage, the wind had picked up just a bit. A storm that was supposed to go over us was heading our way.

FANTASTIC. 

Massive storm coming, and I have a HOLE IN MY HOUSE.

Think Sarah…THINK!

I grabbed some trash bags and some duct tape to start covering the hole:

Just in time for it to start POURING.

I called a few hardware stores, thinking I could just go pick up a replacement window. Easy, right?

Nope. NO ONE carries them. They are special order. A week at the very least.

Did I mention it’s pouring?

Or that our power went out about ten times while I was on the phone with the hardware stores?

I was laughing hysterically, just so I wouldn’t cry.

Did I mention my husband wasn’t home?

I decided I would just have to buy a new door. So I texted him and while trying not to freak him out, told him WE HAVE A HOLE IN OUR HOUSE, (and a picture of it) so come home, like now.

Or something.

My sweet husband, the most patient man I know, just said, “Coming home now. Don’t worry honey, as long as you’re OK, it’s no big deal.”

Did his miss the HOLE part?

I needed him to come home cause I wasn’t going to leave the house with plastic covering the door. Hello – come on in and take anything!

But when I called to get pricing, I realized something. You can’t buy just a steel door – they come with the actual door framing. That is a big DIY project. It would mean taking our whole frame out, replacing it, then reinstalling the door.

That’s when I started to panic a little. :)

Thankfully we have a small overhang over our door, so it wasn’t getting super wet. We were able to tape up some lawn trash bags on the outside. It was pretty airtight.

But I wouldn’t call it secure

At 10 p.m. we started screwing in plywood boards from the inside:

From the inside is key here, you don't want access to the screws on the outside. It made us feel a lot better – even if it wasn’t the most secure job ever.

Notice the extra boards leaned up against the door, to keep out the crazies.

(We don’t have a plethora of crazies around here, but you dream up quite a bit of them when there’s a hole in your house.)

Long story short – we called no less than 20 businesses, and not ONE carried the window insert. I couldn't believe it – we were going to have to wait a week for the order to come in, when it would take five minutes to install a new one if we could just find it!

I was on my way to Menard’s to order the insert the next day when I got a call back from a place I had left a message with this night before. No, they didn’t have it, but she gave me a number for a lumber supply company that might.

I didn't think that was likely, but I called anyway. And they HAD IT. With delivery, it was half what we would have paid at Menards.

All in all it was a $90 mistake, for the insert and delivery.

And because I had already primed the door, I had to finish the job.

I love, love, LOVE it:

black atrium door
See how to paint a door here.

It is SO sharp looking! Oh my, why did it take me so long to do this?

Don’t answer that.

Was it worth it? I think so...now.

Here’s the bay window before:

image

The door just kind of disappeared.

And now it POPS!:

black interior door

I like how it kind of balances the black pantry door too. I absolutely love it!

I BETTER.

Had any major DIY catastrophes at your place? Please share. Make me feel better. :)

**Thank you to Marty at Hall and House in Westfield, Indiana! Thanks for your help!

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Comments

  1. WOW!!! Sounds like something that I would do.... I have been drawn to the whole black-door thing too, but I have been hesitant to do it. I even looked at new doors today at Lowes... anyhoo... I am glad that I looked at this post. So sorry that this happened, but IT LOOKS BEAUTIFUL all finished! Great job!!!

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  2. No major disasters for me...yet :) The door looks fantastic!

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  3. Ooohhhh yeah.... I've done that. Whoops. Thankfully it was small- just the crescent shaped tiny window in our front door that I practically THREW onto the ground when I didn't realize how loose it was, but the frame left a cute (snort) little hole in our metal threshold... that's still there 3 years later... ha.

    So no fear! You are not alone!

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  4. Despite the accident, you ended up with a pretty darn good lookin' door! I'm not sure what I would have done after seeing all that glass. Quick thinking to use the trash bags! Your kitchen is looking fabulous!

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  5. "OH MY GOSH!" was all I could say reading that! There are no other words sufficient enough.
    I would have been horrified... but it does look fantastic so you win!

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  6. What a nightmare! but it did come out fantastic!!

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  7. I rarely DIY because I'm so afraid of having a huge catastrophe! I really want to do something drastic to my kitchen floors but I don't want to ruin them!
    But the door really does pop now,

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  8. I am glad you are so happy with the finished product. The hilarious part (to me!) is that you stopped to take a picture of the disaster! I would have been too busy hiding the evidence. ;-)

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  9. I LOVE your new door and laughed throughout your entire post! (FYI: I did feel so bad for you but I had to laugh because that is so something that would happen to me!) Thanks for the laugh and it definitely looks like your door was worth it...beautiful! =)

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  10. Oh no...but so glad it turned out to be a happy accident!

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  11. Oh my! Sounds like some of my luck! I don't think my hubby would be as understanding. He would say, "Why didn't you just leave it alone? It was fine just the way it was!" I DO have those doors in several places. Now I want to paint them black. Thanks for showing your mistake so that we won't have to repeat it. Yours looks great!

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  12. SOOO glad it all worked out and everyone is okay! Looks fantastic!!

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  13. Poor thing! I hate to say it, but I think you should do the windows around it too!
    Stacy

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  14. It looks amazing!!! I've been thinking about painting the inside of my front door black. Can you paint a metal builder grade door?

    Love your blog! Michele

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  15. I'm sorry, that sounds like something that would happen to me! It sure does look pretty! :)

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  16. That was like reading a mystery thriller...I was reading every word so fast to get to the ending to see the results! It looks awesome, though! What a big difference in how the room looks by changing the color from white to black. Like you say, "it pops!"

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  17. I would have been in pieces just like the window! Holy crap! I'm glad you found a replacement and that black door is so striking now!

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  18. just getting started with my DIY projects for summer. But I do have one involving some bar stools. I refinished them last summer, but did not seal them. Kiddo's have thrashed them. They need to be redone.

    The door looks amazing. Love the black.

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  19. DIY disaster aside...the door is STUNNING! I mean, seriously, knock you off your feet, wowser, amazing STUNNING!

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  20. Oh you poor thing. BUT, the door looks fabulous! I have to agree, I think the windows could use some love, too, but only if you're sure you can come out un-traumatized!

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  21. That was funny but I'm sure you didn't think so (and probably still don't) when you were going through it. My husband broke our perfectly fine toilet tank when installing beadboard in the bathroom and it cost us around $60 to replace. I feel your pain girl but it does look GREAT!
    -Desiree

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  22. I LOVE it! The brass looks great against the black! Just think it could have been much worse - your hub is right at least you weren't hurt. Now - what kind of paint did you use on that door?

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  23. Oh my word!!! Cracks me up. Your story-telling, not the disaster. :) And you have one awesome husband...there is no telling what mine would have said, but I guarantee it wouldn't have been your hubs' response!

    LOVE the door, oh my! So striking with that pantry door now. Whoot!!

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  24. Yikes - I too would have freaked out! It looks so awesome though! Makes we want to paint mine black too (shhhh, don't tell the husband).

    Speaking of the husband, when we first bought our house we had to do a ton of cleaning and repairs. He was cleaning the shower door by replacing all of the clear plastic seals because they were nearly black with mildew and Lord knows what else. While he was replacing the bottom seal to the frameless door he shattered the entire thing. When I first started calling we were looking at several hundred dollars. Fortunately we were able to get it replace for around $60. Things happen I guess.

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  25. OMG What a catastrophic event. I think I would have just died. to try and do something...low budget and it ends up costing a whole lot more!!!!DIY Disaster... It was well worth it. I love it. hope the hubby likes it too!!!!
    keep it up!
    Caroline

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  26. I would dare say that it was all worth it! Great job!

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  27. I got a tiny bit of anxiety just looking at the broken glass. Wow. The door looks great though!

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  28. I love you... you complete us.. that is all.

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  29. My husband is wondering why I'm laughing so hard so I explain to him and he says it sounds like something that happens to me all the time. A simple job that should take just an hour ends up taking a week to finish! I'm glad it turned out all right and it does look fantastic!

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  30. Oh my word, that is hilarious. I am sorry, but I literally laughed out loud. Mainly because I can see myself doing such a thing!! It looks WONDERFUL now though! ;)

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  31. I appreciate that you share your mistakes as well as your triumphs. Just this past week I tried painting our outdoor lights. When I told my hubby my plans, he said something like, "it will cost a fortune if we have to replace all the lights". Meaning that I would ruin them. Well, I thought, I'll just show him! After painting one,I tried putting it back together when the glass fell out and broke. You can imagine the horrible feeling I had. Then I did have to replace them all so they would match. It turned out ok because I found an awesome deal at Lowe's. Anyway, we all have disasters and I love the way yours turned out! I love your blog and I feel like you are a good friend even though you don't know me. Thanks!

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  32. LOVE it! I painted my back french doors chocolate brown, and I still sit and stare at it. I just love it!!!! But I do have to say, thank you for making me laugh out loud!!! Funny story...maybe not as funny to you, but totally funny to me!! :-)

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  33. Wow!! What a story! I love how it all turned out. The door looks amazing with your black table and pantry door.

    I can totally relate to how you felt! Here's my disaster diy: My husband and I decided to install beadboard in our kitchen and husband was super excited to use his new handy dandy automatic nail gun. We first bought the pre-painted white plastic-y beadboard and as soon as it went up I decided I hated it and wanted the real wood and would paint it myself. So after about a week we went back to the job to remove the board we had already put up. A few nails were stuck in the wall so we started pulling them out with plyers-one in particular was giving us a tough time-when it finally came out a flood of water shot across the room and the small nail hole got larger and larger until water was spewing out of a softball sized hole in our wall!!!! PANIC! In the end we fixed it ourselves and all worked out fine-just a minor set back ;)

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  34. It looks wonderful! I hope that someday I am able to decorate the way I truly want. I currently live in a rental, but I have painted. :)

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  35. My husband would have had a heart attack!! :) I love how it came out. It's beautiful!

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  36. It looks great. And I am glad the crazies didn't get you!

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  37. OH MY GOODNESS!! You poor thing- I would've FREAKED!!! Oh and the door painted black?? A-MAZ-ING!!

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  38. Bless your heart! It is pretty funny, but I'm sure it was less than funny at the time. I would have been FREAKING OUT!!!! It looks AMAZING though. I'm totally inspired! BTW, do you mind me asking where you found the fork and spoon hanging above the other door??

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  39. Oh my... you poor thing. Well at least you got what you wanted in the end. It looks fantastic. ;)

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  40. OOOOH, I love the black! I don't love that story to go with it! Definitely sounds like something that would have happened to me. Painting door black just got added to my to do list, with a note to self, not to remove the screws that hold the glass in! Thanks for sharing!

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  41. It really does pop though... totally worth all the drama! That does sound awefully stressful though. Maybe I need to paint my kitchen door?

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  42. Oh goodness! That is dramatic. Your poor door! It turned out great though, and at least this serves as a warning for DIY's in the future!

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  43. Wow! That was crazy! But the end result looks great!

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  44. OMG, I'm still laughing . . .not at your pain . . .really . . . they say you have to laugh, to keep from crying. It just seem like something that would happen to me.

    Glad it turned out well in the end. It does look MARVELOUS!

    Angela @ honeydewproductions.blogspot

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  45. Should it ever happen again, God forbid, maybe Habitat would have one, if you have one of those stores there. Looks great, now!

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  46. Sara, this cracks me up! I'm so sorry for all of your stress and crazy scares but I am thinking with all you have done in the house hubby couldn't be upset, you are still ahead! It does look great, you got me looking. Here's the thing I took my grid off years ago, I am wondering how my window has stayed in all this time?

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  47. That's a doosey of a story. I'm so sorry that happened to you. We have not had anything quite so bad, but it seems that every project we try gets messed up and takes ages.

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  48. I was laughing as I read your post - not at you but knowing what was coming as I continued to read. I think all of us have been there, done that. Your kitchen looks amazing!

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  49. I left the umbrella in my nice patio table when a storm picked up. Next thing I knew my table looked just like your window - a GAZILLION pieces of glass everywhere. Want to know what is even worse?? That was the 2nd time it had happened. You would think I WOULD learn!!!! We now have an all wood patio table :-)

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  50. It really looks beautiful!!! Sorry about the drama though! That's not any fun!

    Does it make it any more worth it if you know that it helps us feel better about our mistakes to know it can happen to the best of us?

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  51. Okay this is freakkkking hilarious! I was dying laughing! You are hysterical!

    Here's my favorite part. Ready?

    I love that in your state of panic, managed to take pictures of the whole thing so we (your thrifties, squeezies, etc) didn't miss out on the amazingness/drama!

    You are awesome. The black is awesomesauce!

    LOVE.

    XO, Mallory
    www.classyclutter.blogspot.com

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  52. That was just too funny... you crack me up. i have had way too many of those moments to even share. It's embarassing, really.

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  53. So before I got past the photo of you with the window stays in your hand, my hand was covering my mouth, *KNOWING* what was coming next. You make a potential disaster hilarious (of course, after the fact with lots and lots of perspective and zero crazies). Oh ya, I've had some doozies too - standing on a sofa to adjust a curtain rod and BUSTING the whole sofa cause I stood in the exact WRONG spot (who knew THAT existed?). Laughing about it is the best antidote for sure. And for me, learning what NOT to do is sometimes better than what to do.

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  54. Okay - that was one good laugh to start my day! I'm just sorry at was at your expense. :( But, showing the good with the bad is the reason I keep coming back to your blog. If you were perfect, I couldn't stand you and would move on - ha! Oh - I actually forwarded a link of this to the "DIY men in my life," namely my husband, a friend of ours, and my Dad. I know they'll crack-up too. Thanks for posting.

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  55. First of all, I'm so sorry you had all that trouble, but it did come out fantastic in the long run!
    Secondly, that is sooo something that would happen to me... Sometimes when I start something I end up making so much more work for myself.
    BTW I'm painting my door black this weekend but it isn't a French door. Hopefully I'll have better luck!
    Susan

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  56. This sounds SOOO like something I would do. Though I think your hubby probably handled it a little better than mine might have! :) I think it looks AMAZING!

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  57. Like the others, I think your door looks amazing. And like a couple of other commenters, I think you should paint the windows too.

    I just hope you remember the lady that sent you to the local lumber yard. I'd make a personal visit to her with a Thank You note and some flowers, or candy, or a homemade item (since you make such beautiful things). Let her know how much you appreciate her remembering you and going out of her way to look your number up and call you to recommend a place for you to go. And $60!!! Much less than I thought it would be. She did good!!!! And so did you.

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  58. Way back in 1972 when I was first married, I decided I could texture our ceiling to cover a little crack that bothered me. Those (now hideous!) textured ceilings were all the rage and i'd tackle my first DIY! I started rolling it on, smiling at the awesomeness of it. I got about 3/4 done when it started falling off in big globs! I panicked and called every painter in the area to ask if they could come fix it before my hubs got home! Nada! He didn't freak out too bad. We ended up having to scrape it all off, sand the ceiling (picture the goggles, cowboy bandanas on our faces and him holding the sander over his head for hours!). Then redoing the whole process! But we'll celebrate our 39th anniversary in a couple weeks, and we still laugh about that one!

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  59. It's absolutely gorgeos. I, too, love black anything. I also loved the story. It's so good to hear that other people make mistakes as well. thankfully, they usually turn out better than before. Great job!

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  60. Oh Girl! Your story brought tears to my eyes! First sad tears, then happy ones hearing the way your husband handled it, and for the beautiful outcome! I was reading this post to my hysband and he was asking me why I was getting so choked up and I told him how touching it was the way yours handled the bad news. A lesson for all husbands married to such talented, DIY Dare-devils! NEVER stop tackling those new ideas/projects, all the good results FAR outweighs the few minor setbacks. Thanks again for all your inspiration, and a BIG HUG to the Hubs!
    Jules

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  61. OMG, I was laughing until I cried......I know, its not funny. But it kinda is.....that sounds exactly like what would happen to me.
    But I can't believe it only cost 90 bucks??? How did ya do that? I love the final result but the way you told the story was so funny.....I will be laughing the rest of the day and for that, thank you. :)

    Kari

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  62. I love the black door but I would suggest you install a keyed deadbolt since the crazies can access a turn deadbolt by a glass window. Just a suggestion.

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  63. I have been admiring black doors for a while and yours looks fantastic! If I paint mine, I'll be sure to do it early on a clear day!

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  64. Oh man - I would have been freaking, luck for me my hub's is like yours and would have reacted the same way! The door looks AMAZING! Maybe I'll try it on my french doors to my Master bedroom! I've only destroyed small projects so far - but, when it happens it's so ANNOYING. Thanks for sharing!

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  65. Oh Sarah, I feel for you... I live down the street form you and I know that your home is built better than mine... that should have never happened... I painted the inside of my doors the same as what I painted the cabinets and I thought to take it apart like you did But every time I go to do something in my home it turns into this kinda of thing... But I can tell you that I love the different color.. gives it a finished look..love yours..

    Pattie

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  66. Heehee! I love this b/c this is totally something I'd do. You make me feel better :-) I love the new look though! Looks awesome.

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  67. I'm glad to hear that bad DIY isn't just happening to me! And the black looks awesome, so worth it.

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  68. Shoot, even with your DIY disaster story I now want to paint my back door black to go with my yet-to-be-repainted-black kitchen island and yet-to-be-painted-black kitchen table. Amazing how this stuff snowballs, isn't it?

    Well done! and really, it was worth it, right?

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  69. Glad you were able to maintain find some humor out of this situation. Not so sure I would have.

    ~Sally

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  70. Yikes! We had to intentionally break a window to get into our house after locking ourselves out on the back deck. For some reason, our doors will open even though they are locked, and we forget to check the outside knob to be sure they're unlocked.... Hate these door knobs (schlage- why, why, why!) We bought them new just over a year ago, so no, we aren't replacing them. ~sigh~

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  71. It was great that you were able to laugh during the process and the door looks AMAZING! I love it!

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  72. I bet a mom with kids thought up this black door business: fingerprints won't show! i love that part of it for sure. And I think we all have projects we would like to forget. One day I pulled all the paneling off our den walls . . .

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  73. Wow! Your door looks amazing! Gee, your husband is a saint. I would still be listening to the 'talk' from mine.
    I once tired to fix a rattle in the dishwasher & totally messed it up. That was okay cuz when the repairman came, I said my husband tried to fix it while I rolled my eyes. I know, I am awful.

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  74. You poor thing!!! I can only imagine your reaction when you saw that. It turned out amazing though!

    I didn't have a DIY fail recently, but what you did is totally something that would've happened to me. And of course, I only would have attempted it when my husband was gone! My 'Lucy' moment came a few weeks ago when I decided to hang a huge frame in my daughter's room. I went to the garage to get some screws and anchors. My husband parks his car really close to the wall (we have a tight 2 car garage) so I had to back it out to get to the screws. When I backed it out, i hit the house! No damage to the house thankfully, but I noticed a piece of the car on the ground! My husband (a police officer) was at work. My first instinct was to fix it and not tell him. Um yeah....not my best moment. Don't know what i was thinking...i felt like a kid who was going to get into trouble. So the only thing I could think was to HOT GLUE it back on! (It was the plastic molding around the wheel area on a Ford Escape). So I hot glued it. Then sense got the better of me and I fessed up. He was very good about it (although he may have shaken his head and muttered 'women!' haha). I figured he would have a better idea about how to fix it (like some really good automotive adhesive, rather than hot glue which probably isn't too weather resistant!) The funny thing is, it's still hot glued onto the car. haha

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  75. The biggest DIY disaster at our house: my husband, in trying to fix a broken line on the water heater, fell through the ceiling. Twice. In one day. You can see it here: http://6dukes.blogspot.com/2008/08/not-best-day.html

    I LOVE your story. I'm so sorry it all happened but your door really is awesome looking and your husband really is a saint.

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  76. I think it's awesome that in the midst of the chaos, you thought to grab your camera! Thanks for sharing that it's not all sunshine and rainbows.

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  77. Nice to know that I am not the only one that stuff like this happens too! The door looks amazing! Way better than the white!

    Tiffany {Living Savvy}
    www.savvydesignwest.com

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  78. Wow - that is quite a catastrophe. Can't say I have a story that matches that. But as we've gotten more handy, I'm sure one will come along.
    I love the way the door looks. I will keep that in mind for when we do our kitchen. And I don't have to take anything off to paint it - so I should be safe!

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  79. Oh my gosh! I would have had a complete meltdown, breakdown, get down. But girl, it is gorgeous!!!!! So worth the stress (now, right?!) and yes it matches the pantry door in a most delightful way! Do you think God gives us crazy decorating women ultra patient husbands, cuz He knew we'd need that kind :)

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  80. Oh my...I am sorry that you went through so much, but it is beautiful! At least you have a conversation piece! Those stories make the best memories! A beautiful door and a great story to boot. It is a great story now, but at the time it wasnt. This has made my morning! I hate to say this, but I laughed histerically! The way you wrote this was funny. HOLE people! Bahahaahhah! Cracked me up! I would have been the same way! Well sometimes to get what you want, it takes a great suffering...really! Thanks for the great story and sharing it will the whole world!

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  81. When we were in our early years of marriage I thought I could clean the gunk out of the shower by removing the walls. It was a sectioned shower piece. I thought I could just put it back together like it came apart. Nope, not such luck. I ended up with a new shower. It was our only bathroom at the time. Thankfully my hubby is calm and cool like yours. Your door looks great now.

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  82. When tiling my bathroom floor to save money, I had to remove the toilet. So the first thing I did was turn off the water and unscrewed it. Turns out the water turner offer was broken and it didn't turn off. Turns out it is really hard to screw the hose back on while water is shooting out. Turns out bathrooms and the bedrooms beside them flood pretty fast. But thankfully I did wind up getting it back on and the only permanent damage once the carpet dried was a spot on the wall where the texture came off because it was wet. A reminder that plumbing isn't a do it yourself kind of job. Oh and to have the plumber come in and fix the broken spigot and remove the toilet was $350.

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  83. sorry you had to go through all that! but at least there's a brighter side...your door looks great!

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  84. Oh no! I saw your post on Twitter this weekend and said a little prayer for your sanity. You poor thing! Although, if this makes you feel any better - I was planning on doing the same thing with our door and windows that are just like yours. (not paint them black, but just clean them up a bit with some new paint) and I am SO, SO thankful you shared this information BEFORE I started on that project! Your trials definitely helped me!
    Your door is gorgeous btw and I LOVE the black too!!
    Glad all is well now!

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  85. I've followed your blog for awhile and love it, but never commented, until now! This was such a funny post and totally proved that 1) you are real and 2) your DIY is real because this is what happens to US! thank you for sharing your troubles as well as your successes! My own DIY disaster was in my first little house where I wanted to put down some new vinyl tiles in the bathroom. Simple, right? Fast forward to me standing in the bathroom, looking at the basement through the giant hole in the floor. Water damage had taken it's toll and I had to figure out how to fix the hole (I only owned hand tools) and put down the new tiles, all while keeping the vanity, and myself from falling through the hole! It ended well, but was a definite learning experience! Thanks again for sharing!

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  86. Thanks for sharing your disaster...now I can reference it to my hubby during mine! :) Your door looks amazing and well worth the headache!

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  87. Oh my gosh, Sarah! That is horrible and hilarious all at the same time. So glad you had the presence of mind to grab your camera :-) I've been wanting to paint my kitchen french door black, too. My problem is that the grid is between the glass panes and I've been trying to figure out how to get to those. Yeah, probably should let that one go! Yours turned out great!!
    Ruth

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  88. ROTFLOL BIG TIME! Thank you for the good laugh this morning, your writing style in retelling your misadventure cracked me up so much I was in tears! Especially the crazies, lol! I'm sorry you had to go through all that nonsense, but it makes for a funny tale and your door now looks AMAZING!

    (With our move and renos, we've had a few harrowing tales ourselves, but I'm not laughing about them just yet!)

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  89. What's that? What doesn't kill you makes you stronger?! :) LOL (laughing *With* you, of course.)
    Props to you, Girl, for hanging in there. And, yes, it does look totally gorgeous. I'm looking around my house for doors to paint black...

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  90. OH and I forgot to say one other thing... Yes I wanted to replace mine and it too is a special order.. It's five foot not your standard 6 foot.. the price went form $600.00 to
    $2,700.... I feel your pain girl.

    Pattie

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  91. Gosh, was hyperventilating for you as I read the article! End result -stunning transformation!

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  92. The door looks great! My diy disaster was trying to dye our bedskirt. It was too large for the pot I was using and it ended up looking like tie dye cammo print. I just had to buy a new one.

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  93. Holy Crap!! That's all I could say when I saw that picture. WOW!

    Well, after all that craziness at least it ended well, and I really like the black.

    Oh, and I would totally be freaked out about crazies coming in too.

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  94. Holy moly, girl! What a drama to go through. You know what? I think it was TOTALLY worth it! The door looks amazing! I often say, "If you don't laugh you'll cry". ;)

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  95. Oh Sarah....I am sorry but I was laughing hysterically through that whole story because that is so ME....I wish youhad a picture of your face when you came in from the garage and saw the door for the first time. THAT would have been priceless! LOL
    One question: did you spray the door with black spray paint and if so, what kind? I am going to do this carefully but am curious about what kind of spray paint to use. My doors are currently rolled with OIL based paint in a SW Hopsack.
    Thanks for the laugh and the information!
    Rhonda~

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  96. Hilarious! I love that you had your wits about you enough to take pictures :) Seriously, I was going to take the grid off of our door this weekend to paint it white (they never finished painting it!) and now I'm just going to leave it right there and tape it off. :) You saved me, and that black looks so striking...
    xo

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  97. I'm so sorry that you had such a scare. I actually stared at my computer screen with my mouth gaping open when I saw the glass shattered. So glad that you were able to make lemonaid. It looks great painted black!

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  98. Sounds like a "me". But, WOW! The door looks awesome and now it's got me thinking about my own doors. I will make a mental note to not remove the screws from the plastic grid thingy and go ahead and use the tape, though!

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  99. It looks great! A nice reward for the whole experience! ;-)

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  100. Oh, if I only had the time to list all my DIY disasters... In fact, if I could rename my blog, it might be called, 'I did it myself, and here's I fixed my DIYing' ; ) The new black door looks fantabulous, though!

    ~Kristin

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  101. LOL!!! I can't stop laughing! I soooo needed this, this morning. It turned out fabulous!

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  102. You are a great writer. Love a media that allows you to use pic's to enhance the comedic effect. Guess it wasn't so funny at the time, tho. Agree that you were all shades of brilliant to get pics of the disaster as it happened. You are thinking there, grrl. All for our benefit.
    And yes, I have had some disasters. One, in January, where I was trying to get a long screw out of a piece of wood, (trying to build a coat rack out of some large limbs of a tree..don't ask.) and was using a crowbar instead of something efficient.....Put me on the injured list the rest of the month with my bad back. Duh

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  103. Dood! I felt my face burning for you.....

    A) Your husband should get a medal.
    B) Send Marty's boss a written letter or link to this page and attach a healthy THANK YOU!
    C) You're right, it was worth it, it freakin' rocks.
    D) I was in Canada.....you didn't have to worry about any crazies, just rain :)

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  104. OH.MY.SOUL!!
    Ok, so I generally read your posts in Google Reader (lazy or efficient - you decide!) =)
    Well, MOST days I don't feel like reading all of my blogs - cannot explain then why I keep them, but I do - but I ALWAYS scroll down to see if you have posted cuz I cannot leave it unread! =) I just LOVE all of your ideas and craziness (and I say that with utmost respect!)
    This one had me completely cracking up!! My 6 and 4 yr old sons were getting some good belly laughs too! =)
    So glad you are brave enough to share when things don't go well!
    Oh and I double love the door painted black! =)

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  105. This is probably the most entertaining blog post I have read in a looooong time. The best part is that the door looks a-ma-zing painted black, so it was all (okay, maybe not ALL) worth it!! Thanks for this...

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  106. O.M.Gawsh. You certainly don't scrimp on catastrophies do you! LOL
    Your hub is one in a million!
    Oh, how long did it take to clean up the shattered glass? Probably longer than it took to paint/install door....

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  107. OMGeee, I laughed so hard reading this. Great writing!!! <3 However, I love your doors, love your decor! You are a fav blog!

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  108. THAT STORY made me laugh out loud... What a perfectly awesome funny DIY tale... complete with visual of the crashed door in a gabillion pieces on the ground... priceless!

    Cindy

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  109. I am laughng so hard with you. I havent had anything that big happen (shall I say YET?), but it seems that every project I start, somehow I end up having to get my husband involved and sometimes to finish it. Ughhh, so frustrating. But, Im proud to brag, his last project, I walked in, gave a suggestion and it worked better than his plan. So I guess it goes both ways. LOVE your postings! Keeps me inspired!

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  110. Wow! That is quite the story. had fun reading it. The black looks awesome.

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  111. Major Disasters?
    Lessee.

    Rickety old ladder.
    Cream berber carpet.
    Burgundy paint.
    *Splat*

    Nuff said :)

    BTW - LOVE your new black door!

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  112. Oh man that had me cracking up! It so reminded me of our little door mishap. Picture 20 degrees on a "fall" day in Alaska, early sunset, with a quick trip planned to the little general store. As we hop in the Durango I notice I don't have the keys.... okay who locked the doors on the house. So I decide the glass insert can be easily popped out of the back door.... NOT! Next thing I know there is glass all over the deck and the temperature is dropping. Did I mention no one had on heavy jackets, just light weight polar fleece?

    Thankfully once inside I called Hubby (all our neighbors had gone to town, all two of them!) so he came home. We drove to Fairbanks (an hour way!) to a local hardware store which carried inserts for what seemed like ALL exterior doors. So for well under a $100 we had a new "door", McDonalds for 5, and another house "adventure" to retell! (oh the McDonald's was a BIG deal because it was an hour drive to ANY fast food place from our house. we only had a bar and grill open during the winter in our small town or the dining facility at the base 25 miles south of us!)

    I really LOVE your new door! It has such a presence now!!

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  113. Wow your story sounds like the script from a Lifetime movie! I held my breath all the way down. I'm glad everything turn out for the better. Love the black door.

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  114. Loved this post. I have a friend who painted all her doors black. She would appreciate your story. :)

    PS Black looks glorious!

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  115. Oh thats scary! It came out wonderful though! And I do think it would look AMAZING if you painted the windows black too, just saying :)

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  116. OMG I woud have cried cried and cried some more!! However - the end result is absolutely stunning!!! I love it! so much that I'm thinking of doing it in my kitchen! It's long over do for a redecorating and I just LOVE your kitchen. I might be stealing a lot of your ideas for my kitchen, lol I just wish I had room for an amazing island like you have!

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  117. OMG, what a story! I am so glad it turned out ok, and it does look beautiful!
    Susan

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  118. You are so brave... even in the face of imagined "crazies". Most of us wouldn't even start! Congrats. It is gorgeous.

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  119. This must be the type of thing the hubs pictures when I say I want to do something. It explains the looks I get. I could never be as brave as you. The door looks great.

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  120. Hate when that happens! I recently tiled my bathroom (http://arlingtonmama.blogspot.com/2011/05/bathroom-remodel-update.html), and it ended up costing WAY more than I had budgeted. Such is life! The door looks GREAT, though! I might just paint mine now.

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  121. Wow! What an adventure. But it looks great! :)

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  122. I was horrified while I was reading your story but I am glad everything ends well. The black door looks great!

    Jessie
    www.mixandchic.com

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  123. Doesn't it figure just when you think you have everything planned out perfectly. Well that's one disaster that turned out beautifully in the end. LOVE the door black. I did notice though how the door went to black while the bar stool went to white...lol It all looks fabulous!
    Lisa

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  124. Not painting the window grids folks, sorry.
    1. They are inside the windows, so it's impossible.
    2. I'd have to keep going with every window.
    3. That would be more than 20 windows. Love that look, but not that much. :)

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  125. As I was reading I was thinking, this can't get any worse, yet it did! (Except for the part about your husband--that's awesome).
    The finished project looks great though.

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  126. Wow, I can't imagine the look on your face when you returned from the garage. Glad you are ok and it all ended well. Sarah, your hubby sounds wonderful...definitely a keeper! :)
    Susan

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  127. As long as you're laughing, we're laughing WITH you and not AT you! Great job - the door looks fantastic. (Now. Not so much lying on the ground.)
    Terry
    Domestic Dilettante

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  128. So you have had a meeellion comments on this so what's one more. I hope you don't mind but I laughed and laughed. I know it wasn't funny then but...

    Anyway, it looks wonderful!!! I might have to try that myself. My door looks just like yours with the little plastic things, the grid etc. I think I'll try taping and scraping, though. Thanks for saving my door!

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  129. So you have had a meeellion comments on this so what's one more. I hope you don't mind but I laughed and laughed. I know it wasn't funny then but...

    Anyway, it looks wonderful!!! I might have to try that myself. My door looks just like yours with the little plastic things, the grid etc. I think I'll try taping and scraping, though. Thanks for saving my door!

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  130. I adore that first kitchen.

    Your door disaster is so totally something that I would do. I sometimes think that I am channelling Lucille Ball.

    My latest is dumping an entire bag of fertilizer on the lawn-in one place. yeah.

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  131. When I saw the screws, I just thought you weren't going to be able to put it back together and then my jaw and heart totally dropped when I saw the broken glass!!! SO SORRY!

    I am so glad you found a replacement though! and oh my, IT looks SO beautiful now!!! Gorgeous!

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  132. Ohhhhh, Sarah! What a day. Your husband must be so understanding, mine would have been so mad!
    The door does look great though.

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  133. I call that the "long way" of doing something. Looks Great.

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  134. LMFAO!!! Thats great... not for you, but its a great story! Glad everything worked out and it looks great!

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  135. oh my goodness!!!
    I think I would have lost my stomach on that one - but I am relieved to see it all turned out for the better. The black door DOES look better!!!

    Thanks for keepin it real!!! I tottaly appreciate the honesty!!!

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  136. That's crazy, bless your husband's heart for being so understanding! I'm so glad you didn't get hurt with the glass - yikes! But it does look fantastic! (and I can't believe I didn't know you live by me, I'm in Noblesville) Great redo!

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  137. first of all I NEVER comment.. yes I'm one of those people (she already has 144 comments she doesn't need mine) well need mine or not I loved this DIY +WITH+ a story. Thank you for telling the WHOLE story!

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  138. LOVE the black door! I admire black window and door molding too. Wanted to do it when we built our house but was too chicken. Would have felt more comfortable if I had actually seen it in person in someone's house, but had only seen magazine photos. Next time!

    Oh, and props to the Hoosiers. I grew up in Indy (go Cathedral Irish!) and currently live in Southern IN, across the river from Louisville.

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  139. Sarah, I just gotta say you are brave and you MUST have a sense of humor to know eventually it would be worth telling so you took pics! Letting down the facade of "perfect" is so refreshing. Thanks for the encouragement this brings. And, your final outcome is beautiful!

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  140. That looks great, even if it was a little more frustrating than planned! One weekend when hubby was out of town, I decided I wanted to refinish our kitchen chairs. Bad idea. We ordered a new dining set after that!

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  141. sooo sad about the mishap, but how wonderful to have a hubby so patient and loving! My hubby is the same way and it is very much appreciated at times like that!

    All-in-all, for $90, not really a big deal. The newly redone door looks phenomenal and really pops against the wall and totally relates to the dining set too!

    Well done!!!

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  142. yeeeah... this is something that would happen to me... but it looks awesome now!!!! Thank goodness you like it after all that.

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  143. I so busted out laughing when I read this one but it was more of a nervious laughter/slash i'm so glad that wasnt me because I would have freaked OUT laugh. Thanks for sharing and I'm so glad it all turned out.

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  144. It's gorgeous!!!! Sorry you had to go through all that stress, but in the end it's gorgeous. Thankfully we have not had anything like that happen with any of our DIY projects.

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  145. Looks great! I hope the new insert at least came with the plastic screw covers.

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  146. You have oodles of us laughing with you. We've all embarked on those projects that require a few "Why God why?! do I do these things!!" I was getting a little panicky with you there; think the crazy intruder scenario is a 'mom thing'!

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  147. Thank you so much for having the courage to show a less-than-smooth project. Things like this happen to me all the time and you always wonder...am I the only one, especially since television often glosses over the obstacles. It looks amazing and what an enjoyable read. Thanks much!

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  148. Wow! Love it!!!!!!!!

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  149. Bless your sweet heart. With all of your projects that work out so beautifully, I guess you were just overdue.

    But what a sweet, sweet man you married. His response about it being ok as long as you were ok just made me smile.

    Finally, WHAT A DIFFERENCE that black makes there. Wow!

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  150. Looks completely stunning, but I'm sorry about the mess to get it that way! Seems simply ridiculous that it as so hard to find, but whatever...done now, right?!? =) Love your hunny's reaction - mine would have been the same. Sounds like you found a great one too!!

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  151. awesome story. sounds like something i would do. :-) glad i'm not the only one.

    looks great!

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  152. Omgosh Sarah - this is such a funny story, even though I know it caused you so much stress - it is good that you can now look at it with a sense of humor. I can't imagine what I would have done when I came back into the kitchen and found the insert on the ground outside in a zillion pieces. I have had a few mishaps - the worst had to deal with a plumbing idea I had and ended up with no water for 4 days.

    Glad you are all ship shape again - the door looks fabulous and now it has quite a story,too.
    My best- Diane

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  153. Ha, ha... great story! Oh, yes, and FABULOUS bay french door result! Love the knife & fork too! Well, if I actually attempted more around here, I would most definitely have DIY mistakes. :) (Oh! Got one... no one was home but me, and I was putting together our new ping-pong table. Directions said DO NOT attempt alone! I did anyway. I managed to slide both sides of the table top onto the frame -yeah! Not to difficult. Stare at the table, wonder what isn't quite right.... Realize that although each side will display the top of the table when lowered.... the outside edges were actually facing inward. Ugh!!! My teenage son was home by this time, and since lifting the table tops OFF, was too difficult even for me -I had to ask for help. What a Bozo!

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  154. oh my goodness, i'm laughing, but then i feel bad for laughing. it looks HELLA GOOD, that door, and i am so glad you did that. sure it could have gone a little easier, but luckily it looks fantastic, especially with your black pantry door.

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  155. Awww...your hubby is too sweet. My husband would have been screaming for years about this. Glas this had a happy ending. It looks fantastic. Can I ask how you polish your brass?

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  156. Oh man!!!! What a laugh I must say! The door looks beautiful in black!

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  157. If it makes you feel any better...I did the EXACT SAME THING about 10 years ago on the SAME kind of door, doing the SAME thing you were doing!!

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  158. OMG, I actually jumped back when I saw the picture of the shattered door! Holy cow, you had to have freaked out you poor thing. Your husband is such a dear, I don't know many people who would have been so calm and collected about having a gaping maw in the side of their house!

    After all that, the door does look fantastic, and I also love that it balances out the pantry door. Looks wonderful!

    And I also love that you keep it real on your blog!

    Best,

    Kimberly

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  159. First off, the door looks amazing! I just recently decided to paint our interior doors black, and I hope they turn out this great...minus the whole hole-in-the-house thing haha. I think all DIY-lovers have made a major mistake at some point or another (myself included). Thanks for sharing yours - it makes me feel better about the many I've made :)

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  160. The door looks amazing! I love the fork and spoon above the pantry door too!

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  161. What a project. The door looks great so I think it was well worth all the drama!

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  162. I think it looks so much better with the black pantry door. I would have been bawling my eyes out if that were me.

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  163. Oh no! What an ordeal!

    I have to admit it does look great though!

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  164. Wow, two big gasps. One for the broken window. Yowza! A cautionary tale for me since I'm getting ready to makeover a similar door. And a second big gasp for that gorgeous black "after" door. Love!

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  165. Your story makes my heart hurt that you had to go through all of that but the outcome is Amazing!! The black is exactly what that space needed and it looks phenominal!!
    Glad to see no crazies came a knockin'!

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  166. I have these type of DIY moments all the time! I'm really sorry it happened to you but I have to admit I was chuckling out of the ability to relate. This is precisely why I do not attempt to use power tools myself. (except for drills and screwdrivers) The black on the door looks fab!

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  167. Oh my word, Sarah, this is basically what it's like every time I try to something to my house (okay, maybe not quite as bad...).

    I'm just glad you were able to keep out the crazies and the door turned out beautiful in the end!

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  168. I would have cried my eyes out!!! Your Hubby sounds like a great guy! The end result of your DIY is awesome ...even if you had to take some detours to get to it! Blessings, Joanne

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  169. ha ha ha, that is hilarious! scary, but hilarious. laughing at my desk at work. the outcome is fantastic and i can totally understand the freak out, but your pic of the door on the ground just cracked me up! glad it all worked out.

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  170. I would love to paint mine black also! I have a huge room with my living area and dining room being one long space.
    Should I paint bot the front door and the back door since they are in the same space?
    Also, did you end up painting the grid w/ spray paint? And what kind of paint did you use on the door itself?
    Thanks!!

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  171. Oh my, friend!!
    That was quite an oopsie. :)
    But I am so glad that it worked out well and wasn't too costly.
    And it looks fabulous black!!!
    I painted our door black in our old kitchen, and I loved the way it looked. You will not be sorry.
    xoxo
    Traci

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  172. What a great story! I love the result--- and love that you had the imagination to put it in place!

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  173. Your hubby is so sweet! I'm sorry you had to go through all of that but the new door looks fabulous!! I really dig the black- definitely pops!

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  174. 1st- LUV your blog, long time follower...thank you SO much for sharing! I almost cried in support & laughter - this is so me! worse for me...extending hardwoods in great room that was 1/2 hardwood, half carpet. Ordered, brought home, did diligence ensured color match was still good (since it had been a year since last order/install)...cut off the carpet, pulled up some of the existing boards to mix in - went to lay - company changed which end was grooved so it wouldn't fit together left to right OMG!!! had to rip up all the 1 year old floor, find new flooring and replace everything... 2500 issue :o( ...but able to reuse pulled up floor upstairs room, whew, some savings... many hugs! it looks beautiful! and congrats for handling it so well!

    hugs! Kim @ Party Frosting!

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  175. Okay. So...I guess great minds think alike because I was THIS CLOSE to doing the same thing two days ago. Thankfully, I didn't- we're not quite as far along with ol' Dave Ramsey yet, so that would've been tragic. Would you just recommend taping etc. to paint it? And is the "trim grid" part around the glass painted black, too? Great job, even though you had to learn the hard way. Oh well. Think of it as new and strong glass!~
    Ashley @ Home: Inside and Out

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  176. LOL, I'm so glad to know I'm not the only one who would do something like this. I often underestimate my DIY ideas in terms of time and money involved. We just replaced our front door (it's a new BLACK one!) and I had NO idea what a project that is. My husband is handy, thank goodness, but I just thought you unscrewed the hinges, took off the door, and put the new one on. Ahhh...no. Not exactly. :) Well, all's well that ends well in your case b/c it looks GREAT!

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  177. Hilarious! I'm just getting into the DIY-ness around my home and so far, so good. Glad your story had happy ending.

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  178. The shattered-glass photo literally took my breath away.

    But your husband? He gets the gold star.

    BTW: Love the door.

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  179. The shattered-glass photo literally took my breath away.

    But your husband? He gets the gold star.

    BTW: Love the door.

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  180. I'm terrified to try anything because I'm scared of something going wrong - like crazies getting in!

    You're an amazing and brave woman.

    And your husband sounds just as wonderful as mine - calm in the storm!

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  181. I really enjoyed reading this story!!! I am not a diy chick, but I love surfing finding creative ways to spruce up without spending big bucks. I think it takes patience, the one thing I definitely don't have! Love the black door btw... Love love love your home.

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  182. This was maybe the funniest thing you've ever written! Loved your story, and REALLY love the finished door!

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  183. That looks much better, especially with the black pantry door. I'm sorry you had to go through so much trouble to get it.

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  184. I appreciate and love your blog! I don't take the time to comment, but I always read yours and love what you have to say.

    So here I am finally leaving a comment from Woodbury, Minnesota.

    Keep up the amazing blog and take care.

    Meg

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  185. Oh, me or rather oh, you. Love the door black. I painted all my doors inside a very dark brown and everyone thinks they are black. Love the look.

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  186. it looks great! looks like it was worth all the stress!!

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  187. Sarah, I think you are awesome. I'm sorry you had to go through all that to get the results you wanted, but that's kind of how all my projects go. I think it's worth the stress to get what you want though. The door looks so wonderful and fits way better in that room now. Good job. Thanks for sharing. (You do what i dream of doing)

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  188. EEEKGADS!!! That's totally something that would happen to me! Minus finding the replacement. Oh, and minus the understanding hubs. I'm pretty sure mine would want blood ;)

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  189. By the way, LOVE IT, forgot to mention that.

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  190. Your blog and your black pantry door inspired me to paint my french doors in my kitchen black....it was a little too easy to convince my husband to let me do it. I painted the first 2 coats and I went to bed that night sweating like a crazy person, thinking, "What have I done?!!" However, I LOVE the black against the white trim and my new board and batten in my kitchen! Thanks for a great blog, Sarah!

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  191. I'm sorry it was such an ordeal, but I happen to think it was totally worth it. That door looks SERIOUSLY awesome!

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  192. I'm really sorry to be laughing. I'm sure it wasn't funny to you at all when it happened! But I LOVE that you took pictures in your panic! I really love the look of the black door, I've been thinking of doing mine. One question, how does it look with the white trim? That's why I've hesitated.

    Love your blog!

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  193. Oh my goodness! I was not expecting to see your broken door, I just thought maybe it didn't come out looking so great. But it looks awesome, I'm voting for worth it in the end ;)

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  194. I love it! I am glad it all ended up being worth it!

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  195. The new door looks GREAT!!!
    I am laughing SO HARD because I did the SAME THING!!! My Hubby told me he didn't think taking the door apart was a good idea but I SWORE the grid would just pop right off of both sides, get painted, and get put right back up all pretty-like. He left the room and because I'm hard-headed, I started popping (digging, and well, destroying) those little pegs. He was not happy and gave me the "Woman-you-are-SO-lucky-you-caught-that-dang-window" look when it slowly fell out of the other side. I almost wish I had not saved the blasted thing with my lightning fast ninja reflexes...Mama wants a new door!

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  196. Oh no! Disaster!
    You seem to panic just like me - thank god we have calm men in our lives!
    Him indoors puts up with a lot of my DIY crafts and creates around the house, I'm currently working on projects involving knitting, cards, jewellery, crochet and decorating our kitchen (without using anything longlasting as we rent).
    I don't think he'll know what has hit him when we finally BUY somewhere!
    (insert evil laugh here)

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  197. Thank you for not being perfect! So sorry this happened to you!!

    Just had a broken glass situation here myself. http://is.gd/7jqknK

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  198. I just laughed so hard it nearly put me in labor.

    The door looks awesome!

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THANKS so much for reading!