You’d Never Guess That the Tile on This Rental’s Front Door Is Hanging on by Magnets

Originally, the doorbell cover was a sad gray-green, which wouldn’t work with the bold, dramatic makeover Sarah envisioned. So she used Rub ‘n Buff in “Antique Gold” (purchased from Blick Art Materials) to revamp the accessory. 

“Rub n’ Buff was so easy to use; I had to stop myself before turning everything in my apartment antique gold,” Sarah jokes. The entryway already has Art Deco-inspired yellow wallpaper, so the warmth of the reimagined doorbell cover complements it nicely.

Sarah removed the essentially pointless chain lock, then used metal filler to fill the remaining holes. Next, Sarah needed to sand down years of accumulated paint. She thought she could do it with sandpaper, but ended up needing a metal file to peel back all the layers.

Once the door was prepped, Sarah painted Farrow & Ball’s “Bothy Blue” on the interior, and it instantly added a “bright pop,” she says. To achieve the arched look she wanted, Sarah hung a rounded pediment above the door and continued the paint color onto the pediment to create a seamless look that makes the doorway appear taller. 

Because the door was metal, Sarah had the idea to attach yellow and white peel-and-stick tiles to magnetic backing to easily create a border around the door. “The magnetic sheets used for backing the peel-and-stick tiles were easily the best hack,” she says. “I can take them down without any removal process, and the best part is I get to reuse them afterwards!” 

One note, though: Sarah initially started with a thinner magnetic backing, but it wasn’t strong enough to hold the tile. So she opted for sheets that are 30 millimeters thick for added support. In just two days, and for only around $200, Sarah turned her tear-inducing front door into a bright, bold statement.

Inspired? Submit your own project here.