Since crackling the black paint over a black basecoat worked so well, I decided to do the same thing for the exterior of the front door – crackled red over red. I then used a paint wash of Barn Red by Apple Barrel, Black Cherry by Folk Art and black to darken up the door inside and out, adding an extra coat of this wash on the exterior. Nice, old dirty paint!
The door plates and knobs came from The Dolls House Emporium and were originally shiny brass. (Shakes head that nearly all fancy dollhouse hardware is shiny brass.) I sprayed it with flat black paint and aged it a bit with Bittersweet Chocolate by Americana. Of course, the door plates had nail holes but no nails. I used some tiny brass brads and painted them to match.
The problem is, this hardware will require a lifetime of touching up, but it looks so much better than shiny brass.
Since this is a split door, I wasn’t really sure what to do for a spooky doorknocker. I knew I wanted one, but where to put it without it looking odd shoved off to one side. Then I thought, why not two to balance?
Wow! You knock on the door and promptly get devoured by lions. :D
These beauties are from Sussex Crafts, and I just love the dark finish and wonderful detailing. The lions have such wonderful expressions. Linda at Sussex Crafts was a joy to do business with as well. They might be a bit large and over the top but I think that actually works for this project. They are keepers without a doubt!
Here’s the door without the lions in case you’re curious…no comparison.
I also aged the coach lamps by stippling on Bittersweet Chocolate paint. Now they look all oxidized and dirty. :D
