This is how to make the famous door from the Friends series yourself

The door

Ah, the purple door... The colour alone makes you think of Friends, giving you an instant smile. But what colour purple can you use for that? Sigma's online colour tool helps us out:

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RAL 4005 already comes pretty close to the purple that adorns Monica's interior. In a more modern version, it's a nice accent colour next to a more neutral shade of grey, for example.

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A slightly softer shade of purple is the NCS colour S 3030-R50B. You can also combine it nicely as an accent colour with grey, beige and white base shades. 

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Another nice option is this Reign Over Me (PPG1248-7). This shade is a slightly deeper purple, but hey, if you're going for that purple door anyway, you might as well go all the way, right?  

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Colour chosen? Then it's time for painting! Here you can read again in detail all the steps for painting the door, but here is the short version:  

1. Prepare the (wooden) door by thoroughly cleaning and degreasing it. Use masking tape to tape off parts you would rather not paint in purple. Sand and dust the wood.
2. Apply two coats of water-based primer, for example Sikkens Rubbol BL Primer or Trimetal Permacryl PU Primer. You can already order both in the colour of your choice, handy right? Was your door painted before? Then you don't need new primer coats, just clean and sand.  
3. Finally, apply one more coat of water-based topcoat, such as Sikkens Rubbol BL Rezisto Satin or Trimetal Permacryl Satin. A silk gloss finish will look best on your door. 

See, there you already have your purple Friends door!  

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The frame

Next step: the yellow frame. You can choose to make it yourself, out of clay for example, find a unique piece in a thrift shop or simply buy a frame that suits your taste. Before varnishing, pay attention to what material your frame is made of.  

The easiest way to change the colour of a frame that has a lot of relief or corners and edges, like the one on Monica's door, is with spray paint. Then these are the steps to follow:

1. Clean and degrease the frame, for example with Berdy Clearline Degreaser. Depending on the material, you may also be able to sand and de-dust it a bit. Make sure it is thoroughly dry and then place it on a generously covered, level surface. ProGold covering cardboard, for example, is very handy for this. 
2. On wooden, metal, stone and earthenware frames, you can then apply a few thin layers of (white) MoTip Deco Primer. Shake the spray can very well before you start, and then spray very finely in a crosswise motion about 30 cm from the frame. If you have a frame made of plastic, you will need the MoTip Deco Effect Plastic Primer, otherwise the paint will not adhere (well). 
3. Time for the yellow! For that, you can use MoTip Deco Spray Paint High Gloss in the colour 1021 - Rapeseed Yellow.The method of application is the same as for the primer.  
   

   RAL 1021

4. Finally, it is best to give your paintwork a protective coat with MoTip Deco Clear Varnish. Here you can also choose the silk gloss variant, if you do not like the high-gloss yellow. 

If you are not a big fan of spray cans, you can also get started with a colour tester and a fine brush.

So, now just hang your frame on the door and you have your very own Friends door! 

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We are extremely curious to see the result! Share it with us via e-mail or on Facebook and Instagram with #Tintrio. For more great ideas: subscribe to our newsletter!