MNN - Mother Nature Network

An old door is do-it-yourself gold. I never, ever advocate for holding onto stuff "just in case you might use it one day," except in the case of old doors. An old door can substitute for large wooden board in almost any project that calls for one. Old doors have personality. One old door might have interesting woodwork; another might have a glass window panel. They can be refinished to match newer wood, or you can utilize an existing rustic, chippy finish.

 

Here are projects by five DIY bloggers to show you options for upcycling old doors. These bloggers have created polished, professional-looking pieces, which are actually replicable. With an old door and some basic tools, you're on your way to building a stylish and useful piece of furniture or storage solution. 

 

DIY headboard made from an old door: DIY headboards are extraordinarily popular on the DIY blog-o-sphere. It seems like every accomplished DIY blogger has posted his or her version of this project. It basically entails refinishing and painting an old door, and affixing legs to it. The project that I chose to link to is by Vintage Headboards, a professional carpenter near Dallas. The photos of his projects that he has posted on Hometalk.com are ample inspiration for DIY builders. He has posted step-by-step photos of how he builds his vintage door headboards.

 

DIY sliding door made from an old door: DIY blogger Brenda from Cottage4C.com posted my favorite project of the bunch. Brenda took an old green barn door and hung it from a reclaimed plumbing pipe, making a really functional and striking-looking sliding door with a vintage look. It is a stylish alternative to a pocket door, which requires less carpentry work.

 

DIY coffee table with old door tabletop: You will not believe how flawless and polished this coffee table by blogger Beth B. from Unskinny Boppy. She took a rough-hewn old vintage door, cut it in half, framed it and added legs. The coffee table looks like something straight out of a Pottery Barn catalog, and you can follow Beth's lead and make one too.   

 

DIY entryway coat rack made from an old door and storage bench made of old doors: I have looked into buying mudroom storage furniture, and I've been shocked by the prices. Two skilled and clever DIY bloggers surmounted this challenge by building mudroom storage furniture out of old doors. Old doors are the perfect basis for a wall-mounted coat rack and a storage bench for errant shoes.

 

Now it's your turn. Tell us about your DIY projects using old doors!