Meredith’s Faux-Paneled Doors

Written on February 3, 2010 at 8:43 am, by Shopgirl

If you read Do It Yourself magazine, you probably know Shopgirl. She’s our go-to gal for tips, tricks, tools, projects, and hefty doses of DIY inspiration. Meredith Ladik is one of our creative lasses behind Shopgirl, and here, she shares a beautiful repurposing project she did in her own home. Enjoy! – Team DIY

To lighten the look of my 1930s cottage, I’ve brushed many a gallon of crisp white and soft neutral paint on cabinetry, furniture, trim, picture frames, and floors. Chairs and sofas, too, were slipcovered in downy white canvas. Nevertheless, something dark and unnerving remained, lurking throughout my house’s corridors: dark-brown varnished slab doors!

Rather than replace these original, nothing-wrong-with-them doors with beyond-my-budget raised-paneled doors, I decided a fresh facelift with leftover paints mixed with a little creativity was a fun and affordable solution.

Here’s what I did:

For ease, remove your door from its hinges, placing it atop a pair of sawhorses. Remove varnish using a methylene-chloride-free citrus-gel paint remover, followed by a light sanding. Prime then paint door (I used a pale-gray color in a satin-finish), allowing it to dry and cure thoroughly. (I’d recommend a week.) Rehang door.

Plot out the size of your door’s “panels” using a tape measure; a T-square or carpenter’s ruler for straight lines and corners; a pencil; and easy-release painter’s tape.

Essentially you are taping up pairs of parallel lines that become individual “frames.” The “channel” between the two pieces of tape is where you brush on paint in a lighter color such as white and in several light coats. I used leftover high-gloss white paint that surprisingly catches light for nice highlights.

When the white paint is thoroughly dry, carefully remove the painter’s tape.

DIY Tip: As you pull off the paint, slowly and gently pull it up vertically, keeping your fingers—and force of motion—close to the door’s surface. This will hopefully prevent pulling up the paint you want left on the door.

7 Responses to “Meredith’s Faux-Paneled Doors”

1. February 3, 2010 at 1:54 pm, by Shannon

   This is just perfect! I have the same boring doors in my condo. Thanks for such a great, easy and inexpensive project. And the provided directions are very much appreciated, I’ll be doing a version of this asap!

2. February 3, 2010 at 11:38 pm, by ginger johnson

   great door – you’ve inspirted me – i got winter fever and i need a project – this is the right size! Thanks

3. February 4, 2010 at 7:24 am, by Annie

   I recently repainted a guest bedroom and decided to do this project on the doors. Your directions will help me in the doing. Thank you so much.

4. February 8, 2010 at 10:33 pm, by Faith

   Oh, my goodness! This post is a God-send! We just moved into a 1960s era home and the dark slab varnish doors are driving me crazy! I’ve painted the yucky country wood bathroom cabinet, and this post is just what my doors need! Whoo Hoo! This one income family thanks you!

5. February 24, 2010 at 10:25 am, by Karen Glaub

   I redid a solid white door which led to the outside through the garage with a full window pane design.
   I taped it off into the squares for the panes and painted them pale sky blue to simulate the outside.
   I like it because it broke up the plain look but fits in.

6. February 25, 2010 at 1:07 am, by Suzanne

   I have recently acquired a 75 year old home and wanted to do something with the doors. Thank you!
   It was a wonderful idea and so easy to do.

7. March 1, 2010 at 7:44 pm, by thefauxguy

   Great idea! Cool when you can make something look nothing like it did before. Just got a couple suggestions. There are a lot of cabinet/furniture finishes you can do old doors too. Check out http://www.fauxagoodtime.com for some ideas.