shopgirl

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.

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Shopgirl: Product Friday!

Written on October 2, 2009 at 2:34 pm, by Shopgirl

Ever had your lights blink out when it wasn’t storming outside? I know: frustrating! With this new tool, I can turn on the flashlight to light my way to the problem, then use the testing device on the end to figure out where the electrical path is broken. Cool, right? The Megatester will be totally handy when I’m working on any new DIY lighting or electrical project. Its ingenious design (and $19.95 price tag) makes it a must-have around the house.

Here’s how it works: 1) Turn the Megatester on to create a path for three volts of battery power to the bulb and it will light up. 2) Pull the clip off. When you break the path the light goes off. 3) Use the clip and the end cap to divert the three-volt battery power in the tool to other circuits or paths to see if they are complete. Lights on: You’re good. Lights off: You’ve got a problem.

If you’re testing an 110V or fluorescent bulb and there seems to be a problem, think again. The reason your tester isn’t responding is because the tool won’t test these two types of bulbs. The Megatester tests 3V, 6V, 12V, 24V, and single or double filament bulbs.

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