Speaking of Doors

Easy Door Makeovers

Are your doors a bore? Transform an interior door with these easy-do ideas using paint, wallpaper, and decorative moldings. See what you can do from Country Home's Shop girl, Leslie Segrete.

photo courtesy Country Home

PROJECT PROFILE

• Cost: $50 
• Time: one day, including drying time 
• Supplies: hollow- core door, decorative molding and appliqué pieces, hammer, finish nails with small head, nail set, wood glue, paintable wood filler, primer, paint, paintbrush, wallpaper and wallpaper paste, miter box with saw, and safety glasses 

 THE PROJECT
 Pick a style, any style. If it’s wallpaper you want, select that first. It will inspire your choice of decorative moldings. If your existing doors are too dingy to redo, get to the home center and buy a new, unfinished hollow-core door ($30 from The Home Depot).

 MAKE IT

1. Gather supplies (see list, above). Prime and paint the door and moldings, allowing them to dry between coats. 
2. Mark your design on the door with pencil. Cut wallpaper pieces to size and adhere; smooth and let dry. 
3. Cut all the pieces of trim using a miter box and handsaw. Arrange them on the door before attaching, making sure to get a nice fit at the corners. Apply wood glue to the back of the trim and attach to the door using a hammer and finish nails. Tip: Use wood filler to help join gaps at the corners. Once it’s painted you won’t see the imperfections. 
4. After the pieces are attached, use a nail set to sink the nail heads below the surface of the molding. Fill the nail holes with wood filler; let dry. Touch up holes with paint and hang door. 
5.  Dress up with vintage or salvaged knobs and hardware. 

 SOURCES FOR MOLDINGS

Outwater Plastics Industries, Inc. —Don’t be fooled by the name. This mega-catalog is chock-full of moldings and so much more. 

Shop girl is like a kid in a candy store every time a new catalog arrives in the mail. outwater.com 

Van Dyke’s Restorers—Oodles of embossed wooden appliqués and gingerbread pieces like the ones we used (above left and page 87).

 Plus, furniture kits and tools. vandykes.com 

Dykes Lumber Company—The variety of moldings at Dykes will have you making over every room in your house.