Upcycling isn’t just something you do, it’s a lifestyle! From shows on TV like Flea Market Flip to actual house-flipping as a career, it feels good to make old stuff new again. You can, too, if you have old doors that need fixing.
Rather than messing with a stubborn seal every year, just replace it with a new one. Now, take that old door and transform it into something even better. You don’t need to be a carpenter or sculptor to transform an old door into furniture.
Check out these amazing examples of upcycled doors that you should consider doing.
Headboard
The sturdiness and the length of doors make the perfect opportunity for a new headboard. Depending on the setup, you can lay something like a front door horizontally to cover a Queen or King. You could also take two wide antique doors and stand them up for an impressive backdrop.
Picture Frames
French-style doors have a lot of opportunities to become spanning picture frames. A standard front door can have 4-8 picture spaces. An alternative decorating idea is to use a flat door to become a canvas for a collage of pictures. Either way, there’s a lot of potential for really unique conversation pieces.
Swinging Chair Door
This one isn’t quite as straight-forward as some of the others on the list. With that said, old doors make great backs and bottoms to a swing for the porch. You’ll need to know how to form the seat and have a strong harness, but it will be built to last!
You can cozy up on a swinging chair door like a floating love seat. Very romantic addition to nights out on the porch.
Picnic Table
If your old doors are too big to be made into a simple coffee table, then upgrade to a picnic table. You might be able to finesse an Ikea or simple table support system to your door, making for a cheap investment.
Shelving
The sturdiness of a door makes for the perfect, rustic shelving. You just need some brackets and plywood of your choosing. Make your shelves as deep and as wide as you want them.
Make a mistake or want to adjust your spacing? No problem, old doors can take a lot of abuse and are easy to just paint over.
Vintage Door Backdrop
An old door, or group of old doors, makes for the perfect space divider outside. Set a table outside and some chairs, in the middle of an open space. Nice right?
Now, throw an artificial wall up using an old door on one side of the table. Now you’ve just changed the whole vibe of that space. You still reap the benefits of being outdoors, but now you have personalized it and made it better. The door can even cut the wind enough to prevent spills and loss of lunch.
Garden Benches
It’s important to have a lot of space to work and store gardening equipment for easy access. A door can be the perfect foundation to hold plants, dirt, shovels, and etc. If you’re able to find a bunch of recycled doors, you could build yourself a makeshift garden shed, too.
Coat Rack
A lot of coat racks you buy at the store are either too small or too flimsy. Old doors can be mounted with hooks and provide plenty of space for the family. You could either stand it straight up against the wall or mount it high up horizontally.
When it isn’t winter season, that coat rack can double as a place to decorate or hold onto wet clothes.
Wall Foldaway Table
If you really want to open the door to new possibilities, a folding table is the ultimate space-saver. Since your door is already equipped to be opened on a hinge, all you need to do is secure it to a wall. Places like your laundry room or a corner in your living/dining room area for an office are ideal.
Because your door is likely going to be heavier than your average Ikea folding table, be sure to exercise caution opening and closing. You’ll need to install some type of load-bearing bracket to handle the weight.
Pantry Door
Does your pantry blend in with the rest of the house? If you’re looking for a more personal touch in the kitchen pantry, an old door can do the trick. If you can find a door with glass windows, that will bring even more character to your kitchen.
Poker Table
Invite the guys over for a game of poker with your own table made for 6-8 seats, comfortably. The door works great here because of its ability to be portable without being too lightweight. Most amateur card tables are obnoxiously flimsy and can’t handle drinks on them.
You might need to fill in some of the gaps to make moving chips easier, but that depends on your seating. The borders sometimes make for little personal pots for each player. That’s pretty convenient for passing around the winnings.
Replacing Old Doors
Now that you have some ideas as to what to do with your aging door, it’s time to get a new one. If you need help replacing your door, ask the professionals. The last thing you want to do is to replace your old door with the poor seal with a new door with a poor seal.
New doors must be installed correctly the first time or risk insulation issues, cracks for pests to get through, and etc. This is often the reason why old doors are replaced, due to early signs of wear and tear.
At US Window & Door, we have you covered. No door is too big, too old, or too specialized for us. Our experienced contractors and experts are backed by a full lifetime guarantee.
Enjoy your new door and your old door’s new purpose with a nice glass of lemonade. You deserved it.
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