Old Door Ideas: 14 Thrifted Door Makeovers That Turn a Cheap Find Into Showstopping Decor

Old door ideas are perfect for anyone who loves a bargain with a story. Salvage yards, thrift stores, yard sales and even the curb on trash day are full of solid wood doors that nobody wants, often for ten or twenty dollars, sometimes for free. They are big, sturdy and full of character, with chippy paint, old knobs and pretty panels that new furniture cannot copy. With a little cleaning, a coat of paint and a few screws, one old door can become a porch welcome sign, a headboard, a bench, a desk or a pot rack. Many of these projects take a weekend, and a few take an afternoon. One quick safety note before you start: old paint may contain lead, so never sand it indoors, and seal it with a clear coat instead..

Old Door Ideas for the Holidays: A Christmas Welcome Porch Door

The most festive of all old door ideas is also the easiest. Lean a chippy white door against the front of the house, hang a big fresh wreath with a red bow on the top panel, and flank it with two potted evergreens in galvanized buckets. Add a plaid blanket on a rocker and a few wrapped boxes at the base, and your porch looks like a magazine cover. Use battery lanterns, never real flames. Screw a small L bracket into the wall or porch post so wind cannot tip it over. Which corner of your porch is waiting for this..

You will need: an old paneled door, a wreath and ribbon, a wreath hanger or nail, two potted evergreens, an L bracket and screws, battery lanterns.

How to make it: 1. Clean the door and seal any flaking paint with a clear matte sealer. 2. Stand it against the wall and anchor the top with an L bracket. 3. Hang the wreath and style the base with greenery, gifts and lanterns.

A Bifold Door Corner Shelf

An old bifold closet door is the perfect shape for a corner, because it already folds into a V. Paint it a soft color, stand it in an empty corner, and screw short wooden shelves across both panels. Fill the shelves with plants, books and baskets, and a dead corner becomes the prettiest spot in the room. A Hometalk video of this exact idea was a hit on MSN, with a bifold door saved for a genius living room idea. Anchor the top to the wall so it stays steady. What would you put on your corner shelves?

You will need: an old bifold door, paint, 6 to 8 short wooden boards for shelves, small L brackets, screws, wall anchors.

How to make it: 1. Paint the door and the shelf boards and let them dry. 2. Stand the door in the corner and mark level shelf lines across both panels. 3. Screw the shelves on with brackets and anchor the top of the door to the wall.

Old Door Ideas for the Bedroom: A Door Headboard

Turning a door on its side makes one of the most charming old door ideas for a bedroom. A five panel door is about the width of a queen bed, so it fits like it was made for it. Clean it, seal the old paint, and mount it horizontally to the wall behind the bed with a French cleat or heavy duty brackets. The panels give the room instant cottage character without buying a pricey headboard. Ask a second person to help lift and hold it level. Would you leave it chippy or paint it fresh?

You will need: an old five panel door, cleaner, clear sealer, a French cleat or heavy brackets, a level, screws into wall studs.

How to make it: 1. Clean and seal the door. 2. Find the wall studs and screw half of the cleat level to the wall. 3. Attach the other half to the door and hang it with a helper.

A Door Coat Rack for the Entry

Every entry needs more hooks, and an old door gives you room for a whole family. Paint the door a bold color like navy, then screw a row of iron hooks along the top rail. Mount it horizontally on the wall, screwing into studs because coats are heavy. Put a small bench below for boots and a basket for hats and gloves. It looks like a custom mudroom piece, for the price of a few hooks. Guests will have a place for their coats this holiday too. How many hooks does your crew need?

You will need: an old door, paint, 8 to 12 iron coat hooks, screws, a stud finder, a level.

How to make it: 1. Paint the door and let it dry. 2. Mark evenly spaced hook spots along the top rail and screw in the hooks. 3. Hang the door horizontally, screwing into studs.

A Door Console Table

A long, narrow door makes a beautiful tabletop for a console behind the sofa or in a hallway. Lay it flat, sand only the top lightly outdoors if the paint is modern, or seal it as it is, then attach four simple table legs with mounting plates. A weathered gray finish looks expensive and hides scratches. Style it with a lamp, a stack of books and a bowl of pinecones, and see our furniture flips for more thrift store makeovers. Measure your space first, since full doors are about 80 inches long and you may want to trim one. Where would a long table help in your home?

You will need: an old flat panel or paneled door, 4 table legs with mounting plates, screws, a clear sealer or wood stain.

How to make it: 1. Clean the door and finish the top with stain or sealer. 2. Flip it over and screw the leg plates near each corner. 3. Screw in the legs, flip it back and check that it sits level.

Old Door Ideas With Storage: An Entry Bench

This is one of the cleverest old door ideas because it adds seating and hidden storage. Cut a door in two: the upper part becomes a tall bench back, and the lower part and some plywood become a box seat with a hinged lid. Shoes, scarves and mittens disappear inside, and the panels on the back give it farmhouse charm. Add a cushion and a couple of plaid pillows, and hang a wreath on the top panel. Have an adult handle the saw, or ask a hardware store to make the cuts. Who in your house always loses their gloves?

You will need: an old paneled door, plywood for the box, a piano hinge, a saw with adult help, wood glue, screws, paint, a seat cushion.

How to make it: 1. With adult help, cut the door into a tall back piece and side pieces. 2. Build a plywood box seat and screw the back to it. 3. Add the hinged lid, paint, and top with a cushion.

A Window Pane Door Photo Display

An old French door with lots of small glass panes is made for showing off family photos. Hang it on the wall or lean it securely, then tuck prints behind each pane with small clips or double sided tape on the back. Black and white prints look especially elegant. Swap in holiday photos for December and summer snaps in July. Tie a sprig of eucalyptus or a ribbon to the top for a soft touch. It turns a pile of loose photos into wall art. Which memories would go in your panes?

You will need: an old French door with glass panes, printed photos, small clips or removable tape, picture wire or a French cleat, greenery or ribbon.

How to make it: 1. Clean the glass inside and out. 2. Trim prints to fit and fix them behind the panes. 3. Hang the door securely on studs, or lean it and anchor the top to the wall.

A Garden Trellis From an Old Screen Door

An old screen door with a lattice panel makes a charming trellis for roses, clematis or beans. Stand it upright in a garden bed, drive two metal stakes into the ground behind it and screw the door to the stakes so it cannot fall. Paint it a faded mint or leave it weathered, then plant climbers at the base and tie them in as they grow. It adds height and a cottage garden feel for very little money. Plan it now and plant it in spring. What would you grow up yours?

You will need: an old screen door or lattice door, 2 metal garden stakes, outdoor screws, exterior paint if you like, climbing plants and soft ties.

How to make it: 1. Paint or seal the door with exterior paint. 2. Drive the stakes into the ground and screw the door to them. 3. Plant climbers at the base and tie the stems loosely to the door.

Old Door Ideas for the Kitchen: A Pantry Chalkboard Door

Here is one of the most useful old door ideas for a busy kitchen. Paint the top panels of a pantry door with chalkboard paint, add a slim wooden ledge below to hold chalk, and you have a family message center. Write the grocery list, the week’s menu or a sweet note. During the holidays, draw a little countdown or a doodle of a gingerbread house. Hang a small boxwood wreath above the board. Two coats of chalkboard paint and a light rub with chalk to season it are all you need. What would your family write first?

You will need: an old wooden door or your pantry door, chalkboard paint, painter’s tape, a small foam roller, a thin wooden strip for a ledge, chalk.

How to make it: 1. Tape off the panels you want to paint. 2. Roll on two thin coats of chalkboard paint, letting each dry. 3. Season it by rubbing chalk over it and wiping clean, then add the ledge.

A Folding Door Room Divider

In a studio, a bedroom or a shared kids’ room, a folding screen made from three old doors creates privacy without building a wall. Join the doors with heavy hinges so they fold like a screen, and paint them a soft greige or leave the patina. Stand it in a zigzag so it is steady on its own. It can hide a desk, a bed or a messy corner in seconds, and it moves when you need it to. Lift and hinge the doors with a helper, since each one is heavy. Which corner of your home needs a little privacy?

You will need: 3 old doors of the same height, 4 to 6 heavy duty hinges, screws, a drill, paint or sealer, a helper.

How to make it: 1. Clean, paint or seal all three doors. 2. Lay two doors side by side and screw on two or three hinges, then add the third. 3. Stand it in a zigzag shape and check it is steady.

A Door Pot Rack for the Kitchen

Hanging pots overhead frees up whole cabinets, and an old door turns the job into a showpiece. Lay the door flat, add heavy hooks along both long edges, and hang it from the ceiling with strong chains above the island. Copper pots, cast iron pans and bundles of drying herbs look wonderful hanging from it. This is a job for an adult with the right hardware: the chains must screw into ceiling joists, never just drywall, because pots are heavy. What would you hang from yours first?

You will need: an old door, 4 heavy ceiling hooks rated for the weight, chain, S hooks, eye bolts, a stud finder, a drill, an adult helper.

How to make it: 1. Find the ceiling joists and screw in rated ceiling hooks. 2. Fit eye bolts to the door corners and S hooks along the edges. 3. Hang the door level on the chains and add pots slowly, checking it holds firm.

Old Door Ideas for Christmas: A Card Holder Door

All those holiday cards deserve better than a pile on the counter, and this is one of the sweetest old door ideas for December. Paint a door Christmas red, wrap lengths of plaid and gold ribbon horizontally around it, and clip each card to the ribbons with mini clothespins. Add a strip of greenery across the top. It becomes a happy wall of friends and family that grows every day. Lean it against a wall and anchor it, or hang it on studs. After the season, it becomes a photo or art display. How many cards do you get each year?

You will need: an old door, red paint, 4 to 6 lengths of ribbon, mini clothespins, a staple gun, a strip of greenery.

How to make it: 1. Paint the door and let it dry. 2. Wrap ribbons around the door and staple them on the back. 3. Clip cards to the ribbons and anchor the door to the wall.

An Outdoor Potting Bench

Gardeners love this one. Use an old door as the tall back of a potting bench and screw hooks into it for trowels, shears and a hand rake. Build a simple bench below from reclaimed boards with a lower shelf for stacked pots. The door gives the bench charm and keeps your tools within reach. A faded blue door looks wonderful among green plants. Seal it with exterior sealer so it lasts outside. In winter it can hold potted evergreens and lanterns. Where would your potting bench go?

You will need: an old door, reclaimed boards or 2x4s, outdoor screws, hooks, exterior sealer, a drill.

How to make it: 1. Build a simple bench frame with a top and a lower shelf. 2. Screw the door upright to the back of the frame. 3. Add hooks, seal everything and fill it with tools and pots.

Old Door Ideas for the Home Office: A Door Desk

Our last pick among these old door ideas gives you a huge, solid desk for very little money. Lay a solid wood door across two small filing or storage cabinets, and you have room for a laptop, a lamp, plants and paperwork. Strip it or clean it, then finish the top with a few coats of clear varnish so it is smooth to write on. The panels add a warm, one of a kind look. Make sure the cabinets are the same height so it sits level. Would this fit in your home office or a spare room?

You will need: a solid wood door, 2 cabinets or sturdy trestle legs of the same height, sandpaper for modern finishes only, clear varnish, small brackets.

How to make it: 1. Clean the door and apply two or three coats of clear varnish to the top. 2. Set the cabinets in place and lay the door across them. 3. Fix it in place with small brackets underneath.