Before & After: Bland Bi-Fold Shutters to Chic Closet Doors

Written by

Tara BellucciNews and Culture Director
Tara BellucciNews and Culture Director
Tara is Apartment Therapy's News & Culture Director. When not scrolling through Instagram double-tapping pet pics and astrology memes, you'll find her thrift shopping around Boston, kayaking on the Charles, and trying not to buy more plants.
published May 11, 2015
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Post Image
(Image credit: Jessica)

These blah shutter bi-fold doors appear in many a rental, and Jessica’s was no exception. While she decorating her daughter’s room, she had an idea to transform them into something a little more glam:

(Image credit: Jessica)

What a difference! From Jessica:

While redecorating my girl’s room, I had a big Ah-ha moment. I am unable to paint the walls in my rental, but I really really needed to make a statement, so I decided to upcycle/DIY (whatever you want to call it) the closet shutter doors in my girls room.

Since I could not accomplish the look I wanted without replacing what is already in the room, I decided to use hardboard to make my vision a reality. Hardboard is the only thing I paid for in this DIY, everything else I owned.

Materials Used:

1-4×8 Sheet of Hardboard
Primer
Paint
Painting tools
Pencil and Eraser
*Finish nails and Hammer
OR Nail Gun
Drill

Steps:

-Measure and cut hardboard to size (Home Improvement stores will cut boards for free, if you provide them with measurements)
-Remove door knobs, if needed
-Place hardboard over shutter door and make sure all edges are aligned accordingly.
-Use nail gun and attach hardboard to face of shutter door
OR use a drill with a small drill bit to drill small holes into hardboard and shutter door. Then, hammer in the finish nails.
-Prime and Paint
-I drew faux molding free handedly with a pencil and used an eraser to erase the extra pencil markings.
-After free handing the molding, I went over it with paint using a regular ol’ artist paint brush…you know the thin ones with an angle brush that artist use to paint on canvas…yeah, that one.

NOTE: I did this project singlehandedly, but I would advise you to have someone help you hold the boards up while nailing them in.

NOTE: Do not use painters tape or masking tape on hardboard…it will pull up the paint and ruin the board….trust me, I have done it before…hence, the freehanded faux molding.

More photos and details over on Domicile 37.

Thank you Jessica!