So when we first moved into our new house (new only to us because the house is 100 years old) it desperately needed a new front door. Soon after moving in we went off to the local hardware store in search of a new front door. Only to find out when we got there that our door was an unusual size. In order to replace it we would have to order a special custom door or knock out the frame and widen the doorframe. We headed home dejected and resolved to go home and think about our options. Meanwhile a year went by and our sad looking front door languished.
After some brainstorming, pinteristing, and internet scouring I finally came up with a plan for our front door... We would redo the existing door with wooden trim and paint creating a faux paneled door. Luckly our door was solid wood making it a good candidate for a makeover. Since the original door was soo ugly and embarrassing you will not get a "before" picture... Just trust me it was the worlds ugliest front door...image a plain boring solid wood door with a peeling off finish.
To kick off the project we removed the hardware and peeled off the already peeling laminate finish on the door using a putty knife. We had a heat gun handy to help release the glue on any resistant pieces but we did not end up needing it.
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| Door with laminate removed and boxes sketched out |
After removing the laminate I sketched out (using a level) 2 boxes onto the door where I wanted the wood trim placed and recorded the measurements of the boxes. We then filled in any uneven areas of the door with wood filler and left it to dry.
While it was drying we headed to the hardware store with our measurements to pick out the wood trim. The local hardware store had miter boxes and saws available for customers to use so we were able to use them to cut our wood at 45 degree angles on each corner so that the pieces would lay flush with eachother.
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| Door with the trim glued into place |
The next step was to sand down the door and glued the cut pieces of trim onto the door with woodglue checking the position of each piece with a level. After the trim was glued into place we then tacked in down with tiny little nails. We then filled in any gaps in the corners with the wood filler and allow it to dry.
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| After first coat of paint |
Finally our door was ready for a coat of paint!!! We painted our door a nice brick red, let it dry, and replaced the hardware and finally we had a real front door. Lastly to top it off we hung a beautiful knocker a good friend had gifted us.
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| With the hardware replaced & a beautiful knocker |
I can't put into words how delighted I am to finally have a nice looking front door.
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| A decent looking door at last!!!! |
