Do you have any of these closet doors in your house? You know, the sort of flimsy sliding kind? Well I do. And they happen to be in our master bedroom.
They aren’t a total eyesore, but they definitely aren’t pretty either. Oh, and want a glimpse into some real life at the sweetest digs casa? Here is our bedroom in all it’s unmade bed and strewn laundry glory. Just keepin’ it real.
Well, I was ready to do something about these doors. I thought about just painting them out a solid colour, but then the idea for a pattern came to mind. I hummed and hawed about doing something intricate or colourful, but then realized that a simple rectangular box in each door in grey and white (so that it would blend with the walls) would be the way to go.
First step was to wash down the doors to remove any residue or dust. I didn’t need to sand since these doors aren’t wood, but if you have wooden closet doors you would want to use a medium and then fine grit sandpaper to prep the surface for paint (like these 3M Advanced Abrasives). To wash down the doors I just used some basic soap and water. If they had been glossy or had some other finish, a de-glosser might have been necessary.
Then I needed to measure out where I wanted the rectangular boxes to go. I started by measuring out the box and putting X’s where the corners would meet. I marked 3 inches in from the outer edges for each door. See that faint pencil mark in the photo below?
Next up I grabbed my ScotchBlue Painter’s Tape (the kind with the edge-lock paint line protector) and taped out the boxes. I cut the edges of the tape at the corners to make sure they were nice and crisp. Since I wanted to paint the inside and outside of where the tape is (and then take off the tape to reveal a white box), I needed to make sure the corners were perfect.
And then it was paint time. I used my leftover pot of paint from the walls (Coventry Gray by Benjamin Moore), my mini-roller, a paint mask, and got to work. This was an older can of paint (before the low-VOC paints were so easily available), so I made sure to fully open the windows and wear a mask to ensure I didn’t inhale the paint fumes. You can find various kinds of masks to use when painting, sanding, or even cleaning from the 3M TEKK Protection series.
Two coats of paint later and this is how things were looking. You couldn’t even really see the tape anymore.
But after some easy-peasy pealing of the ScotchBlue Painter’s Tape (the stuff came off like butter… soooo smooth), I was left with nice crisp white lines. The pattern totally looks like molding and makes the doors look way much more upscale.
Doesn’t it add a nice bit of pattern without being over the top? It’s simple, but feels classic and adds another layer of interest to the room. The bedroom is slowly getting closer to what I’d like it to look like. I still don’t quite know what that final version is, but it’s fun to add different elements over time and see how it comes together.
They just sort of blend in with the room now and actually make the space feel a bit bigger. Such an easy and quick (half-day) project, with great results. Even if you don’t happen to have sliding closet doors like these, you could use the same technique and pattern on any other kind of door or even a piece of furniture to give it that two-toned/molding look.
And just for kicks, I tried out my very first video tutorial. I feel a little bit mortified about being on camera (who knew I said “uhh/umm” and “so” that often?!), but here you go! It’s got the full play-by-play of the project with some extra tips and tricks. Promise you’ll still like me after watching, k?! Ha ha.
This post is a collaboration with 3M DIY, but all opinions and projects are my own! To enter to win free samples for your next DIY project, visit 3MDIY.com. Also be sure to check out 3M DIY on Facebook and 3M DIY on Twitter and 3M DIY on YouTube.
Product provided by our partner, 3M DIY.
Tags: 3M DIY, DIY, grey, painted closet doors, painted moldings, scotch blue tape, two-tone closet doors, white
Gemma they look gorgeous and you rock! Much better now!
Haha – thanks Olga!! I needed that little boost after posting my first video :)
xo,
gemma
Love this! Such a nice little upgrade.
Exactly.. so easy, too. Thanks Stephanie!
xo,
gemma
This is amazing! I would have never, ever thought of this, but I’m pinning it for future reference.
Awesome! Thanks Renee :)
xo,
gemma
Turned out fantastic Gemma! Love that colour of gray! Really ties into the rest of the room now…and love your chandy!
I LOVE it!!! When I started reading, I began coming up with what I would do with those doors in my head and then I read your plan and I’m like “that’s perfect!”
I am SUCH a fan of how it came out. Enjoy the newly painted closet doors!
Wow that is crazy at how much it added to your room. Great job and I love the colors!
Wow! What an amazing transformation. The doors look so chic and classic now. Great idea!
Love the doors – such an easy change and it made a HUGE difference!
This looks amazing,Gemma! So timely because I’m in the process of deciding what to do with all of our ugly sliding doors. I was thinking wallpapering them, but this is such an awesome alternative! Genius!
Thanks Joanne! Wallpapering would be fabulous, too. If you have multiple sets of these types of closets… you should go for both ideas! Good luck!
xo,
gemma
Gemma! This has to be one of our favorite projects by you! Simple, effective and it looks great! It adds a really nice dimension to the closet doors. 2 thumbs up!
Aww, thanks guys!! I really appreciate it :)
xo,
gemma
Just starting to look into renovations–very new to it all. I love the video, it’s really helpful!
Thanks Jesse – it was my first video, so the comments of support are very appreciated :)
Good luck with your renovations! Have fun with it!!
xo,
gemma
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This is so cute! I really like it. I have been debating making my own doors (terrible idea) this is so much easier!
Glad it inspired you, Alexis!! It definitely makes a huge difference to those boooooring doors!
xo,
gemma
Gemma,
I love this idea! Something that could be done inexpensively and looks outstanding!
Thanks Sandy! Inexpensive but high impact seems to be the theme around my pad… !
xo,
gemma
Pretty schnazzy! Nice job.
Thanks Connie! They are holding up well, too. Still look good as new! :)
xo,
gem
These look great! Good job!
Hi Gemma,
Just found your blog via Pinterest, and I love it! Question: was the paint you used here latex or oil based, and was it flat or did it have a shiny finish to it? Thanks a bunch!
Hi Julie! Thanks for popping by!!
We used regular latex paint in an eggshell finish. It was actually leftover from a different project. It has been wearing well – no scratches or anything!
xo,
gem
Hey hey hey! Let’s talk about one thing and one thing only: those are some dang sexy doors. Can a door be sexy? mmm, yes. I love them so much I’m going to feature them on my blog tomorrow. Feel free to come see how much I can talk about my love for those doors.
Www.interiorsbykenz.com
Hahah – this totally made me giggle!! Thanks so much, Kenz :) I’ll def be popping by your site!!!
xo,
gem
I just found your BEAUTIFUL projects and you have TOTALLY inspired me to get the ball rolling. I love what you did with these doors. I have a set of doors I MUST try this! Thank you so much!
Thanks Kristi! They were SO easy and make such a difference to the room. Totally recommend this project! Have fun :)
xo,
gem